GEOPHYSICS LOG ANALYSIS FOR MINING APPLICATIONS

Thatong Moshola
Principal Geophysicist
 Introduction

What is logging?

• It is continuous record of measurements made in a

borehole by a sonde able to respond to variations in
some physical property of the rocks through which the
borehole is drilled.
• The log is normally made with the sonde moving out of
the borehole

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 Introduction
Standard Logging Unit Setup

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 Slimline Tools

Dual Density Sonde – DD Series

• Provides essential lithology and porosity information in boreholes as small as
76mm in diameter. It measures near (DENB) and Far spaced (DENL)
densities, Compensated density, degree of compensation , Caliper and Hole
volume and Gamma Ray.
– Applications
• Coal Identification
• Coal Quality and Coal Quantity
• Porosity/Lithology
• Enhanced Resolution logging

– Density
 Confirms Ore Grades
 Lithology analysis
 Bulk Density estimates
for resource calculation
 Geotechnical studies

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 Slimline Tools
• Dual Neutron Sonde – NN Series
– NN series tools operate in boreholes as small as 63 mm (2.5 in.) in diameter.
– It measures Near and Far Spaced count rates, Compensated Neutron Porosity, Limestone and
Sandstone matrix apparent porosities and Gamma Ray
– An integral Gamma Ray is used for correlation with the Gamma Ray on DD Series (Dual Density
Sonde) tools and provides an evaluation of clay content.
• Applications:
– Porosity
– Lithology
– Empirical corrections with rock strengths in sand /shale formations

• Multi-channel Compensated Sonic - MS Series

– designed to measure compressional wave velocities either by the direct measurement of the
arrival time of a refracted compressional wave, or by the difference between arrival times at a pair
of receivers.
• Applications:
– Porosity
– Fracture Detection
– Seismic time to depth convertion
– Fracture height analysis
– Mechanical Properties
– Cement bond quality

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 Slimline Tools

Acoustic Televiewer (ATV)

• Produces a high-resolution, magnetically oriented, digital image that is used to map the
location and orientation of fractures that intersect the borehole.
• Measurements: 360 degree caliper, Gamma ray, Oriented and dynamically normalised
Amplitude Image and Transit Time Image, Borehole tilt and azimuth.

• Applications:
• Fracture identification and orientation
• Stress orientation from breakout
• Bed boundary orientation

3 – Arm Dipmeter -DV Series

• designed for operations in boreholes as small as 76 mm in diameter
• It is designed to measure the dip and dip direction of dipping surfaces in a borehole
• Dipmeters make high resolution micro-resistivity measurements around the borehole
circumference which are correlated to produce apparent dip information.
• This is merged with tool orientation (navigation) data to provide formation dips in the earth's
frame of reference.

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 Slimline Logging Tools

Borehole Verticality Sonde – VO Series 3D Internal Diameter

Caliper image
• It may be logged as a stand alone tool (for borehole navigation data only)
or in combination with either DV Series (for formation dip and azimuth).

Dual Resistivity Sonde – RR Series

• Simultaneously record Deep and Shallow Focused Resistivity curves
• Resistivity curves are influenced by formation porosity, formation water
resistivity, temperature, borehole diameter and borehole fluid resistivity

Gamma Ray, 3-Arm Caliper & Casing Collar Locator –

GC Series
• Measures the gamma ray, borehole diameter and locates the casing
collar.
• Applications:
• Correlation
• Borehole diameter
• Hole volume
• Drill rod or casing joint locator

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 Slimline Tools

Full Waveform Sonic (FWS)

• FWS logs are widely used, often in combination with other logs (MS, DD,
and GC series), to provide porosity, permeability and geomechanical
properties of rocks. S

–
P
Applications:
• porosity evaluation
• Permeability
• P-wave and S-wave identification
• Lithology identification
• variation of rock strength
• Calculation of rock mechanical properties (Elastic moduli,
Poisson’s ratio, Shear modulus, Young modulus, Bulk modulus
and compressibility)
• Identification and hydraulic characterization of fractures

Induced Polarization (IP)

• The sonde comes with a four electrode (Wenner ) array and works by Fracture
periodically applying a high DC voltage (inducing signal) with alternating
polarity to the outer two electrodes.
– Applications:
• IP Measures formation chargeability as an indication of
mineralized formations
• Formation Resistivity

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 Data interpretation

• Our interpretation services convert raw data into meaningful,

distinctive information, with our Geoscience division striving to
exceed client’s objectives.
• Our interpretation services can also help identify and determine
many critical details - such as:
– Borehole deviation, diameter, temperature
– Geotechnical properties
– Lithology identification
– Coal bed properties ( Coal quality, presence of dikes and sills, and density
of seams and overburden)
– Formation Properties (Dip magnitude and azimuth, breakout orientation and
fault delineation stress)
– The boundaries of zones of interest (Base, top)
– Shear Wave (S-wave) propagation

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 Lithology logs
• Lithology log is interpreted
from the Density, Neutron,
Caliper, Temperature and
Resistivity tools in some other
cases, flowmeter tool and
Induced Polarisation (IP).
• Basic lithology
interpretation can be made
by examination of gamma
ray and density logs, quality
controlled by the caliper
log.

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 Lithology Logs

Density
• is a type of radioactive curve that
measures formation bulk density (gm/cc) In terms of bed
in open hole logging. thickness wireline
logging offers
• Coal seam can be measured or parting certainty. Unlike with
thickness to well within 3 to 4cm drilled core, there is
nothing missing

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 Lithology Logs

gamma ray and dual

density describing a coal
seam (low density).

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Lithology Logs

Block
averaging of
the density log

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 Lithology Logs
Porosity
• Porosity is the percentage of a rock or sedimentary
deposit that consists of voids and open space. It is
recorded in sst% units.

Porosity shaded
to best effect
In SST all tool
porosity read
the same
• Porosity from density
• Porosity from neutron Coal blocked in grey
• Porosity from Sonic

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 Lithology logs

The Natural Gamma Ray Log

• Gamma ray is usually a log of clay fraction.
• Not affected by BH Caving and porosity

• Shales normally exhibit high

gamma counts.

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 Lithology Logs

From a gamma ray log you get

depth & thickness but it can
produce a quantitative
measurement.

This is a uranium example.

Depth, thickness and grade.

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 Lithology Logs

Resistivity –
• Measure potential electrical resistance
of a conductive control and bed
thickness material.
• The simple measurement offered three
Major Benefits:
- Cross-hole correlation
- Depth control
- Bed thickness
Resistivity
on the right is
very sensitive
to facies
changes.

Compare
with density
on the left.

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 Lithology Logs

 Inductive
conductivity
– measures formation
conductivity
– provides absolute
temperature and fluid
conductivity profiles as a
function of depth,
highlighting local
anomalies through close
inspection of temperature
and conductivity changes the induction log
seen (shaded yellow)
describes the formation
– it can be run successfully
well as compared to
through PVC casing when density
necessary

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 Lithology Logs

 Magnetic susceptibility
– Grade control
– provide a rapid estimate of the
ferromagnetism of the rock
– Reflect lithological changes, degree of
homogeneity and the presence of
alteration zones in the rock mass
– Casing shoe determination
– Dyke identification

Anomalously low
susceptibilities within
ferromagnetic rock unit
indicating altered zones

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 Lithology Logs

Permeable Zones
The dual focussed
electric sonde measures
deep and shallow
resistivity

Blue zones indicate

permeable formation

So the curves separate.

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 Image logs and Structural interpretation
The latest televiewer, optical and
acoustical, provide very high
resolution images.

Structures are picked and

classified manually.

The resulting structure log is

corrected to be with respect to true
north and the horizontal then
displayed as a tadpole plot.

Dipping 10 degs to
the east.

Dipping 20 degrees
to the south-west

Dipping 30 degrees
to the north

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 Image logs and Structural interpretation
Generally speaking; the optical
televiewer is a dry hole tool.

If it is required in wet holes, the

borehole fluid must be cleaned out.

There are lots of dry hole

applications where the acoustic tool
cannot function.

Hanging wall fractures and fluid

ingress for instance.

The OTV could be run via push

rods upwards or horizontally.

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Image logs and Structural interpretation

OTV resolution can be

better than 1mm.

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 Image logs and Structural interpretation
ATV

This is an example of a
coalfield acoustic
televiewer log with
breakout.

The maximum
horizontal stress tensor
is orientated 130 – 310
degrees.

The major open

fracture at 632 metres
has a strike that is in
line with the stress
tensor.

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 Data interpretation

In a fluid-filled borehole,
the ATV is probably the
better geotechnical tool.

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Image logs and Structural
interpretation

Picking images can involve a lot of effort. Sometimes it’s

worth looking at the data holistically.
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 Formation Dipmeter interpretation

The resistivity-based
bedding Dipmeter.

Not good for fracture

analysis but an
excellent bedding tool
with real-time output.

• Regional dip
• Structural dip
• Depositional dip

Fault drag example

with normal fault.

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 Full waveform sonic
The 4-channel compensated
MS2 sonde provides
compression wave sonic logs
directly.

It is the only compensated

sonic logger available.

There is no VDL image (the full

waveform record).

You only need VDL to

measure the shear wave front.

This process introduces some

loss of objectivity (unless both
tools are run).

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 Full waveform sonic
Sonic logs

Lithology correlation

SST and LST porosity

Surface seismic
calibration

Intact rock strength

estimation

Dynamic moduli of
elasticity

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 Full waveform sonic

UCS (Uni-axial
Compressive
Strength )
• It defines the
boundary
between rock
and soil

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 Full waveform sonic
The shear
wave front
may be
picked where
S-wave
velocity is
greater than
the P-wave
velocity of the
borehole
fluid.

P-wave, S-wave and density are combined to calculate Poisson’s ratio and the elastic moduli.
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 Cement bond log

the Cement Bond Log (CBL) gives a

continuous measurement of the amplitude of
sound pulses from a transmitter to receiver.

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 Cement bond Log

The cement bond quality can be

classified into six interpretation
1. Good cement bond
2. No cement bond
3. Partial cement bond
4. Microcannulas (micro gap between
cement and casing)
5. Cement without bond to formation
6. Cement bond in hard formations

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 Ground water logging
Fluid sampling, temperature
gradient, fluid conductivity and flow
rate (natural or induced).

We use induced flow for

geotechnical work.

Normally the objective is to detect ingress points

in wellbore and where possible , to provide an
indication of flow rate at a given pressure
imbalance
 Borehole types to log slimline tools
 Gyroscopic Analysis
– operate in magnetic and steel cased boreholes where conventional magnetometer-based verticality
tools cannot function.
– Borehole deviation and TVD analysis
– borehole tilt and azimuth can be viewed in three ways

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 Borehole environment and types to log slimline
tools
• Borehole Environment
• Casing effect
• Blast holes
• Exploration holes
• Horizontal/directional holes

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 Borehole environment and types to log slimline
tools
 Before evaluating Slimline sonde logs, one should examine the environment in which the Slimline sondes are run.
 Irregular shaped boreholes can often create misleading Slimline log measurements.
– E.g. Thin bedded formations can often be eroded by drilling process creating washed –out section of a borehole that shows
as an enlarged caliper measurement and the tools that rely on good contact with the BH wall may be reading a mixture of
formations and mud properties.
 Any interpretation of the Slimline logs is a consideration of the rugosity of the borehole environment and its relationship to the
individual measurement devices
 three main environments in which down hole logging could be requested in an Iron ore environment namely
– Angled or vertical wet and open boreholes
– Angled or vertical dry and open boreholes
– Angled or vertical, wet or dry, pvc cased boreholes.

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 Borehole environment and types to log slimline
tools
 If the boreholes are unsafe, they must be cased, PVC is often the options
considered
 Most Slimline logs can be captured through PVC pipe
 If steel is used then the induction and magnetic susceptibility fall off the list.
 Steel will also reduce the available statistics and measurement range of
radiation logs

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 Blastholes logging

Blast holes
• drilled within mining areas
• They are fairly shallow (under 50m deep)
• They are drilled vertically.
• They are of large diameter. (13”/330mm)
• They are mostly dry.
• They are percussion drilled thus wall not
smooth
• They are always urgent!

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 Blast holes logging

Blast holes
• Only Density tool is logged

With this information the blasting

engineer can more readily optimize

• The diameter, depth and spacing of boreholes,

• The type, quality and distribution of explosive charges
• The required lengths of backfill and stemming
Indirect in situ testing by wireline logging is particularly useful where the overburden
consists of alternating strong and weak beds and/or where lateral rock mass variability
is high.

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 Blast holes logging

•This density log comprises

gamma ray, porosity, density and single arm caliper logs
(all from one tool run).
• The density tool is logged upwards
while ‘side-walled’ by its caliper.
• Data is transmitted directly to the surface computer via
the ‘wireline’.
• High Sampling Rates @ 1cm depth
intervals.
• Logging speed is typically fast @ 6 m/min.
• Logs are supplied digitally and as fanfold paper plots
immediately after completion on site.

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 Blast holes logging
• Wireline Africa log these blast or “pre-split” boreholes daily,
to allow the geologist to make an accurate and informed
determination of top of seam (the overburden
thickness),for blasting purposes.
• This type of logging is easy using our standard DD6 sonde - a
large number of boreholes can be logged each day. In some
cases as many as 50 boreholes can be completed in a single
day).

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 Blast holes logging

Generally every other (alternate)

• hole is logged across a typical bench section in a pit (20 to 30) and
the data presented to the geologist or section engineer straight out
of the truck.
• The Geologist is the able to draft a cross section of the captured
data and advise how much,(to what depth) the explosives must be
packed into each well.

The logging results aid the mining operation

in three ways:-
- They provide accurate depths of overburden and or coal thickness.
- Ensure the correct amount of explosives are used.
- Prevent the coal itself from being blasted away.

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 Directional / Horizontal holes
A trisonde is used to log horizontal long reach
boreholes drilled to intersect dolerites in coal
seams.

The tool is Pumped down through the HQ

drill pipe and record a log while winching
out.

Dolerite exhibits low gamma and high density. Rod

joints are purged from the LSD log.

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 Exploration holes

Exploration holes can be logged with numerous tools depending

on the on the ;
• Depth of the hole
• Borehole diameter
• Casing depth & Type
• Fluid level – many measurements require water

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 Data Quality Control

• Calibration must always be done within

the tool calibrating intervals
Density as an example if the tool is calibrated sufficiently DENB and
DENL will overlay in undamaged BH
• It is good practice for the logging engineer
to prove the veracity of his/her depth
measurement early on in a project
• Data correlation
• Have repeat sections (20m) per hole

An interesting QA check that illustrates the

reliability of modern tooling over time.

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 Questions?

Thank you