PETE 321

FORMATION EVALUATION

Spring 2015
UTR 8:00 --- 8:50

What is Formation Evaluation?

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Formation Evaluation (FE) is the process of interpreting a

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combination of measurements taken inside a wellbore to detect

and quantify oil and gas reserves in the rock adjacent to the
well.
Study of the physical properties of rocks and the fluids
contained within them.

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FE data are mainly gathered through:

1. Mud Logging
2. Coring
3. Formation Testing
4. Logging While Drilling
5. Open-hole Logging
6. Cased Hole Logging

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Data are organized by depth and represented on a graph or table

SP
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Why Formation Evaluation?

To evaluate hydrocarbons reservoirs and predict oil recovery.

To provide the reservoir engineers with the formations geological and physical
parameters necessary for the construction of a fluid-flow model of the
reservoir.

Measurement of in situ formation fluid pressure and acquisition of formation

fluid samples.

In petroleum exploration and development, formation evaluation is used to

determine the ability of a borehole to produce petroleum.

Formation Evaluation course objectives!

1) List and describe basic physics of standard open-hole logging tools
2) Interpret standard measurements in clean formations for lithology, ,
and Sw

3) Estimate and Sw in shaly sands

4) Apply basic integration of log and core data

Principal of Well Logging

In situ meas. (vs. depth) of
Rock properties
Fluid properties
When
Openhole (before casing)
o While drilling (LWD/MWD)
o After drilling (wireline)
Cased hole
Interpret
Geological properties
o Lithology
o Formation tops
o Thickness of units
Petrophysical properties
o Porosity
o Permeability
o Fluids and saturations
Production properties

Logging applications for petroleum engineering

Rock typing
Identification of geological environment
Reservoir fluid contact location
Fracture detection
Estimate of hydrocarbon in place
Estimate of recoverable hydrocarbon
Determination of water salinity
Reservoir pressure determination

Porosity/pore size distribution determination

Water flood feasibility
Reservoir quality mapping
Interzone fluid communication probability
Reservoir fluid movement monitoring
Spring 2014

Principal of Well Logging

A well log is a record of certain formation data versus depth.
The appropriate downhole logging tools instrument called sonde, about 3.5
inches in diameter is lowered into the hole on logging cable.

The tools measure the electrical, acoustic, and radioactive properties of the
formation.

The result will be analyzed to determine which of the layers are porous and
permeable, and likely to contain hydrocarbon.

A depth calibration wheel records the length of cable in the hole.

Survey is normally done from the bottom up. As the sonde is pulled up the
hole, a continuous measurement signal is sent to the surface where the data is

processed and recorded as a curve.

VALUE AND LIMITATIONSOF WELL LOG DATA

Strengths

Provides remotely sensed values of reservoir properties and fluids

Among the most abundant reservoir data

Presentation results fairly well standardized

Allows evaluation of lateral (map) and vertical(cross section) changes in

reservoir properties and fluids

Limitations

Indirect measurements

Vertical resolution

Depth of investigation

A FEW SIGNIFICANT MILESTONESIN PETROLEUM EXPLORATION

First oil well E. L. Drake, Titusville, PA, 1859

Anticlinal trap theory I.C. White (popularized) 1885

Geophysical tools (magnetic, gravity, seismic evaluation) 1911
Geophysical well logging Schlumberger, 9/5/27
Depositional systems analysis Fisher, Brown and others (UT) , 1960s
Sequence stratigraphy (Mitchell, Vail et al., Exxon; Fisher, et al., UT), 1970s
3-D Seismic, computers, 1980s
4-D (time-lapse) seismic; seismic attributes, computers 1990s
Frontiers multicomponent and spectral seismic imaging of reservoirand
fluids, computers

HISTORY
1912 Conrad Schlumberger gave the idea of using electrical measurements to map
subsurface rock bodies.
in 1919 Conrad Schlumberger and his brother Marcel started work on well logs.
The first electrical resistivity well log was taken in France, in 1927.
The instrument which was use for this purpose is called SONDE, the sonde was stopped at
periodic intervals in bore hole and the resistivity was plotted on graph paper.
In 1929 the electrical resistivity logs are introduce on commercial scale in Venezuela, USA
and Russia
For correlation and identification of Hydrocarbon bearing strata.
The photographic film recorder was developed in 1936.

The dip meter log were developed in 1930

The Gamma Ray and Neutron Log were begin in 1941

SURFACE ELECTRICAL MEASUREMENTS

CONRAD SCHLUMBERGERS ASSISTANT, 1914

EARLY SURFACE GEOPHYSICS

Resistivity map made by C. Schlumberger, 1912

DIEFFENBACH NO. 2907, RIG 7 --- Pechelbronn, France

First well logged with Geophysical tools --- September 5, 1927

SEGMENT OF THE FIRST WELL LOG Schlumberger

SEGMENT OF THE FIRST WELL LOG Schlumberger

HEADER FIRST WELL LOG

Schlumberger, 1927

DIEFFENBACH NO. 2907, RIG 7 --- Pechelbronn, France

First well logged with Geophysical tools --- September 5, 1927

HENRI DOLL LOGGING OKLAHOMA WELL, 1930

OPEN HOLE LOGGING MEASUREMENTS

Passive
Caliper
Gamma Ray
SP
Temperature
Flow Velocity
Active
Acoustic
Nuclear
Resistivity
Electromagnetic
Mechanical

SOME QUESTIONS ADDRESSED BY LOG INTERPRETATION

Geophysicist / Geologist

Reservoir Engineer

Are the tops as predicted?

How thick is the pay zone?

Are potential zones porous?

How homogeneous is the zone?

Formation intervals?

Porosity?

Lithology?

Permeability?

Hydrocarbons?

What type of hydrocarbons?

Which zone(s) to complete?

Commercial quantities?

What production rates?

Any water production?

Drilling Engineer

Production Engineer

Hole volume for cementing?

Is zone hydraulically isolated?

Any key seats or doglegs?

Will well need stimulation?

Packer placement for testing?

What stimulation would be best?

Best place to set a whip stock?

RESERVOIR FORMATION ANALYSIS

Reservoir Formation

Rocks

Carbonates

Sandstones

Clean

Fluid

Shales

Dolomite

Hydrocarbon

Gas

Shaly
Saline Water

Limestone

Water

Fresh Water

Oil

WHAT DOES AN OPENHOLE LOG COST?

IT DEPENDS ON...
Well type

Vertical/Deviated

Deep/Shallow

Hot/Normal

Measurements

Depth charge

Survey charge

Time / location / special procedures

Land/offshore

Service charge

Equipment availability

Rig time

Wireline/LWD

TYPICAL OPEN HOLE WIRELINE COSTS

EXAMPLE LOGGING JOB COSTS

FACTORS ADDING TO LOGGING COSTS

Hostile well conditions

Deviated more than 60deg

Hotter than 300 deg F (150 deg F)

LWD/MWD

Local conditions

Crew on standby

Remote location

Double+

Triple++

Measurements-While-Drilling (MWD)
MWD
The evaluation of physical properties, usually including pressure, temperature and
wellbore trajectory in three-dimensional space, while extending a wellbore. MWD is
now standard practice in offshore directional wells, where the tool cost is offset by rig
time and wellbore stability considerations if other tools are used. The measurements
are made downhole, stored in solid-state memory for some time and later transmitted
to the surface. Data transmission methods vary from company to company, but usually
involve digitally encoding data and transmitting to the surface as pressure pulses in
the mud system. These pressures may be positive, negative or continuous sine waves.
Some MWD tools have the ability to store the measurements for later retrieval with
wireline or when the tool is tripped out of the hole if the data transmission link fails.
LWD
MWD tools that measure formation parameters (resistivity, porosity, sonic velocity,
gamma ray) are referred to as logging-while-drilling (LWD)tools. LWD tools use
similar data storage and transmission systems, with some having more solid-state
memory to provide higher resolution logs after the tool is tripped out than is possible
with the relatively low bandwidth, mud-pulse data transmission system.
(From Schlumberger Oilfield Glossary)

Schlumberger and ChevronTexaco Set New Gulf of Mexico Record for Well Depth and Pressure
Service Delivers Real-Time Well Placement in Ultra Deepwater
HOUSTON, December 15, 2003-Schlumberger Oilfield Services and ChevronTexaco
announced today they have set new measurement-while-drilling (MWD)and logging-whiledrilling (LWD)depth and pressure records for the Gulf of Mexico. These results were recorded
while drilling the ChevronTexaco deepwater Tonga Exploratory Prospect located in Green
Canyon Block 727.
True vertical depth of 31,824 feet was reached exceeding the previous depth record by 700
feet, with a maximum-recorded downhole pressure of 26,138psi in the Tonga #1 well.
Schlumberger delivered continuous real-time surveys, allowing the well trajectory to be kept
on target during the entire drilling and logging process. "The Schlumberger tools functioned
flawlessly under the extreme conditions of depth and pressure. We were able to capture and
transmit 100 percent of the data in real time, without lost time or trips, which was critical to
the success of this ultra-deep exploration well." Drilling operations for this record-setting
well located in 4,695 feet of water and approximately 150 miles southwest of New Orleans
were conducted from Transocean's Discoverer Deep Seas drillship.
hostile environment1. n.[Drilling] A particularly difficult set of well conditions that
may detrimentally affect steel, elastomers, mud additives, electronics, or tools and
tool components. Such conditions typically include excessive temperatures, the
presence of acid gases (H2S, CO2), chlorides, high pressures and, more recently,
extreme measured depths.

LOGGING IS COMPARITIVELY INEXPENSIVE!

Total cost to drill a well:
$75 to $200 per foot!

WIRELINE LOGGING EQUIPMENT

DETAILS OF WIRELINE LOGGING RIGUP

DETAILS OF WIRELINE LOGGING RIGUP

DETAILS OF WIRELINE LOGGING RIGUP

OPEN HOLE WIRELINE LOGGING PROCEDURE

1. Rig-up
Place sonde(s) on cat-walk

Erect sheaves
Thread cable through sheaves
Connect head to sonde

Using cable, lift sonde to rig floor

Set 0 depth reference
2. Tool to TD

3. Repeat section 300ft/100m

4. Tool to TD
5. Full survey

6. Pull out of hole

7. Rig down

LOG PRESENTATION -THE HEADING

IMPORTANCEOF HEADERS

Note use of Rm
to correct for
borehole effects
in Dual Laterolog
Tool
All tools are affected by the presence and properties of mud in the borehole
It is necessary to record all mud properties, such as mud weight, mud
resistivity (at a given temperature) in the header

LOG PRESENTATION -LINEAR GRID

LOG PRESENTATION -LINEAR GRID

LOG PRESENTATION -COMMON DEPTH SCALES

Correlation
1:500 or 1:1000
2 in. (1:600) or 1 in. (1:1200)

Heavy lines every 100 ft. or 50m

Light lines each 10ft or 5m

Routine
1:200 or 1:240 (5 in)
Heavy lines every 50 ft. or 5 m
Medium lines each 10 ft. or 5 m
Light lines each 2 ft or 1 m

CHOOSING A LOGGING TOOL

It is necessary to choose the right tool to get the desired measurement.

Considerations:

Type of well ( wildcat or development )

Hole conditions ( depth, deviation, hole size, mud type )

Examples:

o Oil based mud : Induction tool

o Water based salty mud : Laterolog Tool

Formation fluid content (fresh/salt connate water)

Economics (cost of the job, rig time involved)

TYPES OF LOGS TO BE RUN

Logging suites generally include one resistivity and one porosity device

The logging string will also have other tools like the gamma ray, SP and
caliper tools

However, logging suites usually have two porosity devices to give more
information about rock type, hydrocarbon type and porosity

Other considerations to estimate permeability or to take fluid samples

require other special tools like the formation testers

NOMENCLATURE FOR ZONES IN AND AROUND THE

BOREHOLE

BoreHole Environment
Resistivity of zone
Resistivity of the water in the zone
Water saturation in the zone
Mud
Rm

Adjacent bed
Rs

hmc
Rmc
dh

(Bed
thickness)

Mudcake

Flushed
zone
Zone of
transition
or
annulus
Rxd

Uninvaded
zone
R1
Rw
Sw

Rm1
Sxo
di
dj

(Invasion diameters)
rj
dh
Hole
diameter

Rs
Adjacent bed

Borehole Environment
Uninvaded Zone

Transition Zone

Formation Water

Flushed Zone

Mixture of Mud filtrate

and Formation Water

Mud filtrate

Spring 2014

What occurs around the wellbore during conventional drilling?

Water-based mud with chemicals

& solids flows down drill pipe to
bit & back to surface around drill
pipe
Role of mud:
Lubricates & cools bit
Cuttings brought to mudlogger
Petroleum shows
Controls
pressure

subsurface

fluid

NOMENCLATURE FOR ZONES IN AND AROUND THE BOREHOLE

TOOL CALIBRATIONS
A logging tool collects data that are converted to porosity, resistivity, and
other values

Each tool is calibrated to an industry standard

This ensures that each tool, irrespective of the type of tool or tool
history or service company, reads the same value when logging the same
formation (normalization may still be required between log)

Check tool calibrations before and after a logging job to ensure good
quality log data

LOGGING TOOL SPEEDS

TOOL RESPONSES IN COMMON MATERIALS

LOG QUALITY CONTROL

Check all calibrations before and after job

Record a repeat section of about 200 ft to ensure validity of data and to

explain abnormal curve response

Compare log response with offset well logs

Keep hole conditions (hole size, mud type, tool centralization) in mind
when interpreting log data

Ensure that logging speeds are as recommended by the service company.

SUMMARY -WELL LOGGING

Several methods

Measurements include many parameters

Provides geoscience & engineering info

Modest cost
Standard formats

Interpretation requires care

Most abundant source of reservoir data