Well Logging

SUBJECT – PT-207
WELL LOGGING
Key points
In petroleum exploration and production, formation

evaluation is used to determine the ability of a borehole
to produce petroleum.
Essentially, it is the process of "recognizing a
commercial well when you drill one".
Formation evaluation is the key to determining

whether a well has struck pay, or is just a dry hole.
Formation evaluation is performed to assess the

quantity and producibility of fluids from a reservoir.
Formation evaluation tools
◼ Well cuttings examination

◼ Coring
◼ Mud logging
◼ Well logging
Well cuttings examination
◼ Tools to detect oil and gas have been evolving for over a century.
◼ The simplest and most direct tool is well cuttings examination. Some
older oilmen ground the cuttings between their teeth and tasted to
see if crude oil was present.
◼ Today, a wellsite geologist or mudlogger uses a low powered
stereoscopic microscope to determine the lithology of the formation
being drilled and to estimate porosity and possible oil staining.
◼ A portable ultraviolet light chamber or "Spook Box" is used to
examine the cuttings for fluorescence. Fluorescence can be an
indication of crude oil staining, or of the presence of fluorescent
minerals.
Coring
◼ One way to get more detailed samples of a formation is by coring. Two techniques
commonly used at present.
◼ The first is the "whole core", a cylinder of rock, usually about 3" to 4" in diameter and
up to 50 feet (15 m) to 60 feet (18 m) long. It is cut with a "core barrel", a hollow pipe
tipped with a ring-shaped diamond chip-studded bit that can cut a plug and bring it to
the surface. Often the plug breaks while drilling, usually in shales or fractures and the
core barrel jams, slowly grinding the rocks in front of it to powder. This signals the
driller to give up on getting a full length core and to pull up the pipe.
◼ Taking a full core is an expensive operation that usually stops or slows drilling for at
least the better part of a day. A full core can be invaluable for later reservoir evaluation.
Once a section of well has been drilled, there is, of course, no way to core it without
drilling another well.
◼ Another, cheaper, technique for obtaining samples of the
formation is "Sidewall Coring". One type of sidewall
cores is percussion cores. In this method, a steel
cylinder—a coring gun—has hollow-point steel bullets
mounted along its sides and moored to the gun by short
steel cables. The coring gun is lowered to the bottom of
the interval of interest and the bullets are fired
individually as the gun is pulled up the hole. The mooring
cables ideally pull the hollow bullets and the enclosed
plug of formation loose and the gun carries them to the
surface.
◼ Advantages of this technique are low cost and the ability
to sample the formation after it has been drilled.
Disadvantages are possible non-recovery because of lost
or misfired bullets and a slight uncertainty about the
sample depth. Sidewall cores are often shot "on the run"
without stopping at each core point because of the
danger of differential sticking. Most service company
personnel are skilled enough to minimize this problem,
but it can be significant if depth accuracy is important.
◼ A second method of sidewall coring is rotary sidewall
cores. In this method, a circular-saw assembly is lowered
to the zone of interest on a wireline, and the core is
sawed out. Dozens of cores may be taken this way in
one run. This method is roughly 20 times as expensive
as percussion cores, but yields a much better sample.
Mud logging
◼ Mud logging (or Wellsite Geology) is a well logging

process in which drilling mud and drill bit cuttings from
the formation are evaluated during drilling and their
properties recorded on a strip chart as a visual analytical
tool and stratigraphic cross sectional representation of
the well.
◼ The drilling mud which is analyzed for hydrocarbon
gases, by use of a gas chromatograph, contains drill bit
cuttings which are visually evaluated by a mudlogger
and then described in the mud log.
Well logging
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF WELL LOGGING
Introduction
◼ The geophysical well logging technology is one innovation

among these developments which has received significant
attention in the foregoing exploration activities during the 60
years.
◼ The uniqueness of geophysical well logging technology lies in

its ability to carry out direct measurements of large range of
rock properties by placing appropriate sensor virtually within
the rock through borehole and accomplish their evaluation
with speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness.
Definition
Well logging is a method in which
geophysical properties of rocks
are recorded as a function of
depth by moving suitably
designed borehole logging probe
with the help of an electrical cable
in the borehole.
Logging means recording

of information and in oil
industry, a log means
recording against depth of
any of the characteristics of
the rock formations in the
well-bore
IMPORTANCE OF LOGGING ?
1. Detection of Reservoirs
2. Volume of formation containing Hydrocarbons
3. Amount of Hydrocarbons
4. Producibility
LOGGING OBJECTIVES
◼ Formation Lithology, texture and composition of rocks, formation
heterogeneity
◼ Formation dip and post depositional structural deformations
◼ Sedimentary environment, sand geometry, facies of a bed and sequence of
beds
◼ Stratigraphy, break of sedimentation, diagenesis, tectonic stresses
◼ Porosity (both primary and secondary)
◼ Permeability
◼ Hydrocarbon type (oil gas or condensate)
◼ Water saturation and hydrocarbon movability
◼ Well deviation, borehole geometry, abnormal pressure zone, fractures
◼ Formation temperature and pressure
◼ Cement evaluation behind casing
In producing wells, logging provides measurement of:
◼ Flow rate
◼ Fluid type
◼ Pressure
◼ Temperature
◼ Oil and gas saturation
◼ Points of fluid entry
These measurements help to understand the well behavior and

are of great utility to production engineer.
HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT
OF WELL-LOGGING:
❖ First Phase (1925 – 1945):

The first 20 years saw the introduction and gradual world wide acceptance
of the so called ES (Electrical Survey) Logs. These logs were run with
simple downhole tools and, while quite repeatable, were often difficult to
interpret.
❖Second Phase (1945 – 1970):
◼ This was a majority tool development era, made possible by the advent
of electronics suitable for downhole use.
◼ Focused electrical devices were introduced, having good bed resolution

and various depths of penetration.
◼ A variety of acoustic and nuclear tools were developed to provide

porosity and lithology information.
◼ There was a progression through second and even third generation tools
of increasing capability and accuracy.
◼ Simultaneously much laboratory and theoretical work was done to place

log interpretation on a sound, through largely empirical basis.
❖Third and current phase
(1970 -..…):
◼ A log processing era. With the advent of computers, it has become
possible to analyze in much greater detail the wealth of data sent uphole
by the logging tools.
◼ Log processing centers, providing sophisticated interpretation of

digitized logs transmitted by telephone and satellite, have been set up by
service companies in strategic locations.
◼ Logging trucks have been fitted with computers that permit computation
of quick-look log at the well site.
◼ Also, logging tools have been combined to the point that a full set of
logs can be obtained on a single run.
Wireline logs or well logs:
❑ Open Hole logs
❑ Cased Hole Logs / Production logs

Open Hole logs
◼ SP log
◼ Resistivity
◼ Porosity Density
Neutron
Sonic
Photoelectric log
◼ Gamma Ray Log Conventional Gamma Ray Log
Spectral Gamma Ray Log
Cased Hole Logs
◼ Cement Bond Log
◼ Variable Density Log
◼ Casing Locator
◼ Plug setting
Miscellaneous logs
◼ Dipmeter log
◼ Caliper log
◼ Temperature log
An introduction to a new tools

◼ NMR log
Advantages of Wireline
logs over core logging

Well Logging

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What are the main formation evaluation tools discussed in the document?

What are the main formation evaluation tools discussed in the document?

What are some techniques used for coring formations?

What are some techniques used for coring formations?

SUBJECT – PT-207

In petroleum exploration and production, formation

Formation evaluation is the key to determining

Formation evaluation is performed to assess the

◼ Well cuttings examination

◼ Mud logging (or Wellsite Geology) is a well logging

◼ The geophysical well logging technology is one innovation

◼ The uniqueness of geophysical well logging technology lies in

Logging means recording

These measurements help to understand the well behavior and

❖ First Phase (1925 – 1945):

◼ Focused electrical devices were introduced, having good bed resolution

◼ A variety of acoustic and nuclear tools were developed to provide

◼ Simultaneously much laboratory and theoretical work was done to place

◼ Log processing centers, providing sophisticated interpretation of

❑ Open Hole logs

❑ Cased Hole Logs / Production logs

◼ Variable Density Log

An introduction to a new tools

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