Basic Gamma Ray

Correlation &
Introduction to
Geosteering
Tom Arnold, PetroSkills Instructor
Learning Objectives
Introduction to Correlation

Basic Understanding of Correlation

How Correlation Relates to Geosteering

Introduction to the Gamma Ray Log

Basic Gamma Ray Correlation

How Correlation is used in Geosteering

 Define Correlation

…a relation existing between

phenomena or things.
 The Outcrop

What correlates in this image?

How is Correlation Done in
Drilling?
Gamma Ray Log
Gamma Ray logs measure the natural
radioactivity present in rocks. Shale generally
produce higher levels of gamma radiation than
sandstones or limestone. This is because they
contain more of the naturally radioactive minerals
like potassium, thorium, and uranium. Therefore
the Gamma Ray discriminates the shale from
clean formations to estimate the relative shale
proportions.

NOTE: In holes using salty drilling fluids, like oil

based mud, the gamma ray log is very effective.
 Correlation – Characteristics
to Correlate On
1. Average deflection
value of the bed
2. Size of a bed Avg. Deflection

3. Shape of the SPIKES

Size of Bed
deflection
Shape of Deflection
4. Make note of high
and low spikes
5. Depth of the bed Use other tracks

6. Use other tracks in

DEPTH
the same manner
Correlation Using Gamma Ray
Logs
In this example correlation
is being done on the
Eocene boundary. Notice
the depth difference
between Hole 1171D and
Hole 1172D. It is around
100 feet down dip from
the latter.

Notice also correlation

being based on the spike
at the top of the
formation.
 Correlation – Example
Here correlation is performed on the top of the J SAND

Logs are correlated based on location of similar features.

Similar Shape in ALL

J SAND

Similar Spikes and Average Deflections

This is how log correlation is done!

Gamma Ray Correlation

Difference - about 20 feet

 Example

7940’ 7960’

Higher by 20’
 What is Geosteering
“Geosteering is the interactive, geological placement
of a precise, high angle well path within a formation.
Geological, as opposed to geometrical, placement is
required because of uncertainties in the position of
targets due to the unpredictability of structural and
stratigraphic variations which can occur in any field.
Real-time LWD data is compared to modeled log
responses to guide the well path to optimum
reservoir layers.” (MWD Vendor)
Geosteering Is About Geology

What would a gamma ray signature look like through

a complex, folded structure such as this?

How would you steer a well under these conditions?

Geosteering Is About Geology

Introducing faulting along with folding really makes

the task challenging.

Note: Numerous faults are visible in the above

photo.
Geosteering Is About Geology
LWD

Well Bore

Target A

Target B

Being able to SEE the structure defined by the LWD data is critical
in effective geosteering.
Introducing Steep Dip
Adds to Complexity
LWD

Target

Well Bore
Unusual Structures Can Be
Found Anywhere!

Understanding the geology is critical in providing accurate

geosteering interpretations.

Well Bore

Target
Correlation in Geosteering
Offset well- BLACK

Wellbore

Current well-
COLOR Target
Gamma Ray

From correlation to cross-section, the

location of the wellbore within the lateral
can be defined.
The Terminology of
Horizontal Drilling
 Basic Terms
Quick terms for a directional well
Vertical –Y axis portion of the well
Horizontal/Lateral – X axis portion
of the well
KOP (kick off point) – depth at
which the well departs from
vertical.
Curve – section between the KOP
and landing point – usually curve
shaped
Landing Point – a point where the
well transitions into the
horizontal/lateral portion of the
well. This is usually determined by
depth or inclination.
TVD-True Vertical Depth

RKB-Rotary Kelly Bushing

HL- Horizontal Length
TVDRT -True Vertical Depth for the Rotary Table
RKB-Rotary Kelly Bushing
VS- Vertical Section
 Landing
 Predetermined point at which the
well transitions from the curve to
the lateral portion of the well
 Signified either by a certain
inclination or TVD
 Factors that determine Landing
point
 Target formation
 Formation dip
 Possible reasons to adjust landing
point (not limited to)
 Adjusted KOP
 Up hole (vertical) faulting,
thinning or incorrect geoprog
 BHA not achieving build needed
Geosteering Requirements
Basic Geosteering Requirement

Geosteering requires that we are aware of where we are within our

target zone and if a threat exist for us to exit our target zone. When
we see that our drilling inclination is greater or lesser than our bed
dip, we need to be able to calculate at which point we could exit our
target zone if the drilling inclination is maintained and the bed dip is
constant. One simple formula for calculating this is: we will move
1.74’ for every degree of separation we have per 100’ drilled.
 Accuracy Counts!!

Remember: In Geosteering we are provided three things..

•Survey Data
•LWD Data
•Offset Typelog

From this data we calculate all directional parameters

and make correlations relative to the wellbore. If any
of the input data is in error, EVERYTHING derived
from it will be WRONG!
 Survey Data
Provided by the LWD
contractor at the well site,
the survey data and
current gamma ray las file
are sent to the operators
distribution and used by
the geosteerer as either
Excel ,LAS or PDF files

The MD, inc and azimuth

are input into the
geosteering software. All
other parameters are
calculated.
Note: Initial TIE point must be input before any
calculations are possible.
When Survey and LAS data
Arrive, Import It NOW!

 Helps in determining speculative correlations

 Identification of possible geologic hazards
1. Faults
2. Synclines
3. Anticlines
4. Karsting events
 Keeps you in tune with what the well is doing
and on track with the data
1. Verifying that the survey looks correct
2. Verifying that the LAS tracts look correct
3. Verifying that the data you are getting is
the most recent
 Small Errors…BIG
PROBELMS

Later

Now Depth
Calculated survey data must be accurate. Even a few tenths can make a big
difference in a 10,000 foot lateral!
Drilling Inclination & Azimuth

Drilling inclination is the

direction up or down of
the bit.

Azimuth is the direction

(N, E, W, or S) of the well
Range is from 0 - 359

Drilling Inclination is different from dip!

 Calculation of Bed Dip
Geosteering Bed DIP is only ‘apparent’ dip! There is
insufficient information available to calculate true
bed dip.
 Geosteering Considerations

Basic geosteering is understanding that when

we have an offset between our drilling
inclination and bed dip, we will see a change
in our gamma pattern or response.

Advanced geosteering is understanding that

changes in drilling azimuth can also affect
our gamma response, although less
dramatically than Inc. and bed dip

We must understand that while our beds may

be dipping up or down, they are also dipping
in a certain “direction” or azimuth.

Stratigraphic azimuth must be taken into

consideration when gamma responses fall
outside the realm of expected dips.
 Gamma Ray Data

While measuring a formation with a gamma tool, we look for the amount of
gamma radiation that the formation is emitting, potassium, thorium, and
uranium.

Formations can either give a high gamma reading or a high amount of gamma
ray energy or low gamma reading or low amount of gamma ray energy.

A broad classification is to say that formations with a higher clay content will
have a high gamma reading and those with low clay content will have a low
gamma reading
 Gamma Interpolation
In order to correlate within the horizontal, every foot of gamma data must have a
inclination and azimuth interpolated for it.
Before After

Survey data is used to derive inclination and azimuth.

From the basic information defined above, the TVD, Northing, Easting and Vertical Section
are calculated. LAS data from the well does not always provide this information.
 Offset TypeLog LAS
The offset typelog
gamma ray LAS file
contains the data that
will be used during
drilling to correlate the
position of the project
well.

The operator must provide the top

of the target in this well!
Geosteering in the Curve
Geosteering in the Curve Phase

Though the majority of our time geosteering a well will be spent

in the lateral, the curve or landing phase is the most critical
(especially in areas where the operator doesn’t have a lot of
control points)
 Geosteering In The Curve

Giving target top projections during the landing of a well is the primary function of
geosteering in the curve. It lets the operator know if the planned land out depth needs to be
changed. These changes are better done sooner rather than later especially, if the land out
has to be moved up a significant amount. Landing high to target and then moving down into
target eats up vertical section. Landing below target and moving up is preferred by some
operators but is sometimes limited by the geology below the target zone.

NOTE 1: This is also helpful in giving us a full picture of our

target zone with our MWD tools measurements
NOTE 2: When giving target top projections we have to remember that the
projection is at current VS and not at our land out VS. If dip is present those
two depths will be different
 Geosteering in the Curve
Phase
Gamma Ray Normalization
Data will vary in value so normalization is the process of getting the offset data to match your
real time data in value. You can normalize the data to lay on top of your offset or just a little
below or above your offset data

Over Normalized Correctly Normalized

Not Normalized Be sure all peaks and valleys are identified.
TVD Adjustment During Curve
Phase

As the data comes in, you will continue to match the last section to your offset. This
is done by adjusting the “TVD” value. The TVD value usually represents the TVD top
of your target area. This number will change periodically and is considered a
prediction of Target Top.

Try to keep from giving dip predictions. Dip during the curve is a pitfall situation
because of the curvature of the well bore and the constant azimuth change will
result in an incorrect dip value.
Correlation In The Curve Phase
Tie the data into the offset data by taking the last section of (gamma) data and finding
the exact spot where it matches your offset data adjusting your TVD value (target top
TVD) so they lay on top of each other

Do not pay attention to anything above your last section of matching data. In most cases ,it will
not match our offset data exactly nor lay right on top of it. We have to remember that we will
always have variation.
 Notes On The Curve
•Keep track of where the formation tops come in during the curve using gamma data. Use
Mud logger information if it is available. Compare the drilled tops to the estimated tops
from the geoprog. This allows for the identification of certain trends:

1. Thinning of beds
2. Thickening of beds
3. Possible faults

•This serves as a secondary confirmation device when the possibility of land out changes
are made.

• Try to maintain one full piece of data through the landing and not break it (data)
up into sections. This could cause false faulting which is misleading.

•Create another section close to target or once land out is achieved

•Once land out has been achieved you will begin lateral correlations
The Problem With TVD
Downdip: Everything Appears Too Deep & Too Thick
---------------------------
Updip: Everything Appears Too Shallow &
Too Thin

Apparent
 The Solution:
Relative Stratigraphic Depth

RSD is measured in feet above and below the top of the target as
Geosteering in the Lateral
 Geosteering in the Lateral
Some operators will give a “sweet
Its important to be more than familiar
spot” within a target area called
with the target area and its
a “soft” target area or ‘centerline’.
characteristics

In the lateral we will begin to use some functions of geosteering that we didn’t in the landing
phase such as:

Dip calculations
Target projections
Repeat gamma correlations
Offset Bed Thicker Than the
LWD Target
Wellbore

Vertical
Offset

thinner

thicker

The dip appears to turn

opposite to the well path.
 Offset Bed Thinner Than the
LWD Target
Wellbore
Vertical
Offset

thicker

thinner

Dip appears to turn sub-parallel to well

path.
Over Steering vs Under
Steering

This is the most common problem to people

new to geosteering!

When selecting your data for correlation,

try to select as much as possible. This
keeps from over steering and getting
lost in the minute details. Too broad of
an area will lead to under steering and
miscorrelation as well.
Gamma Characteristics During
the Lateral

Compression will modify dip

The main principle of overlaying gamma still applies as it did in the

curve but because now we are dealing with drilling inclination and
formation dip, we have to either squeeze or expand the gamma to
overlay it; this is labeled the dip function.
 Relating Correlation, Dip and
Azimuth

In this example of lateral gamma, we have close to a 100’ of data that has been squeezed and
stretched to match our offset gamma (in grey). This squeezing and stretching is actually affecting our
dip calculation. This dip calculation is based on:

1. Wellbore inclination Note: changing dip affects correlation

2. Wellbore azimuth
3. Correlation of the section

This dip adjustment is something that we don’t do in the landing phase but do constantly during the lateral
phase. Getting the best possible match for the gamma as we drill our lateral is critical.
 Steer the Well in Segments,
Incorporating as Much Data as
Possible

Small segments can lead to incorrect interpretations.

 Creation of STRAT Blocks

Each different color indicates a specific strat block.

As we drill the lateral, we will continue to adjust the dip function to make our gamma
“correlate” either to the offset gamma or to itself. If we follow the gamma in purple
we see the progression of the well down the strat column and then back up again,
continuously correlating to itself. This up/down progression will happen many times
during the lateral. Because drilling inclination and dip are constantly changing, these
correlations may have to be broken up into what we call correlation blocks.
Correlation blocks allow us to better match our gamma to our offset or previous
gamma with more efficiency.
Other Requirements
Initial Requirements: Well
Plan
• The well plan is how the well is expected to be
drilled and is formed by the directional company
with input from the operator

•Will be either in PDF, Excel, TXT or CSV format or

all

•Can be imported into most steering software

•Is not to be considered a blueprint for the drilling

of the well.

•Verify all information on well plan with the

geoprog
Consist of 3 major parts
Vertical
Curve
Lateral
Initial Requirements: Well
Plan
 Pertinent information contained within
the well plan
 Grid coordinates of location
 Kelley Bushing
 VS azimuth
 Well path data
(Verify that all this information matches
the information that you have from
the operator and information that
you have put in the steering
software)
 When drilling, verify real time
azimuth against plan azimuth
 Real time inclination will most likely
not match plan inclination
 The Well Plan Is just a
PLAN!!
Well Plan
There is always a level of geologic uncertainty, no
matter how much control is present. Unexpected
dip changes happen regularly. In this case, had
the plan been followed, little of the target would
have been encountered during the lateral.

Wellbore Plan
Offset A
Offset B
Geological Prognosis: GeoProg

The GeoProg will contain

information about formation
tops and thickness, top and base
of the target, contact
information , anticipated
structural anomalies, drilling
hazards or other information
that will be critical for
completion of the project.
 Grid Data
Grid data or depth converted seismic
data
Given in X, Y, Z format
X - Easting/Westing
Y - Northing/Southing
Z - Subsea value of formation
represented
•Must have X, Y and Z for wellhead
location

•Not required but beneficial for

“steering” wells

•Can be used and imported into

some steering software
..provides assistance in determining correct correlations.
 Learning Objectives
•Was correlation defined?

•Was a basic understanding of correlation provided?

•Was the relationship of correlation to geosteering

defined?

•Was the Gamma Ray Log introduced?

•Was the basic process of Gamma Ray correlation

provided?

•Was the basic use of correlation in Geosteering defined?

END