Bergen, April 2007

Magnetic Resonance While Drilling for

reservoir description, Geosteering and
Rock Quality Differentiation

Presenter: Asbjørn Kroken

Agenda

• Introduction
– What is magnetic resonance
– Applications
• Technology
– T2 vs T1 measurement
– Vibration and diffusion
• Case histories and results
• Conclusion
Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Medical MRI images are determined from

– Quantity of 1H present in the specimen
– Relaxation times present in the tissue
Magnetic Resonance Fundamentals

Hydrocarbon
25 Hydrocarbon
Movable
Water
20 Echo Train

Porosity %
1
5
10

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Time (ms)
Capillary
Capillary 4 T2 cutoffs
Water
Water Partial Porosity
3
Clay
Clay
Bound 2
Bound
Water
Water
1

Movable 0
Water 0.1 1 10 100 1000
T2 (ms)
 Magnetic Resonance While Drilling

4 T2 cutoffs
Partial Porosity

0
0.1 1 10 100 1000
T2 (ms)

Clay Capillary
Bound Water
Water Light
Movable Hydrocarbon
Water
MR Tools Downhole

• Modern Wireline (WL) tools – Begin of 90ies

– Energy and communication via cable
– Data storage and processing on surface
• Multifrequency WL tools – End of 90ies
– Increasing data density by measuring in several sensitive
volumes in parallel
– Complex data processing of data with different acquisition
parameters (e.g., TE and TW)
• Logging-While-Drilling tools – New millennium
– Energy downhole from turbine and/or batteries
– Limited data communication by mud pulse telemetry
– Real-time data processing downhole in the tool
Why MR Downhole?

• Where are fluids?

Pores / Porosity

• Are there hydrocarbons?

Fluid Differentiation

• How much fluid is producible?

Movable vs. bound Fluids

• How good are the fluids producible?

Permeability

• Which types of fluids are present?

Fluid Characterization
Motion Effect

• T1 sequence is very motion insensitive, but

– T1 gives less data (longer acquisition time)
– T1 is less known in the industry
• T2 sequence is motion insensitive, if T2,intrinsic (no diffusion)
is measured
– Minimizing magnetic field gradient G
– Minimizing TE
• Motion effects in addition minimized by proper mechanical
stabilization of the sensor

1 1 S 1 2
= + ρ + (γ G TE ) D
T2 T 2 ,bulk V 12
intrinsic T2 relaxation due to diffusion
T2 Relaxation

1 1 S 1 2
= + ρ + (γ G TE ) D
T2 T2,bulk V 12
bulk relaxation surface relaxation relaxation due to diffusion

intrinsic T2

ρ Surface Relaxivity
T1 Relaxation [µm/s]
S/V Surface-to-Volume ratio
1 1 S [m-1]

= + ρ G Magnetic Field Gradient

[G/cm]
T1 T1,bulk V TE Interecho Spacing
[ms]
D Diffusion Constant
bulk relaxation surface relaxation [m2/s]
Diffusion – Motion of Measured Particle

High Gradient Low Gradient

BRF BRF

Strong Negligible
Diffusion Effect Diffusion Effect
Tool Motion

High Gradient Low Gradient

BRF BRF

Vibration Vibration
Intolerant Tolerant
Motion Sensitivity

• MR measurements are sequential

– Inherent motion-sensitive
– Variations of measurement conditions can lead to motion
artifacts

• Motion insensitivity can be achieved by

– Stabilization of the sensor
• Avoid unnecessary motion by Low-Motion Stabilizers
– Low magnetic field gradient
• Intrinsic T2 w/o diffusion effect
– Minimized interecho time
Case histories and results
MagTrak Drilling & Station

Shale
zone
XX

Gas
zone
XX
Czech Republic:
MagTrak MagTrak
Drilling and Resistivity
& Station

Gas
zone
XX

Oil
zone
 Shale
Washout
indicator

Gas
Stationary data
to validate the

Oil
while-drilling data
Copyright Baker Hughes Inc. 2006
All rights reserved
M R W h ile D r illin g M R W ir e lin e

R e s id u a l o il
in d i c a t e d b y
la te T 2

S en sor d ep th : 1 0 0 0 – 1 0 2 5 ft
& 1 0 2 7 – 1 0 4 0 ft
S t r in g ro t at io n : 9 0 r p m
W O B | RO P : 1 5 k lb | 2 0 - 2 5 m / h r
C o n f ig u r a t io n : P D C b it w / o m o t o r

S en sor d ep th : 1 0 2 5 – 1 0 2 7 ft
& 1 0 4 0 – 1 0 4 2 ft
S t r in g ro t at io n : 4 5 r p m
W O B | RO P : 2 . 3 k lb | 1 m / h r
C o n f ig u r a t io n : P D C b it w / o m o t o r

S e n sor d e p th : 1 0 4 2 – 10 92 ft
S t r in g ro t at io n : 9 0 rp m
W O B | RO P : 8 . 5 k lb | 3 - 1 1 m / h r
C o n f ig u r a t io n : R o lle r- C o n e w / m o t o r

S en sor d ep th : 1 0 9 2 – 1 1 5 0 ft
S t r in g ro t at io n : 0 rp m
W O B | RO P : 5 . 5 k lb | 7 - 2 5 m / h r
C o n f ig u r a t io n : PD C w / m otor
 INTEQ
Magnetic Resonance While Drilling
Source-Free Evaluation of a Complex Reservoir

Well Data
 Location: Ripalta, Italy
 Date: January 2006
 Hole Size: 8 ½”
 Well Type: Directional, highly inclined
 Formation: Sand – silt – shale, depleted gas

Objectives:
 Delineate permeable and non-permeable zones
ENI Stogit – Ripalta 61, Onshore, Italy
for optimum gas storage
 Characterize complex formation:
⇒ GR affected by mica
⇒ Very poor resistivity contrast
⇒ No Density and Neutron available
⇒ Density affectd by hig
 MR While Drilling MR While Tripping
Avg . ROP = 5 m/h Avg . ROP = 15 m/h

X X
Geosteering - Sourcefree evaluation of complex reservoir

• Four main facies could be identifed

– Facies A: Gravel
– Facies B: Shale
– Facies C: Silt
– Facies D: Sand
Geosteering - Sourcefree evaluation of complex reservoir

• Variations in rock quality

– Coarsening/fining up/down
– Reflected in the volumtrics
• Silty sand
– More bound water

• Result of geosteering
– 32% improved net pay compared
to planned wellpath
 SHALE SAND 1 SH SAND 2 SHALE SAND 3

INTERLAYER?

INTERLAYER?
BVM & PERM

BVM & PERM

BVM & PERM

BVM & PERM

GOOD SAND
SHALE-SILT

SHALE-SILT
WASHOUT?

VERY LOW

VERY LOW
3 MEDIUM
CEMENT,

GRAVEL
SHALE

SAND

SAND

SAND

SAND
HIGH

HIGH

HIGH
BEDS
LOW

LOW
SILT

SILT
BVM

BVM

BVM
BVM

IN
2 1 2 3 4 3 5 4 5 3 4 3
T2 Facies

DIRTY Low PHI DIRTY GOOD SILT MEDIUM SHALE SILT Low/Mod N:G GOOD SILT GOOD
SILT – GRAVEL SILT SAND High BVI SAND (+adjacent Laminated? SAND SAND
CEMENT? Some gas WBM FF missing WBM FF SAND bed SHALE WBM FF WBM FF
maybe peak Gas? Peak effect) SAND peak peak
Missing gas?
MR While Drilling

• Logging-While-Drilling (LWD) opens new applications for

all services
• Advantages of real-time data
– Time and cost reduction
– Quick decisions while drilling for geosteering or after drilling
for completion
– Data less affected by invasion and borehole break-outs
• High velocity is problematic for MR WL tools (axial motion
of the sensitive volume during the acquisition)
• MR-LWD takes advantage of the naturally low ROP
– Higher data density
high signal-to-noise ratio
– High vertical resolution
Conclusion

• NMR captures many different effects

– Delivers a wealth of petrophysically valuable information
– Can require extensive processing
• NMR delivers
– Porosity
– Bound vs. Movable Fluids
– Pore space description and Permeability
– Fluid quantification and characterisation
• MR-LWD takes advantage of the early data and the low
ROP
• T2 MR-LWD is feasible when acquiring T2,intrinsic with a
proper stabilized sensor