Spontaneous Potential Log

DEFINITION OF SP

• SP is a natural occurring electrical potential

relative to a surface potential measured in
the borehole mud
• Potentials are created by chemically
induced electric current
• The potential of the surface reference must
remain constant
 USES OF SP

1. Determine values of formation water

resistivity
2. Identify permeable zones
3. Qualitative indication of shale
content
4. Well to well correlation
 THE SP TOOL

SHALE • One electrode

• Insulators on
either side
SAND • Surface ground
electrode – at a
stable potential

SHALE
 SP PRINCIPLES
• Must have water-based mud Electrochemical Effect
• Mud-formation water salinity SHALE
difference causes battery effect Flushed Virgin
Zone Zone
• Battery effect components SAND
Less Salty Salty
Water Water
– Electrochemical
• In permeable region
• Anions more mobile than
cations Membrane effect
– Membrane Membrane
+
+ effect
+
+
• Shale acts as membrane +

• Repels anions Flushed

Zone
Virgin
Zone
– Streaming
 SPONTANEOUS POTENTIAL (SP)
• Uses
– Correlation
– Lithology
-12 +59
– Shaliness indicator mV mV
+
+ SHALE
+
– Environmental +
-
indicator -71 -
-
POROUS
PERMEABLE

• Properties mV -
-
+
BED

+
– measures formation +
+ SHALE
voltage
– passive measurement
ORIGIN OF SPONTANEOUS POTENTIAL

The electrochemical
potential sensed in
the borehole is
generated by the
sum of two
potentials known as
the membrane
potential and Em and
the liquid junction
potential Ej.
Ec = E m + E j
 SP CURRENTS
BOREHOLE
SHALE
+
BASELINE +
+
Em
+ SHALE
+
+ _ + Note:
_ +
Porous _ + Reverse SP
SP
AMPLITUDE
Permeable
Formation Rm
_
Rmf
+
+ Ej
Rw occurs when
_ + formation water
_ + is fresher than
_ +
mud filtrate
_ +
+
+ SHALE
+
+ Em
+
+
INVADED ZONE
MEMBRANE POTENTIAL, Em

Created when a
shale is introduced
between a
concentrated salt
solution (formation
water) and a diluted
salt solution (fresh
mud filtrate)
LIQUID JUNCTION POTENTIAL

A liquid junction potential

develops when a
concentrated salt solution
(formation water ) is in
direct contact with a
diluted salt solution (fresh
mud filtrate)
The net effect of more
positive ions in formation
water and more negative
ions in mud filtrate creates
potential difference.
 SP CIRCUIT

• Three voltage sources

– Membrane (80%)
– Electrochemical (15%) Esp
– Streaming (usually <5%)
• Voltage of sand compared
to shale
rm
Esp  ( El  Em )
rxo  rt  rsh  rm

• Hence,
Esp  ( El  Em )
 STATIC SP (SSP)

If it were possible to prevent SP currents from

flowing and measure the potential of mud this
would provide a value for the SSP
There are conditions where the SSP is recorded
directly:
1. Thick zones
2. Clean (no shale) zones
3. Only water – bearing zones
4. Permeable zones
SELECTING A 100% WATER SATURATED ZONE

Low resistivity
suggesting a
water bearing
formation

Low GR response and high SP deflection

SELECTING A SHALE BASE LINE

Sandstone
baseline

Shale base
line is the SP
response
across a
thick shale or
several shale
intervals
 TYPICAL SP RESPONSES –

REVERSED SP
5 BASED ON THE DIFFERENCE
(+) BETWEEN Rw and Rmf
4

1. Rmf >> Rw - Amplitude large

3 and negative
2. Rmf > Rw - Amplitude negative
but not large
2
3. Rmf = Rw - No SP deflection
NORMAL SP

4. Rmf < Rw - Amplitude positive

(-) but not large
1 5. Rmf << Rw - Amplitude large and
positive
 TYPICAL SP RESPONSE

• If Rmf > Rw
– Shales will have a low SP
and clean sandstones will
have a higher SP.

• If Rmf < Rw
– Shales will have a high SP
and clean sandstones will
have a lower SP.

• If Rmf = Rw
– Little SP will be developed
and the SP log will have
very little character.
 PSEUDO - STATIC SP (PSP)

• The presence of shale in the formation will reduce

the static SP.
•The shale lattice will slow the migration of chlorine
ions and assist the flow of sodium ions, decreasing Ej.
•This reduces SSP to a pseudo- static value termed
PSP.
•The volume of shale can be calculated from:
Vsh = 1- (PSP)/(SSP)
EXAMPLE PROBLEM
SP RESPONSE IN THIN BEDS
 USING THE SP EQUATION A

To determine Rw, we must know:

1. Formation Temp Tf
• Actual temp reading or
• BHT and geotherm Original sample: Rw = 0.1 ohm-m@ 150F;
gradient What is Rw at formation temperature (Tf),
which is 250F?
• Chart GEN-2 (H) GEN-6
(S)
2. Rmf at Tf
• Actual measurement or 1
0.1 ohm-m, 150

Correct surface Rmf

2
• Chart GEN-5 (H) GEN-9
(S)
Rw = 0.058 ohm-m
• or Arp’s equation 0.58 ohm-m, 250
4
• R1(T1 + 7) = R2(T2 + 7) (T 3
ºF)
• R1(T1 + 21.5) = R2(T2 +
21.5) (T ºC)
3. Essp
• SP log
 THE SP EQUATION B

-20mV+

• Define Essp = (Esp)max

Essp Shale
• We assume:
- 80 mV
Essp  ( El  Em )
Clean

Shale Baseline
• From electrochemical theory: Sand

Essp  0.133(T f  460) log10 (aw / amf )

Shaly
- 60 mV
Sand
where Tf = formation temp, deg F
aw = formation water activity Sandy
-20 mV
Shale
amf = mud filtrate activity
Essp = max SP deflection, mV Shale
 THE SP EQUATION C

• Difficult to measure activities

• Substitute resistivities for activities
Essp  0.133(T f  460) log10 ( Rmfe / Rwe )
Essp  0.24(T f  271) log10 ( Rmfe / Rwe )

Rwe or Rmfe
• For small salinities, a = 1/R
– For fresh mud filtrate, assume
– Rmfe = Rmf or
– Rmfe = 0.85Rmf (Schlumberger)
• For high salinities
– Correction needed
– Use Chart SP-2 (Schlumberger)
– Use Chart SP-3 (Halliburton) Rw or Rmf
 EXAMPLE D

• Determine Rmf @Tf (Arp’s Eq.)

– 5.6(11+21.5)/(33+21.5) = 3.3 m 10mV
-||+
• Determine Essp
– Shale base line
– Maximum deflection line
– Calculate deflection -50mV

• Apply SP equation
– -50 = -0.24(33+271)log(3.3/Rwe)
– Rwe = 0.68
– Chart SP-2 gives Rw = 1.3 ohm-m
(See next page)

Rarely known Rmf = 5.6m @ 11º C

Usually use charts, instead Tf = 33º C
CHART SP-2 TO FIND Rw F

Rwe or Rmfe

Rwe=
0.68

Rw = 1.3
Rw or Rmf
 EXAMPLE PROBLEM

The SP deflection is –60 mV across a thick, water-

bearing, clean zone. The value of Rmf at that
temperature of 100 0F is 0.5 ohm-m.
Determine Rw at the same temperature (100 0F)

Rw from SP: Classical Method

First, we determine the Rmfe (effective Rmf), since the
resistivity is not an accurate determination of the ion
activity that produces the SP.
 Rw ESTIMATION FROM Rwe

1. Determine Rmfe

Rmf, 0.5 ohm-m

0.5,100F

Rmfe = 0.45 ohm-m at

100 0F.
0.45 ohm-m
 Rw ESTIMATION FROM SSP

2. Determine
Rwe from
Rmfe
60, 100
7

SSP

Rmfe / Rwe = 7. Therefore,

Rwe= 0.45 ohm-m/7= 0.064 ohm-m at 100 0F
Rw ESTIMATION FROM Rwe

(Rwe = 0.064 ohm-m at 100 0F)

3. Finally, determine Rw
• Using Figure, we
determine Rw = 0.10 ohm-
m at 100 0F
• Here, Rw < Rmf. This
problem illustrates the fact
that if Rw < Rmf, SP
0.064, 100F
deflection is negative
(0.1<0.45 ohm-m)
0.064 mV (Normal SP)
THE SILVA-BASSIOUNI METHOD
Rw ESTIMATION FROM Rwe
 EXAMPLE SILVA-BASSIOUNI METHOD

For the same problem

0F as before, i.e Rmf =
10
0.5 ohm-m at 100 0F,
determine Rw if the
SP deflection is –60
145 mV – 60 mV = 85mV
mV.
0.5 ohm-m, 100F

85mV, 100F We see Rw = 0.1

ohm-m, as shown
with the classical
method.
 FACTORS AFFECTING
THE SP RESPONSE

• Hydrocarbons in the formation reduce the SP

deflection.
• Shaliness reduces the SP deflection.
• Bed thickness : Thin beds do not develop a full
SP deflection.
• Permeability : Low permeability zones will have a
very high invasion diameter, so it may not be
possible to read the Junction Potential, hence SP
readings may be low.
 OTHER SP ISSUES

• Shaliness R
SSP = -K log mfe
Rwe

Vsh  1 Esp / Essp

• Environmental
– Uses curve shape
• Permeability indication
– POOR permeability
predictor
• SP value & polarity Rmf = Rw Rmf <Rw
SALINE MUD
Rmf >Rw
FRESH MUD
depend on salinity
contrast
 ZONATION
• Zonation - Defines intervals of similar properties
• Purpose
– Well-to-well correlation
– Evaluation of specific intervals
• Criteria
– Lithology
– Fluids
– Porosity and permeability
• Begin with coarse zonation
– Typically
• Well-to-well correlation 20 - 100 ft
• Detail evaluation 10 ft thick or more
– Easy lithologies first, e.g., shales
• Refine
– More subtle lithology changes
– Fluids in porous, perm intervals
– Depends on measurements available
 SUMMARY
• Drilling process affects formation
• Alters rock near wellbore
• Invasion

• Passive logs respond to borehole / formation

• Needs water based mud
• Estimates Rw
• Identify permeable zones
• Qualitative indication of shale content
• Well to well correlation