PORE VOLUME

PORE VOLUME THIS PAGE

This page is a highly abbreviated version of Chapter 12 on this Pore Volume
website. For more about effextive porosity, alternate methods and Porosity From Sonic
examples, go to the Main Index Page. Log
Porosity From
The second calculation step in a log analysis is to find shale Density Log
corrected porosity. Pore volume is the space in a rock filled with oil, Porosity From
gas, or water. Total porosity includes the bound water in the shale Neutron Log
and is called PHIt. Effective porosity does not include bound water, Porosity From
and is called PHIe. When there is no shale, PHIe equals PHIt. ComplexLithology Den
sity NeutronCrossplot
Logs read total porosity. All our analysis methods correct for shale, Porosity From Dual
so the answers from any method presented below will give effective Water Density Neutron
porosity. Some analysis methods NEED total porosity as an Crossplot
intermediate step, so you may also need to calculate it. Porosity From
Photoelectric Density N
Raw log porosity, as presented in the field by the service company, eutron
does NOT take into account shale or lithology effects, so raw log Crossplot
readings should NEVER be used as answers. Log analysis MUST Material Balance for
ALWAYS be done to find the correct porosity. All our analysis Porosity(Maximum Por
methods also account for matrix rock (lithology), but YOU may be osity)
required to define the rock type for some methods. Other methods Useful Porosity
will define the lithology for you. Porosity From
NuclearMagnetic Reson
YOU MUST choose a method that is appropriate for the available ance Log
data and for the rock type being analyzed. The easiest methods are: Fracture Porosity
Porosity from Old ES
In all cases, the results must be trimmed to prevent too high a Logs
porosity in shaly zones and in bad hole by using Section 5.07:
Material Balance for Porosity (Maximum Porosity). The META/ESP
spreadsheet, available on the Downloads tab at www.spec2000.net, SEE ALSO
handles these models and makes the work relatively painless. Basic Shale Volume
Methods
Unfortunately, there is no standard logging program, so there is no Basic Porosity
single foolproof log analysis method. Each method has its own Methods
usage rules. These rules may need to be adjusted to suit local Basic Lithology
conditions. In the classroom or when starting work in a new area, Methods
you may want to try several methods, and see which matches core Water Saturation
porosity the best. Methods
Basic Permeability
Methods
Net Pay and
Productivity
Calibration of log analysis porosity is usually accomplished by List of Abbreviations
comparing it to conventional core porosity.

POROSITY FROM THE SONIC LOG

The sonic is a simple method and must be employed if more modern
density neutron data is not available. The method shown is called
the Wyllie time average equation. Other porosity methods are
presented in following sections.

Other methods for the sonic have been proposed, but they are really
 specific to certain areas, although this is not clearly stated in the
literature. For example, the Hunt-Raymer transform is appropriate for
the US Gulf Coast, but a poor model for the Lower Cretaceous in
Western Canada. The Wyllie approach, when calibrated to core, is
universally applicable.

NORMAL CASES:

STEP 1: Calculate shale porosity (PHISSH), a constant for each

zone:
1: PHISSH = (DTCSH – DTCMA) / (DTCW – DTCMA)

DTCSH is a constant for the zone, chosen from the sonic log in a
nearby shale.

STEP 2: Calculate porosity from sonic log (PHIsc) for each layer in
the zone:
2: PHIs = (DTC – DTCMA) / (DTCW – DTCMA)
3: PHIsc = PHIs – (Vsh * PHISSH)

The sonic porosity (PHIsc), after all corrections are applied, is called
the effective porosity, PHIe.

SPECIAL CASES:

CASE 1: Correct each layer for lack of compaction, ONLY IF DTCSH

> 328 (Metric) or DTCSH > 100 (English)
4: PHIe = PHIsc / KCP

CASE 2: Correct each layer for gas effect, ONLY IF PHIsc > PHItrue
and gas is known or suspected
5: PHIe = PHIsc * KS

USAGE RULES:

 Use when density log is unavailable, or when density log is

affected by bad hole.

 Of the three "one-log" porosity methods, the sonic corrected for

shale is the preferred one for wells that have no density log.
However, crossplot methods or the density log corrected for shale
are usually better if the log data is available.

 If lithology is unknown, sonic log corrected for shale is better than

density log because the lithology effect on the sonic is smaller.

 Use the compaction correction KCP only if DTCSH > 100 usec/ft
(for English units) or DTCSH > 328 usec/m (for Metric units). In
western North America, this is normally required when above 3,000 -
4,000 feet (900 – l,200 meters).

8: KCP = DTCSH / 100 (for English units)

OR 9: KCP = DTCSH / 328 (for Metric units)

 KCP is never less than 1.0.

 Use the gas correction KS only if PHIsc is too high compared to

other sources and if gas is known to be present. The need for this
correction is common, but it is unlikely that a gas correction will be
 needed in very shaly sands since invasion should be relatively deep.

10: KS = PHItrue / PHIsc

 KS is never greater than 1.0.

 Another way of making gas corrections is to change DTCW to a

higher value, representing the travel time of sound in a mixture of
gas and water. This value depends on water saturation in the
invaded zone, pressure, temperature, and gas compressibility.
Values in the range of 600 usec/ft (1900 usec/m) at shallow depths to
300 usec/ft (950 usec/m) at 6000 feet (2000 meters) are
recommended as a starting point.

 To calibrate to core porosity, adjust DTCMA, DTCW, DTCSH, KCP,

KS, or Vsh to obtain a better match by trial and error. Appropriate
crossplots may assist.

 A newer method called the Hunt - Raymer equation has been

proposed, but it seems to work well only in the Gulf Coast of USA.
Shale corrected data should be entered to this equation (not
mentioned in original paper).

PARAMETERS:
* English Metric
usec/ft usec/m

DTCSH 60 - 150 190 – 480 (choose from log)

KCP 1.0 - 1.4 1.0 - 1.4
KS 0.7 - 1.0 0.7 - 1.0

DTCW
Fresh drilling mud 200 656
Salty drilling mud 188 616

DTCMA
Clean
Quartz
55.
5
182
Calcite

47.3

155
Dolomit
e
44.0

144
Anhydrit
e
50.0

164
Gypsum

52.4
 172
Mica Muscovite 47.3 155
Biotite 55.5 182
Clay Kaolinite 64.3 211
Glauconite 55.5 182
Illite 64.6 212
Chlorite 64.6 212
Montmorillonite 64.6 212
Barite 69.8 229
NaFeld Albite 47.3 155
Anorthite 45.1 148
K-Feld Orthoclase 68.9 226sands
Iron Siderite 44.0 144
Ankerite 45.7 150
Pyrite 39.6 130
Evaps Fluorite 45.7 150
Halite 67.0 220
Sylvite 73.8 242 DON'T use this
graph in shaly sands !!!!
Carnalite 78.0 256
Coal Anthracite 105 345
Lignite 160 525

For mixtures, take the average of two pure values as a starting point,
eg: dolomitic sand, DTCMA = (144 + 182) / 2 = 163 usec/m, or prorate
the values in proportion to the described mineral assemblage.

POROSITY FROM THE DENSITY LOG

Another "one-log" method uses the density log data, and is favored
in shaly sands because the shale correction is quite small. In
carbonates, the rock composition must be known accurately. This
method is better than the sonic log, provided lithology is well known
and the density log is not affected by bad hole. The density neutron
combination is better than either sonic or density alone. Many
people read the density log porosity directly from the log and call it
effective porosity, PHIe. This is NOT a good idea, as you could be
wrong by as much as 12 percent porosity in the worst case, and a
few percent in most cases.

NORMAL CASES:

STEP 1: Calculate shale density (DENSSH) from shale porosity (a

constant for each zone):
1: DENSSH = PHIDSH * KD1 + (1 – PHIDSH) * KD2

PHIDSH is a constant for the zone, chosen from the density log in a
nearby shale.

STEP 2: Translate density porosity of each layer into density units:

2: DENS = PHID * KD1 + (1 – PHID) * KD2

Where: KD1 = 1.00 for English units

KD1 = 1000 for Metric units
KD2 = 2.65 for English units Sandstone scale log
KD2 = 2650 for Metric units Sandstone scale log
 KD2 = 2.71 for English units Limestone scale log
KD2 = 2710 for Metric units Limestone scale log
KD2 = 2.87 for English units Dolomite scale log
KD2 = 2870 for Metric units Dolomite scale log

STEP 3: Calculate porosity of each layer with matrix and fluid of your
choice:
3: PHIDm = (DENS – DENSMA) / (DENSW – DENSMA)
4: PHIdc = PHIDm – (Vsh * PHIDSH)

The density porosity (PHIdc), after all corrections are applied, is

called the effective porosity, PHIe.

SPECIAL CASES:

CASE 1: Correct each layer for gas effect, ONLY IF PHIdc > PHItrue
and gas is known or suspected
5: PHIe = PHIdc * KD

USAGE RULES:

 Do not use in bad hole conditions.

 Use if neutron log is not available, otherwise use density neutron

crossplot

 Use in preference to sonic in shaly sands if both logs are

available.

 The density log corrected for shale AND lithology is a very good
approximation to porosity, but the log was not common before 1965,
so sonic or neutron methods may be necessary for wells drilled
before that time.

 Use gas correction KD only if PHIdc is too high compared to other

sources and if gas is known to be present.

6: KD = PHItrue / PHIdc

 KD is never greater than 1.0.

 Another way of making gas corrections is to change DENSW to a

lower value, representing the density in a mixture of gas and water.
This value depends on water saturation in the invaded zone,
pressure, temperature, and gas density. Values in the range of 0.25
g/cc (250 Kg/m3) at shallow depths to 0.70 g/cc (700 Kg/m3) at 6000
feet (2000 meters) are recommended as a starting point.

 If density porosity data is in percent, rather than fractional, divide

the data values by 100 before using them.

 No compaction correction is made to density log data.

 To calibrate to core porosity, adjust DENSMA, DENSW, DENSSH,

KD, or Vsh to obtain a better match by trial and error. Appropriate
crossplots may assist.

PARAMETERS:
 *
Englis
h Metri
c
*
gm/cc
Kg/m3

DENSSH
2.50 -
2.83 250
0 – 2830

(ch
oose from
log)
KD
0.25 -
0.70 0.2
5 - 0.70

DENSW
Fresh
drilling
mud 1.00
100
0
Salty drilling
mud 1.10
110
0

DENSMA
Clean
Quartz
2.65
2650
Calcite 2.71 2710
Dolomite 2.87 2870
Anhydrite 2.95 2950
Gypsum 2.35 2350
Mica Muscovite 2.83 2830
Biotite 3.20 3200
Clay Kaolinite 2.64 2640
Glauconite 2.83 2830
Illite 2.77 2770
Chlorite 2.87 2870
Montmorillonite 2.62 2620
Barite 4.08 4080
NaFeld Albite 2.58 2580
Anorthite 2.74 2740
K-Feld Orthoclase 2.54 2540
Iron Siderite 3.91 3910
Ankerite 3.08 3080
Pyrite 5.00 5000
Evaps Fluorite 3.12 3120
Halite 2.03 2030
Sylvite 1.86 1860
Carnalite 1.56 1560
Coal Anthracite 1.47 1470
Lignite 1.19 1190

For mixtures, take the average of two pure values as a starting point,
eg: dolomitic sand, DENSMA = (2870 + 2650) / 2 = 2760 Kg/m3 or
prorate in proportion to mineral volumes.

POROSITY FROM THE NEUTRON LOG

The third, and least accurate, "one-log" method is based on neutron
log data. The method is used in old wells or cased holes where no
other porosity data is available, or where the sonic log was not run
and the density log suffers from bad hole conditions.

NORMAL CASES:

STEP 1: Adjust log values from each layer to correct for matrix rock:
1: PHINm = (PHIN – PHINMA + KN1) / (PHINW – PHINMA)

Where: KN1 = 0.028 for Sandstone units log

KN1 = 0.000 for Limestone units log
KN1 = -0.100 for Dolomite units log

This lithology approximation is not sufficient in low porosity and

service company chartbooks should be used for the specific tool.

STEP 2: Apply shale corrections to each layer:

2: PHInc = PHINm – (Vsh * PHINSH)

PHINSH is a constant for each zone, chosen from the neutron log in
a nearby shale.

The neutron porosity (PHInc), after all corrections are applied, is

called the effective porosity, PHIe.

SPECIAL CASES:

CASE 1: Old style GRN or unscaled neutron logs recorded in counts

per second or API units
1: SLOPE = (log (PHIHI / PHILO)) / (CPSHI – CPSLO)
2: INTCPT = PHIHI / (10 ^ (CPSHI * SLOPE))
3: PHIn = INTCPT * (10 ^ (SLOPE * NCPS))
4: PHInc = PHIn – Vsh * PHINSH
 Example of Porosity from Neutron Counts per Second - no shale
correction

A large number of charts for specific tools, spacings, borehole

conditions and rock types are available from service companies.

CASE 2: Apply gas correction to each layer, ONLY IF PHInc <

PHItrue and gas is known or suspected
1: PHIe = PHInc * KN

USAGE RULES:
 Use only if sonic and density log are unavailable or unusable.

 The neutron log corrected for shale is one of the least accurate
methods in shaly sands and should only be used if no other porosity
data is available. This is common for wells drilled prior to 1957 or for
wells logged through casing or drill pipe.

 Old style neutron logs recorded in counts per second need to be

scaled logarithmically between a high and a low porosity point,
calibrated by core or modern logs from offset wells.

 Use the gas correction KN only if gas is known to be present and

log reading is still too low after lithology corrections. This correction
is very crude and not recommended. KN = PHItrue / PHIN

 KN is never less than 1.0, range is 1.0 to 3.0.

 To calibrate to core porosity, adjust PHINMA, PHINW, PHINSH, KN,

or Vsh to obtain a better match by trial and error. Appropriate
crossplots may assist.

PARAMETERS:

PHINSH 0.15 - 0.45 (choose from log)

KN 1.0 - 3.0

PHINW
Fresh drilling mud 1.00
Salty drilling mud 1.00

PHINMA
Clean Quartz - 0.028
Calcite 0.000
Dolomite
PHIe = 5.5 - 30% 0.100
PHIe = 1.5 - 5.5% 0.050
PHIe = 0 - 1.5% 0.005
Anhydrite 0.002
Gypsum 0.507
Mica Muscovite 0.165
Biotite 0.225
Clay Kaolinite 0.491
Glauconite 0.175
Illite 0.158
Chlorite 0.428
Montmorillonite 0.115
Barite 0.002
NaFeld Albite - 0.013
Anorthite 0.018
K-Feld Orthoclase 0.011
Iron Siderite 0.129
Ankerite 0.057
Pyrite - 0.019
Evaps Fluorite - 0.006
Halite - 0.018
Sylvite 0.041
Carnalite 0.584
Coal Anthracite 0.414
Lignite 0.542

POROSITY FROM THE COMPLEX LITHOLOGY

DENSITY NEUTRON CROSSPLOT
The best method available for modern, simple, log analysis involves
the density neutron crossplot. Several variations on the theme are
common, but not all models are recommended. A crossplot method,
called the shaly sand model was once widely used. It was found to
be a poor model for any sandstone that contained other minerals in
addition to quartz. The complex lithology model works equally well
in quartz sands as in mixtures, so it is the preferred model today.
Although the name of the method is complicated, the mathematics
are not.

NORMAL CASES:

STEP 1: Shale correct the density and neutron log data for each
layer:
1: PHIdc = PHID – (Vsh * PHIDSH)
2: PHInc = PHIN – (Vsh * PHINSH)

PHIDSH and PHINSH are constants for each zone, and are picked
only once.

STEP 2: Check for gas crossover after shale corrections and

calculate porosity for each layer from the correct equation:
3: IF PHInc >= PHIdc, there is no gas crossover
4: THEN PHIxdn = (PHInc + PHIdc) / 2

The density neutron crossplot porosity, PHIxdn, after all corrections

are applied, is called the effective porosity, PHIe.
 Density Neutron Complex Lithology Crossplot - Oil and Water
cases, or Gas zones with crossover.

Chartbook solutions are provided above. Shale corrected data must

be entered.
SPECIAL CASES:

CASE 1: IF gas is known to be present AND gas crossover occurs

after shale corrections, apply the following gas correction:
6: IF PHInc < PHIdc, there is gas crossover
7: THEN PHIxdn = ((PHInc ^ 2 + PHIdc ^ 2) / 2) ^ 0.5

CASE 2: IF gas is known to be present but no crossover occurs after

shale corrections, this usually means gas in dolomite or in a
sandstone with lots of heavy minerals, apply the following gas
correction:
8: PHIx = – PHIdc / (PHInc / 0.8 – 1) / (1 + PHIdc / (0.8 –
PHInc))
9: PHIxdn = PHIx + KD3 * (0.30 – PHIx) * (DENSMA / KD1 –
KD2)

Where: KD1 = 1.00 for English units

KD1 = 1000 for Metric units
KD2 = 2.65 for Sandstone scale log
KD2 = 2.71 for Limestone scale log
KD3 = 1.80 for Sandstone scale log
KD3 = 2.00 for Limestone scale log
 Density Neutron Complex Lithology Crossplot - Gas zones with NO
crossover. Enter shale corrected data and then slide data point to
the right until it reaches the line representing the matrix density of
the reservoir - travel parallel to the nearest heavy black line.

Do not use Dolomite scale log for this special case. Figure PP5.14
 shows the effect of using this gas correction. Notice that computed
porosity does not match core porosity unless the correct DENSMA
is chosen. DENSMA should reflect the matrix density of the expected
lithology. This can be predicted accurately if the PE curve can be
used to determine mineral volumes in a two mineral model. Density
and neutron data cannot be used for this purpose because the gas
effect masks the mineral effect.

Chartbook solutions are provided below when gas is present. Shale

corrected data must be entered.

CASE 3: IF rock is dolomite AND porosity is less than 5%, use the
following instead of Equation 4 or 5:
10: E = (4 - (3.3 + 10 ^ (-5 * PHInc - 0.16))
11: PHIxdn = (E * PHIdc + 0.754 * PHInc) / (E + 0.754)

This option can be used instead of equation 4 as long as there is no

gas crossover after shale corrections. It is slightly more accurate,
but requires a computer or preprogrammed calculator.

CASE 4: IF Archie or dual water model is to be used for water

saturation, the following is needed:
12: BVWSH = (PHIDSH + PHINSH) / 2 (a constant for the
zone)
13: PHIt = (PHID + PHIN) / 2 (one value for each
layer)

CASE 5: IF zone is vuggy carbonate, calculate secondary porosity:

14: PHIsec = PHIxdn - PHIsc

USAGE RULES:

Use in preference to most methods if data is available, even in

shaly sands to correct for heavy mineral content.

 Do not use when density is affected by bad hole conditions.

 No correction for log units (eg Sandstone or Limestone units) is

needed for most cases, except gas in dolomite and low porosity
dolomite. Use Limestone units log ONLY for these two special
cases.

 Answer porosity is accurate to +/- 1% porosity using the simplified

rules.

 For better accuracy, use Equations 10 and 11 with Limestone units

logs instead of simpler rules, except gas rules must still be applied.

 The matrix density required for the gas correction must be

assumed from the sample descriptions or by calculating the
lithology from the PE (photoelectric effect) log if it is available.

 Shale corrections could create apparent gas crossover and this

may be real or an artifact of excessive correction. Check against
known data from the well if shale correction creates crossover.

 Charts and math for sonic density and sonic neutron crossplots
are provided in Chapter Seven of Crain’s Petrophysical Handbook.
 To calibrate to core porosity, adjust DENSMA, PHIDSH, PHINSH or
Vsh to obtain a better match by trial and error. Appropriate
crossplots may assist, or regression of PHIxdn vs core porosity may
be used.

PARAMETERS:
PHIDSH -0.06 - 0.15 (choose from log)
PHINSH 0.15 - 0.45 (choose from log)

See Section 5.02 for matrix density (DENSMA) if needed for gas
correction.

Effect of DENSMA on density neutron crossplot porosity with gas in

heavy minerals. Core porosity (square black lines) and log analysis
 porosity (smooth black curves) show a good match when DENSMA
was set at
2710 - 2740 Kg/m3. Log analysis shows near zero porosity if
DENSMA set at 2650 for this heavy sandstone.

POROSITY FROM THE DUAL WATER DENSITY

NEUTRON CROSSPLOT
Another version of the density neutron crossplot is the dual water,
or bulk volume water method. This form should be used only in
shaly sands with no heavy minerals. The simplified equations (5a
and 6a) account for heavy minerals and are recommended over the
original, more complex formulation which was meant for quartz
sands ONLY.

For people who prefer chartbook solutions instead of calculators, a

graph must be made manually for each zone to be analyzed. This is
not recommended, so dig out the calculator and get at it.

NORMAL CASES:

STEP 1: Adjust log values for each layer to correct units. If in

limestone units, put logs into sandstone units:
1: PHID = PHID – 0.03
2: PHIN = PHIN + 0.04

STEP 2: Calculate neutron dry clay (PHINDC) from PHIDDC, and

shale bound water (BVWSH), which are constants for the zone
3: PHIDDC = (DENSDC – KD2) / (KD1 – KD2)

Where: KD1 = 1.00 for English units

KD1 = 1000 for Metric units
KD2 = 2.65 for English units Sandstone scale log
KD2 = 2650 for Metric units Sandstone scale log

4: PHINDC = 1.00 - (1.00 - PHIDDC) * (1.00 - PHINSH) / (1.00 -

PHIDSH)
5: BVWSH = (PHINDC * PHIDSH - PHIDDC * PHINSH) /
(PHINDC - PHIDDC)

These are constants for each zone. PHIDDC is usually negative, so

watch the minus sign when using the above equations.

STEP 3: Calculate total porosity for each layer:

6: PHIt = (PHINDC * PHID – PHIDDC * PHIN) / (PHINDC –
PHIDDC)

An easier approximation is:

5a: BVWSH = (PHIDSH + PHINSH) / 2 (a constant for the
zone)
6a: PHIt = (PHID + PHIN) / 2 (one value for each layer)

STEP 4: Calculate effective porosity in each layer:

7: PHIbvw = PHIt – (Vsh * BVWSH)

SPECIAL CASES:

If matrix offset is required for heavy minerals, apply the offset to all
 neutron and density values including shale points, then use the
above equation.

Nothing special is done in gas zones, as the values computed for

PHIt and PHIe are reasonable even if gas crossover occurs. If this
rule seems uncomfortable use:
8: PHIbvw = ((PHInc ^ 2 + PHIdc ^ 2) / 2) ^ 0.5

The dual water density neutron crossplot porosity PHIbvw, after all
corrections are applied, is called the effective porosity, PHIe.

USAGE RULES:

 Use in shaly sands without heavy minerals. If heavy minerals are

present, the complex lithology density neutron crossplot is
preferred.

 The method is also called the bulk volume water (BVW) method
and is the basis of many wellsite and office computer programs.

 If the simplified equations 5a and 6a are used, the results are

numerically identical to the Complex Lithology Model, except that no
special cases are covered.

 To calibrate to core porosity, adjust DENSDC, PHIDSH, PHINSH or

Vsh to obtain a better match by trial and error. Appropriate
crossplots may assist, or regression of PHIbvw vs core porosity may
be used.

PARAMETERS:
* English Metric
* gm/cc Kg/m3
DENSDC
Mica Muscovite 2.83 2830
Biotite 3.20 3200
Clay Kaolinite 2.64 2640
Glauconite 2.83 2830
Illite 2.77 2770
Chlorite 2.87 2870
Montmorillonite 2.62 2620
Barite 4.08 4080

POROSITY FROM THE PHOTOELECTRIC DENSITY

NEUTRON CROSSPLOT
This method assumes that lithology is known from a UMA - DENSMA
3 mineral model or some other method that will determine mineral
volumes accurately. The method can also be used if V1 and V2 (and
V3 if desired) are derived from sonic density neutron (Mlith/Nlith or
DTCMA/DENSMA), core description, or sample description.

NORMAL CASES:

STEP 1: Calculate shale density from shale porosity (a constant for

each zone):
1: DENSSH = PHIDSH * KD1 + (1 – PHIDSH) * KD2
 PHIDSH and DENSSH are constants for each zone, chosen from the
density log in a nearby shale.

STEP 2: Translate density porosity for each layer to density units:

2: DENS = PHID * KD1 + (1 – PHID) * KD2

Where: KD1 = 1.00 for English units

KD1 = 1000 for Metric units
KD2 = 2.65 for English units Sandstone scale log
KD2 = 2650 for Metric units Sandstone scale log
KD2 = 2.71 for English units Limestone scale log
KD2 = 2710 for Metric units Limestone scale log
KD2 = 2.87 for English units Dolomite scale log
KD2 = 2870 for Metric units Dolomite scale log

STEP 3: Calculate matrix density from lithology results:

3: DENSma = (Vmin1 * DENS1 + Vmin2 * DENS2 + (1 – Vmin1
– Vmin2) * DENS3) * (1 – Vsh)
+ Vsh * DENSSH

STEP 4: Calculate porosity from density response equation:

4: PHIped = (DENS – DENSma) / (DENSW – DENSma)

The photoelectric density neutron crossplot porosity, after all

corrections are applied, is called the effective porosity, PHIe.

SPECIAL CASES:

Cannot be used in gas zones or in bad hole.

USAGE RULES:

 Use when data is available, but use care since errors in lithology
calculation are exaggerated into the porosity equation.

 Do not use in bad hole conditions or in gas zones.

 This method is equivalent to a 4 mineral model where one mineral

is considered to be porosity. Shale, which is calculated separately,
is a fifth mineral.

 The model can be rephrased as a two mineral model by setting V3

to zero (ie V1 + V2 = 1.0.

 To calibrate to core porosity, adjust DENS1, DENS2, DENS3,

DENSSH or Vsh to obtain a better match by trial and error.
Appropriate crossplots may assist, or regression of PHIped vs core
porosity may be used.

PARAMETERS:

See Section 5.02 for matrix density (DENS1, 2, 3) values to represent

minerals 1, 2, and 3.
 Material Balance for Porosity (Maximum Porosity)
Bad hole, high shale volume, and statistical variations can cause
erratic results in both very low and high porosities. Values from any
method used should be trimmed by the following:
1: IF PHIe < 0
2: THEN PHIe = 0
3: IF PHIe > PHIMAX * (1 - Vsh)
4: THEN PHImx = PHIMAX * (1 - Vsh)
5: AND PHIe = Min (PHIe, PHImx)

USAGE RULES:

 Use always to trim excessive porosity due to wet shales or bad

hole conditions.

 This material balance prevents the sum of shale volume, porosity,

and rock matrix from exceeding 100%, and prevents porosity in the
sand fraction of a shaly sand from reaching ridiculous values.

 It is also useful for estimating porosity in shaly sands where only

an SP or gamma ray log is available. Bear in mind that this approach
provides a porosity value based only upon the shale content and the
analyst's assumed maximum possible porosity. With offset well data
for control this is not a bad approach for wells with a very limited log
suite. It is often used in computer analysis of ancient logs. Because
of its gross assumptions, a warning note should be annotated on the
results, if the method is used in this manner.

The figure below shows results from a number of different porosity

techniques, all of which have been trimmed by PHIMAX.
A spreadsheet called META/ESP is available on the Downloads tab
at www.spec2000.net that makes the work relatively painless.
 Comparison of results from various porosity methods. It is fairly
easy to calibrate any method to match core porosity but more
difficult to match perfectly in shaly sands.

USEFUL POROSITY
There is a recent trend among petrophysicists and engineers to
partition porosity into a useful and a non- useful fraction. The
concept of useful porosity, as opposed to effective porosity, is
helpful where very small pores exist. These tiny pores do not
connect to other pores and thus do not contribute to useful reservoir
volume or reservoir energy. They are invariably water filled and
nothing flows from them or through them. The tiny pores are called
micro porosity; the larger, more effective, pores are called macro
porosity. Thus:
1: PHIuse = PHIe – PHImicro

In sandstones, micro porosity is often associated with volcanic rock

fragments that are part of the sandstone mineral mixture. In
carbonates, micro porosity is associated with micrite, matrix, or pin
point vugs.

The quantity of micro porosity cannot always be found directly from

logs but is usually assessed as a constant fraction, KM1, of the
effective porosity. This constant can be found by examination of thin
section visual porosity. Where micro porosity is associated with
silt or a volcanic mineral (Vmin2) in a quartz sandstone:
2: KM1 = Vsilt / (Vqrtz + Vsilt)
OR 2A: KM1 = Vmin2 / (Vqrtz + Vmin2)
3: PHIuse = PHIe * (1 – KM1)

In some cases, the micro porosity is assumed to be a constant,

PHIoffset, over an interval (ie, PHImicro is not proportional to
effective porosity). This appears to happen in carbonates with
unconnected pin point vugs (PHIppv), micritic carbonates (PHImict),
or carbonates with matrix porosity (PHImatr). In all three cases,
PHIoffset is found by comparing visual porosity in thin sections to
log analysis porosity.
4: PHIuse = PHIe - PHIoffset

In log analysis terminology, matrix porosity usually means effective

porosity (PHIe). However, in petrographic (thin section) analysis,
matrix porosity (PHImatr) is non-useful porosity contained in the
very fine grained matrix material deposited between the granular or
crystalline rock structure.

PHIppv, PHImict, and PHImatr may be varied according to rules

developed by the analyst for the zone. A crossplot of visual porosity
from thin section analysis versus PHIe from logs is a useful tool for
determining the appropriate correction to obtain PHIuse. Typical
rules might be:
5: PHIuse = PHIe – PHIsec (This is pretty pessimistic)
6: PHIuse = PHIsec (This may be optimistic)
7: PHIuse = PHIe – KMATR * (1 – PHIe) / (1 - KMATR)
8: PHIuse = PHIe – PHIsc * KMICT / PHISavg

KMATR and KMICT would be in the range 0.01 to 0.08, averaging

0.04, and cannot exceed PHIt.

Porosity from Nuclear Magnetic Log

The Log Response Equation for modern nuclear magnetic logs is the
same as for all other logs. The difference between the NMR and
other porosity logs is that the Log Response Equation is solved by
the service company at logging time, instead of by the analyst after
the logs are delivered. This transform is illustrated below.

The matrix and dry clay terms of NMR response are zero. An NMR
log run today can display clay bound water (CBW), irreducible water
(capillary bound water, BVI), and mobile fluids (hydrocarbon plus
water, BVM), also called free fluids or free fluid index (FFI). On older
logs, only free fluids (FFI) is recorded and some subtractions, based
on other open hole logs, are required.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Response to Fluids

For modern logs:
1: PHIt = CBW + BVI + BVM
2: PHIe = BVI + BVM
3: PHIuse = BVM
4: SWir = BVI / PHIe

Some or all of the sums defined above may be displayed on the

delivered log. Log presentation is far from standard for NMR logs. In
some situations, mobile water can be separated from hydrocarbon,
and sometimes gas can be distinguished from oil, by further
(experimental) processing of the original signal. However, the depth
of investigation and measurement volume are tiny, so the
hydrocarbon indication is from the invaded zone.

For the same reason, PHIt and PHIe from NMR do not always agree
with that derived from density neutron methods, which see much
larger volumes of rock.

For older logs:

1: PHInmr = FFI
2: SWir = KBUCKL / PHInmr
3: PHIe = FFI / (1 – SWir)
4: BVWSH = (PHINSH + PHIDSH) / 2
5: PHIt = PHIe + Vsh * BVWSH

IF PHIe is known from some other log:

6: BVI = PHIe - FFI
7: SWir = BVI / PHIe

PHIe and PHIt should be compared to density neutron or other

methods defined earlier.

KBUCKL is in the range 0.010 to 0.100, with a default of 0.040.

FRACTURE POROSITY
There are a number of techniques published for calculating fracture
porosity from conventional open hole logs. All were developed
before the processing of formation micro-scanner data for fracture
aperture became common. These older methods over-estimate
fracture porosity. The only correct method is to use fracture aperture
and frequency data from FMI/FMS processed logs:
1:
PHIfrac =
0.001 * Wf *
Df * KF1

Where: KF
1 = number
of main
fracture
directions

= 1 for sub-
horizontal or
sub-vertical

= 2 for
orthogonal
sub-vertical

= 3 for
chaotic or
brecciated
PHIfrac = fracture porosity (fractional)
Df = fracture frequency (fractures per meter)
Wf = fracture aperture (millimeters)

Fracture porosity is exceedingly small and seldom is larger than

0.25% (0.0025 fractional). This is well below the noise level of
conventional open hole logs. Fracture aperture from cores or thin
section may be exaggerated due to stress release, so be cautious
using this data. Some “fracture-related” porosity, such as solution
porosity near the fracture face, will be seen by conventional logs,
which is why some older fracture porosity methods give quite high
values for fracture porosity.

POROSITY FROM OLD ES LOGS

There are a number of techniques for handling ancient logs like the
old electrical survey (ES). The simplest is to use the shallow
resistivity and assume that the flushed zone water saturation is near
1.0.
1: PHIxo = (A / ((RXO / RMF@FT) * (SXO ^ N))) ^ (l / M)

This is pretty nearly a last resort. Old style neutron logs (Section
5.03) and the maximum porosity methods (Section 5.07) may work
better,
The microlog can also be used:
1: IF RES2 > RES1
2: THEN PHIml = 0.614 ((RMF@FT * KML) ^ 0.61) / (R2 ^ 0.75)
3: OTHERWISE PHIml = 0

PARAMETERS
Mud Weight KML
lb/gal Kg/m3 frac
8 1000 1.000
10 1200 0.847
11 1325 0.708
12 1440 0.584
13 1550 0.488
14 1680 0.412
16 1920 0.380
18 2160 0.350

Page Views 9429 Since 01 Jan 2015