DRILLING FLUID INVASION

Variations in rock properties caused by the invasion of the drilling fluid into
the rock play an important role in petrophysical analysis.
Invasion is a process whereby drilling mud fluid is forced into the rock due to
differential pressure. The drilling mud is made up of solid particles and ions d
issolved in water. This water displaces the native formation water to some degre
e, and mixes with formation water that is not displaced. The distance to which s
ome displacement and/or mixing occurs is called the invasion diameter, and the z
one so disturbed is termed the invaded zone. The zone nearest the borehole, or f
lushed zone, is the portion of rock where the maximum amount of displacement and
mixing has occurred. The balance of the invaded zone is sometimes named the tra
nsition zone, where the transition between maximum flushing and no invasion occu
rs. This is confusing, as there may be a vertical transition zone between oil an
d free water in a reservoir, so we avoid the use of transition zone in the invas
ion profile description.
The invasion process leaves behind the solid particles of the mud, which collect
on the borehole wall. The resulting material is called mud cake, and may be 3 t
o 4 inches thick or very thin and difficult to detect. The mud cake thickness by
definition is one half the difference between the bit size and the borehole dia
meter. If the hole is enlarged by erosion beyond the bit size during drilling, t
he mud cake thickness may be impossible to determine.
Mud cake is the sealing agent which slows down invasion. As a result, high perme
ability zones which allow quick buildup of mud cake, invade the least and low pe
rmeability zones invade the most or deepest. Non-permeable zones are not invaded
. This sounds counter-intuitive, but that is what happens with a good quality dr
illing mud. Poor quality or native mud may not form a mud cake, and invasion wil
l proceed in proportion to the permeability.
Drilling Fluid Invasion Model
The traditional abbreviations and definitions listed below describe conditions f
ound within the near-wellbore environment:
Rxo = resistivity of the flushed zone
Ri
= resistivity of the invaded zone
Rt
= resistivity of the undisturbed zone
Ro
= resistivity of the undisturbed zone which is 100% water saturated
Rz
= resistivity of unknown mixture in the transition zone
Rw
= resistivity of formation water
Rm
= resistivity of mud
Rmf
= resistivity of mud filtrate
Rmc
= resistivity of mud cake
Rs
= resistivity of surrounding beds
Rsh
= resistivity of shale beds
Dh
= borehole diameter
Di
= invasion diameter
Dj
= diameter of the flushed zone
Bitz
= drill bit diameter (bit size)
Hmc
= mud cake thickness
Computer program will use variations of these abbreviations to represent the sam
e parameters.
Since the depth of investigation of logging tools varies, knowledge of the invas
ion profile is necessary in making assumptions about log analysis methods or par
ameters. This can sometimes be inferred from the relationship between shallow, m
edium, and deep investigation resistivity logs recorded in permeable water zones
.

Most porosity-indicating logs read the flushed zone and part of the invaded zone
, as do the gamma ray, SP, and shallow resistivity logs. Micrologs read mostly i
n the flushed zone. Residual hydrocarbons in the flushed and invaded zones, espe
cially gas, will influence all shallow investigation logs.
RESISTIVITY PROFILES DUE TO INVASION
Resistivity distribution in a radial direction from the borehole determines the
response of resistivity logs to various invasion conditions. Some typical profil
es are shown below.
Resistivity Response versus Depth of Investigation
Resistivity logs that measure different depths into the rock can be used to esti
mate the invasion profile. Results are used to judge the reliability of resistiv
ity data, and to correct the log readings for the effects of invasion.