LECTURE 7:

RESISTIVITY

By: Dr. Mohammad Ebrahim Shafiee

Winter
Wi 2012
Resistivity Concept
Resistivitv and conductivityy
y Electrically, substances can be divided into
catego es.
categories.
Conductors
x Substances which ppass electric Current
x Example: Water, Shales, mud

Insulators
I l
x Electric current can not pass through them
x Example: gas
gas, oil and rock matrix
 Resistivity Concept Contd
Resistance increases with length, and decreases as
cross-sectional area increases

L m2
Rl = R * R = = m
Where: S m
R1= resistivity of electronic conductivity material or substance
L= Length of electronic conductivity material or substance
R= Specific resistivity
S= Cross section area

Need to be more specific and eliminate the size variable.

variable Use specific
resistance or resistivity which is resistance of a specific volume
Resistivity Concept Contd
The electrical conductivity (C)
Is the measure of the materials ability to
conduct electricity.

It is the inverse of the resistivity, and is

usually expressed in units of :
millimhos/m (mmho/m)
or mS/m (milli Siemens per meter).

C ((mmho/m)) = IOOO/R ((ohm m2/m))

Resistivity Concept Contd
There are two types of conductivity:
((a)) Electronic conductivityy is a property
p p y of
solids such as graphite, metals (copper, silver,
etc.),

(b) Electrolytic conductivity is a property of,

for instance, water containing dissolved salts.

Dry rocks, with the exception of those

mentioned above, have extremely high
resistivities.
i ti iti
Formation Water Resistivity (Rw)
Factors that affect the value of Rw:

Water Salinity
x As salinity increases, more ions (Na+) are available
to conduct electricityy so Rw decreases

Water Temperature
p
x As water temperature is raised, ionic mobility
increases and thus resistivity ( Rw) decreases.
Estimation of Formation Temperature
WORK SESSION
 What is Mud Wheel
It has three parameters,
Resistivity @ specific Temperature
Salinity

Directions as indicated on it:

Set Resistivity opposite measured Temperature
Read New Resistivity at any desired Temperature
Salinity is indicated by salinity index
 Resistivityy of NaCl Solutions
Formation water
resistivity at reservoir
temperature is a
parameter required for
calculating
l l ti water t
saturation.

Schlumberger chart and

algorithms derived from
this
hi and d similar
i il charts
h iis
used to convert known
salinity (ppm NaCl
equivalent) to resistivty
at reservoir temperature.
Rw (fluid) Characteristics
y Question 1:
Given Rmf = 2.5 ohm-m @ 18 oC, find Rmf @
52 oC (using Resistivity of NaCl Solutions
chart in the given book)
o Rmf= Resistivity of mud filtrate

y D Question
Do Q i above
b using
i mud
d wheel
h l

y What is the salinity of the above solution

Answer to Question 1
Using:
R i i i off Nacl
Resistivity N l Solutions
S l i
Chart in the given book
 Step 1 find Rmf = 2.5 ohm-m @ 18 oC and find
the salinity of 3000 PPM

Step 2: since it will have a same salinity of ( 3000 PPM)

match second Temperature of 52 C and Salinity line of
3000 PPM
Step 3: from the salinity line draw a
horizontal line to Resistivity and
fi d a Rmf
find R f off approximately
i l 1.35
1 35
Rw (fluid) Characteristics
y Question 1:
Given Rmf = 2.5 ohm-m @ 18 oC, find Rmf @
52 oC (using Resistivity of NaCl Solutions
chart in the given book)
o Rmf= Resistivity of mud filtrate

o Answer:
o Rmf @ 52 oC is approximately 1.35 ohm.m
with salinity of approximately 3000 PPM
Answer to Question 1
Using:

Mud Wheel
Mud Wheel instruction
1. Turn the Mud wheel until 2.5 ohm.m is
aligned
li d withith 18 C
2. Keep the wheel still and do not move it
3
3. Read from Temperature of 52 C what will
be the Rmf
4. Result in Rmf of 1. 32 ohm. M and can also
read the salinity of 2600 PPM
As its observed the values between mud
wheel and the chart are different which is
considered minimal error.
Rw (fluid) Characteristics
y Question Two
Given a solution salinity of 130,000 ppm, find
the solution resistivity at 120 oC.

y Answer using Mud Wheel

Rmf @ 120 oC with salinity of 130,000 ppm
is 0.018
0 018 ohm.m
ohm m
Rw (fluid) Characteristics
Question Three
Given Rw= 0.74 ohm-, @ 20 oC, what will Rw
be equal to at Bottom Hole Temperature
(BHT) if total depth is 2400 meters and the
geothermal gradient is 2 oC /100 m
 Answer:
1. Need to estimate Formation
Temperature (Tf =BHT)
2. First lets use the chart
3. Given:
Tms= 4 C (mean Surface Temperature is
4 oC- depends on the location), Gg = 2
oC /100 m and Depth= 2400 m

Using Mud Wheel method can find

Rw @ 50 oC =0.41 ohm.m
 Estimation of Formation Temperature

Step 1. using Tms =4 C Step 2. having depth of 2400 m and

match wich Gg =22 oC mach it with the Gg =2 oC /100 m and
/100 m find 50 C as the BHT
 Answer:
1. Need to estimate Formation Temperature
(BHT)
2. Lets try with the equation Tf=Tms + Gg . D

Tf= 4 oC + 2 oC /100 m *2400 m

Tf= 52 oC

Using Mud Wheel method can find

Rw @ 52 oC =0.40
0.40 ohm.m (close enough
to the chart method
Archiess Experiments (1940
Archie (1940))
y Core Samples from different sands

y Saturated with various saline waters

y Measured resistivity
Relationship between resistivity and salinity

The dependence of resistivity on dissolved salt concentration.

Conclusions
Ro Rw Ro= F . Rw
F =
Rw
The Formation Resistivity Factor, F, is an intrinsic property of a
porous insulating medium, related to the degree of efficiency or
inefficiency for the electrolyte-filled paths to conduct electrical
current through the medium.
If:f

Rw <1 Rw F= constant
Rw Rw F
Grain size Rw F

F is function of : Porosity ()
Water saturation (Sw)
 Archie
Archiess Equations
Archie found a relation of Formation Resistivityy Factor ((F)) to Porosityy
() as follows:

F = a / m

An empirical formula based on studies of core data from numerous

localities has resulted in the equation:

F=1/2

Example:
Porosity of 10 percent results in a Formation resistivity Factor of 100
Porosity of 20 percent results in a Formation resistivity Factor of 25
Porosity of 30 percent results in a Formation resistivity Factor of 11
Archie
Archiess Equations Cont
Contd
d
Notice these three Formation Resistivity factors
are the
th same as previously
i l calculated
l l t d withith
F = Ro/Rw above.
Therefore:
Ro/Rw = F = 1 / 2

Rearranging:
R i
o .5
R
= W
= (1/Ro/Rw)1/2 Ro
Requirements
q for this method are 100 p percent
water saturation,
Rw is known and mineral conduction is not
present.
 Cementation exponent, m
The cementation exponent models how much the pore
network increases the resistivity, as the rock itself is
assumed to be non-conductive.

If the pore network were to be modelled as a set of

parallel capillary tubes, a cross-section area average of the
rock's resistivity would yield porosity dependence
equivalent to a cementation exponent of 1.

However, the tortuosity of the rock increases this to a

higher number than >1.

This relates the cementation exponent to the permeability

of the rock,
rock increasing permeability decreases the
cementation exponent.
Cementation exponent, m
The exponent m has been observed near 1.3 for
unconsolidated sands,
sands
m = 1.3
And is believed to increase with cementation.
cementation
Common values for this cementation exponent for
consolidated sandstones are:
1.8 < m < 2.0.
The cementation exponent is usually assumed not
to be dependent on temperature.
 Saturation exponent, n

The saturation exponent

p n usuallyy is fixed to values
close to 2.

R R
F = o S wn = o
Rw Rt

Ro FR w
S 2
w = S wn =
Rt Rt
Saturation exponent, n Condt
The saturation exponent models the dependency on
the presence of non conductive fluid (hydrocarbons) in
non-conductive
the pore-space, and is related to the wettability of the
rock.

Water-wet rocks will, for low water saturation values,

maintain a continuous film along the pore walls making
the rock conductive.

Oil wet rocks will have discontinuous droplets of water

Oil-wet
within the pore space, making the rock less conductive.
Archie
Archiess Equations Cont
Contd
d
Notice these three Formation Resistivity factors
are the
th same as previously
i l calculated
l l t d withith
F = Ro/Rw above.
Therefore:
Ro/Rw = F = 1 / 2

Rearranging:
R i
o .5
R
= W
= (1/Ro/Rw)1/2 Ro
Requirements
q for this method are 100 p percent
water saturation,
Rw is known and mineral conduction is not
present.
Tortuosity
y factor,, a
The constant a:
Called:
C ll d
the tortuosity factor or,
Cementation intercept,
intercept
Or lithology factor
Or lithology
gy coefficient is
sometimes used.

It is meant to correct for variation in:

Compaction,
Pore structure
Grain size and maturity
The Resistivity of Formation due to a number
of factors
The Electrical path is not a simple
to determine

y And
A d we find
fi d that
h a .R w
y R t= a . R w / . S w
m n R =
m . S wn
t

where
Rt = Uninvaded
U i d d resistivity
i ti it
Rw = Formation Water Resistivity
Determination of water saturation by Archie
Equation
q
Example of Determination of Water
Saturation by Archie Equation

y Looking at the previous slide chart

y Given:
G
Rw= 0.05
0 05 ohm.m,
ohm m F=20,
F=20 Rt= 10 ohm.m,
ohm m n=2.0
n=2 0

y Determine Sw :
Ro= 1.0 ohm.m; Ro/ Rt=0.1 therefore Sw=32%
Cross--Section of a Well Bore
Cross
 Relative Resistivity

orehole Curve as Distance

from Borehole
i
increase

Relative
Crosss-secttion of Bo

Resistivity
of Zone

Relative
Resistivity
of Zone
C

Relative Resistivity Curve as

Distance from Borehole increase