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PEEG 151
PEEG151

Chapter 7:
Formation Evaluation
Material prepared by:
Dr. Karl Berteussen
Dr. John Williams
Richard Lau
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Chapter 7 - Formation Evaluation
Data Requirements
Rock/formation properties
Fluid properties
(hydrocarbon and water)
Flow potential
There was
no oil here
when we
drilled!
Why Must We Evaluate the
Formation?
At least;
study the
cuttings.
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Chapter 7 - Formation Evaluation
Why Must We Evaluate the Formation?
Data Requirements
Rock/formation properties (thickness, lithology, porosity,
permeability, pressure)
Fluid properties (hydrocarbon and water, saturation)
Flow potential
Data While Drilling
Drilling Operations Log (progress, mud, cuttings, etc.)
Cores
Flow Potential (Drill Stem Test)
(and today we have MWD or LWD or Wireline Formation Test)
After Drilling
Open-Hole Well Logs (before casing!)
Cased-Hole Logs (CBL)
Initial Production
Reservoir Fluid Samples
Sometimes wells
are drilled only
to gather
information.
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Drilling Operations Log
Wellsite
geologist
Continuous record of the hole as it is being drilled;
cuttings, mud returns, drilling operations plotted against depth
Cuttings data:
Lithology (correlation)
Porosity
Oil Shows
Gas Shows
Hydrocarbon Odor

Cuttings data Problem:
Lag time
Disintegrated
Re drilled


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MUD DATA
Continuous monitoring

Gas shows

Oil shows
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Cores Provide Valuable Data
Core analysis
Porosity (several methods)
Fluid saturations
Permeability
Vertical
Horizontal
Some fluid data
(often contaminated)

Conventional CORING
Diamond
or PDC bit
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Sidewall Core
Gun:
Typical sample 2
inch long half inch
diameter
Sidewall CORING
Run on wireline
Usually in soft unconsolidated
formation.

Cylinder impact might crush
core, i.e. porosity & permeability
might not be correct
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Productivity or Production Tests
(Important Information!)
Potential flow rates,
Permeability,
Fluid properties, and in some cases
Reservoir boundaries.
Better Method than the alternatives
(Well logs give only indirect indications of
permeability and fluid saturations)
Costly development mistakes have been made
using inadequate or no production tests
SPE definition of reserves as proved requires
confirmation through production testing
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Production Tests
1. Drillstem testing (DST)
2. Wireline formation testing (WFT)
Drillstem testing (DST)
Tool run on drillstring
Fluid flow & pressure versus
time.
Good productivity data, fluid
samples
Indication of reservoir boundary
(size)
Expensive, high risk of packer
failure
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1 2 3
4
5
1. Both valves closed
(Does not feel outside
pressure, ref figure.)
2. Open bottom valve
3. Open top valve
4. Close top valve
5. Close bottom valve
Drillstem testing (DST)

h
o
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o
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s
o

H
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D
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m
a

W
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:

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u
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f
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Afterwards: String pulled wet --- meaning what?
Information stored in downhole sensors, brought up.
Can get info immediately, how?
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Production Tests
Drillstem testing (DST)
Wireline formation testing (WFT)
smaller tool,
smaller test,
less fluid,
results less reliable

Can test multiple zones
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Wireline Formation Testing
Spring
force
Electric conducting
wireline
Test
tool
Formation pressure
Flow samples
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Initial Potential (IP) test
(discussed in detail chapter 9)
Well completed and load fluids removed
Typically 24 hours
Reports
Produced barrels of Oil
Produced barrels of Water
Produced MCF of Gas
Tubing pressure
Choke size
Marks the wells transition from drilling to
production or other status
If artificial lift:
Parameters are described
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Production Testing Challenges
May be difficult to get the packer to seal
(especially when dual-packers are used)
DSTs can also be run after wells have been
completed, cased and perforated.
Wireline formation testing data are of less quality
(small volumes of fluid involved)
WFT samples are usually contaminated to some
degree
Gas reservoir productivity requires extended
production testing
Wireline results can be used to determine where
DSTs need to be run.
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Open-Hole Well Logs
Operations:
Sonde lowered to the bottom then
slowly retrieved as logging takes place.
Often several different measurements
are made in one run.
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Logging Tools
Spontaneous Potential (SP) - Lithology
Gamma ray Lithology
Sonic or Acoustic Porosity
Density Porosity
Neutron Porosity
Resistivity Formation Fluids
Caliper Hole diameter & Permeability

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Spontaneous Potential (SP)
Spontaneous Potential (SP):

Measures electrochemical
potential present in the
borehole at boundaries
between porous, permeable
zones and surrounding
shales:

Lithology indicator D
e
p
t
h

The potential difference (DC voltage)
between a movable electrode in the
borehole and a distant reference electrode
usually at surface. The voltage is due to
currents generated by the Electrochemical
and Electrokinetic potentials
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Gamma Ray Log
A common and inexpensive measurement
of the natural emission of gamma rays by a
formation.
Gamma ray logs are particularly helpful
because shales and sandstones typically
have different gamma ray signatures that
can be correlated readily between wells.
(shales emit more gamma rays)
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More logs
Density Logs (Gamma)
Emits gamma rays
Returned radiation (gamma source),
more absorbed implies greater density.

Neutron logs
Emits neutrons
Hydrogen (in water and oil) will capture them
Returned neutron gives porosity
(gas exception, used to differentiate gas and oil (together
with density log))

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Resistivity Logs
Saltwater saturated
porous zones
conduct electrical
current better than
same zones with oil,
natural gas or fresh
water.
Resistivity ~ potential/current
Resistivity
SP
More porous/
permeable
Note: This figure is
a graph it does not
show the actual hole
dimension.
W
e
l
l

D
e
p
t
h

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Spontaneous Potential
(SP) - Lithology
Gamma ray
Lithology
Resistivity
Formation Fluids
Neutron Porosity
Density Porosity
(emits gamma rays)
Sonic or Acoustic
Porosity
Caliper Hole
Diameter &
Permeability

Log overview
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Reservoir Fluid Samples:
Hydrocarbons
Samples can be taken in the well (downhole or bottom
hole sampling) or from surface production (well head
or separator samples)

Fluid samples are used to perform Pressure-Volume-
Temperature (PVT) studies which model reservoir
depletion and surface production processes

Samples are analysed to provide a detailed fluid
composition, which is used as a basis for reservoir
simulation, facilities design, and determination of sales
values
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Reservoir Fluid Samples:
Formation Water
Samples of reservoir water also give
valuable data
They can help in the interpretation of logs.
In many cases no formation water is
produced in a DST.
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Chapter 7
FINISHED