Conventional Interpretation

Techniques

Importance log
interpretation
The most important phase of well-logging operations is interpretation.
During this phase, geologists, geophysicists, engineers, and log analysts
use well logs to obtain information necessary to perform their tasks.
Logs have many uses
Exploration geologists use logs to recognize deposition environments and
other significant geologic features.
Development geologists use them mostly to correlate and to map
potential formations.
Logs are valuable tools for geophysicists interpreting seismic data.
Drilling engineers use log information to detect overpressured zones and
to estimate expected pore pressure and fracture gradient, information that
is indispensable for safe and efficient drilling operations.
Logs are also used during completion.
Log data are extremely valuable in reservoir engineering calculations,
especially in reserve estimation.
The most critical use of logs is the detection of hydrocarbons and the
estimation of the potentials of hydrocarbon-bearing formations.

Questions that Log

analysts are faced with

Log analysts are faced with four main questions.

1. Does a specific formation or zone contain hydrocarbons?
2. Which hydrocarbon is present, oil, gas, or both?
3. Is the hydrocarbon saturation high enough to indicate sufficient
effective permeability to hydrocarbons?
4. Is the hydrocarbon accumulation large enough to warrant the
completion of the well?
If the log analyst can answer all four questions conclusively and
positively, the well is usually completed in the zone of interest.
If the answers are conclusively negative, the formation is abandoned.

Interpretation
techniques

The available interpretation techniques vary from "quick

look" techniques, which provide relatively quick answers
using interpretation aids likely to be on hand at a wellsite,
to sophisticated and comprehensive interpretations using
all available data.
The conventional calculations usually use only log
responses and are based on generalized petrophysical
models developed mainly for clean formations.
Some of these models are approximations. Where
approximations are not appropriate, a degree of uncertainty
is introduced.
The application of the conventional interpretation technique
is hence limited to development problems.

Acquiring Raw Data

From Logs

Correlation
Between Logs

Absolute-depth measurement with wireline tools is very difficult,

and depth variation between logs recorded in the same
borehole may exist.
These variations are caused mainly by borehole irregularities
and tool type.
Some tools, such as the induction, are cylindrical, so
withdrawing them from the wellbore is easy.
Other tools, such as the density, sidewall neutron, and sonic log
with caliper, have arms that drag on the side of the hole.
In an inclined borehole, even the cylindrical tools may drag.
Variations in hole size and tool shape cause variations in the
amount of drag, affecting the degree of logging cable stretch
and thus the location of a bed on the log.

continue

When this happens, a bed will show at different recorded

depths on different logs.
These logs are designated "off-depth."
The off-depth error can be consistent or inconsistent.
The logs may be off a consistent 2 ft, for example, or the
error may be 2 ft at one point and 4 ft at another point up
the hole.
This inconsistency results mainly from a change in borehole conditions.

Combining logging devices to produce simultaneous

readings of several different logs is possible.
Combination log systems have the advantage of providing
depth-matched recordings. The first step in any
interpretation technique that uses more than one log is the
correlation of the logs to ensure that they are on-depth
relative to each other.

 To correlate between logs, a

"marker" has to be selected.
A marker is an anomaly or a
distinctive response that appears on
all logs.

Shale and low-porosity stringers are

usually good markers. Because of
the inconsistency of the error, more
than one marker should be used.
Two markers, one at the top and
one at the bottom of the log
section analyzed, are usually
recommended.
Once the markers are recognized,
logs are put on the same depth
reference.

Zones Selection
After the logs are placed on-depth, the next step is to select the zones of
interest.
In the detection of hydrocarbons, the zones of interest are those that
display permeability.
The permeable beds are usually identified using the SP log. The Microlog
is an excellent permeability indicator.
The effect of mud-filtrate invasion on different resistivity tools helps
indicate permeable beds.
Shallow-investigation resistivity devices are most affected by invadedzone resistivity and, in the case of freshwater-based muds, usually display
an apparent resistivity that is higher than that of the deep resistivity tool.
Separation between resistivity curves can be absent in permeable beds in
cases of extremely shallow or extremely deep invasion conditions where
both shallow and deep devices investigate practically the same resistivity
profile.

 Thick permeable beds seldom display a constant resistivity, porosity, or

other log readings. These beds must be divided into zones on the basis of
log-reading variations.
Zone selection is a delicate procedure because different tools have
different vertical resolutions; i.e., they measure formation properties in
different detail.
Laterologs and porosity tools respond to beds as thin as 1 ft, while in
resistive beds, the induction tool averages 4 ft or more at one time.

Thus,
the induction conductivity curve is smoother than the log of interval
travel time. This is illustrated hi Fig. 11.6, which is a tracing of the
conductivity curve of Example 11.1 onto the sonic log.
In addition to being smoother, the conductivity curve does not clearly
show very thin beds like those indicated by arrows in Fig. 11.6.

Basic Concepts of
Conventional
Interpretation
Technique
The conventional
interpretation technique makes use of the following
equations:

These equations, derived for clean formations, were discussed in detail in

Chap. 1.
Cases of complex lithology and shaly formations, because of their
complexity and importance, are discussed in separate chapters, as are gasbearing formations.
The use of the conventional technique requires resistivity logs, a porosity
log (sonic, density, or neutron), and an SP log or formation water resistivity.
Resistivity logs are used to determine R, and, if possible, Rxo values. The
method used to determine these values is explained in Chap. 5.

The porosity-log reading is used to calculate the formation porosity

with Eq. 2.50, 3.46, 3.47, or 3.62. These equations were discussed
thoroughly in previous chapters.
Their use assumes that the pore fluid is a liquid and requires
knowledge of the matrix type; matrix density, ma; and matrix travel
time, tma.
Once the porosity is determined, F is calculated from Eq. 11.1 and the
appropriate values of the coefficients a and m. Selection of
appropriate a and m values is explained in Chap. 1.
Rw can be estimated from the SP log reading with one of the ap
proaches described in Chap. 6.
When the SP log is not available or when another value is needed to
cross check, Rw can be estimated from a clean water-bearing zone
believed to have the same water as the zone of interest. Because
R,=R0, in water-bearing zones, Eq. 11.2, after rearranging, can be
used to calculate Rw:
where F is the formation factor of the water-bearing zone derived from its
porosity

Calculation of
Recoverable
Hydrocarbons

The amount of oil that may be recovered (reserves) from a well that
encountered a formation of interest can be calculated with

where NR = recoverable oil volume in STB, A=drainage area in acres,

FR=recovery factor, B0=oil FVF, h=thickness in ft of an individual
zone capable of flowing oil at rates of economic interest within the
interval of interest, i fractional porosity, S0=fractional oil saturation,
and 7,758=number of barrels per acre-foot.
A similar equation can be written to estimate the standard cubic feet
of recoverable free gas, GR:

where Sg=fractional gas saturation, Bg=gas FVF, and 43,560 =

number of cubic feet per acre-foot.

Thank
you