Shaly Sands

• Elemental concentrations Carbonates

Si, Ca, Fe, S, Ti, Gd, Al, K, Na, Mg, C
– Mineralogy for matrix properties (K, Na, Mn)
• Quantitative lithology – Calcite & dolomite (Magnesium) – Clay volume (Aluminium) & type
• Mineralogy – Anhydrite (Sulphur)
• TOC, kerogen volume – Clay (Aluminium)
Rock classification
Tight Gas Reservoirs
•
• Sequence stratigraphy

• Matrix properties Gas & Oil Shales

• Density → Porosity – Mineralogy for matrix properties
• Neutron → Gas crossover – Clay volume (Aluminium)
– Direct TOC (Carbon)
– Clay volume (Aluminium) & type
• Fluids – Mineralogy, matrix density Igneous Reservoirs
• Carbon, TOC → Oil volume and Sat – Hydraulic fracture design
• FNXS, TPHI → Gas volume and Sat
• Sigma → Saturation – Mineralogy for matrix properties

Direct hydrocarbon volumes

29 Minerals (54 Mineral Varieties)
◼ Quartz, Na-feldspar, K-feldspar, Ca-feldspar
◼ Muscovite, biotite, pyrite
◼ Calcite, dolomite, Hi-Mg calcite, aragonite, ankerite, siderite, sideroplescite, magnesite
◼ Illite, kaolinite, smectite, chlorite, glauconite
◼ Opal-A, opal-CT, chert
◼ Anhydrite, gypsum, barite, hematite, fluorite, celestite

23 Elements (Log-Sensitive)
◼ Si, Al, Ca, Mg, Fe, Na, K, P, Ti, S, Mn, Cr, Ba, Nb, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, B, Th, U, Gd, H2O+
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LS RBF/Adv Spectrolith
Mineral Group
Mineralogy
Quartz Quartz
plagioclase
Feldspars
orthoclase
Muscovite
Micas
Biotite
Chlorite
Illite
Clays
kaolinite
smectite
Calcite
Carbonates
Dolomite
Siderite
Fe-Minerals Pyrite
(Ankerite)
Anhydrite
Evaporites
Evaporites
Coal Coal
 Litho Scanner
Standalone Mineralogy
 Accurate quantification of minerals including pyrite
▪ Extended set of elements, direct Al for clays, feldspars, micas, carbonate type, dolomite
content; accurate matrix directly measured from elements
▪ Direct identification and quantification of conductive minerals which may be affecting
resistivity responses. Matrix properties accurately measured accounting for the Conglomeratic sandstone example: Yields of Al,
conductive components for improved matrix properties input to saturation from K, Na, Mg critical to solve lithology complexity
Sigma,TOC, CO, FNXS and TPHI, etc
◼ Accurate resistivity-based fluid saturations
difficult to obtain
– Fresh connate water (5 ppk)
– Variable and complex lithology diatomite
–
ρ
◼
– Systematic 3 to 5 pu difference (1300 to 1450 ft, top of
the diatomite)
– Reduce opal ρmatrix 2.25 g/cc to 2.05 g/cc?
– Small volume of gas?
◼ Core Shc (retort) and logs (spectroscopy Corg
and dielectric) match well
– Systematic difference of 5 to 10 su between logs due
to steam or air as the formation is under enhanced
recovery
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▪

 
 

▪ Formation Sigma, salinity estimate

SIGF =   Sw  Sigmwater +   (1 − Sw)  Sigmhc + (1 −  )  Sigmmatrix

SIGF −   Sigmhc − (1 −  )  Sigmmatrix

Sw =
( Sigmwater − Sigmhc )  

Σ log − 1 − 𝜙 Σ𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑥 − (𝐵𝑉𝑂)(Σ𝑜𝑖𝑙)

Σ𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 =
𝐵𝑉𝑊
▪ Challenge
• Measure residual oil in low resistivity chert
▪ Solution
• Measure carbon yield independently with
Litho Scanner
▪ Results
• Model independent Hydrocarbon Saturation
• Direct quantification of hydrocarbon
Core trained ML algorithm based on autoencoder frameworks Continuous profile of core-like mineralogy, sand characterization

Quartz
K-feldspar
Plagioclase
Si
Muscovite
Ca
Atomic elements

Si Illite
Mg
Ca Smectite
Al

Minerals

Rock
Kaolinite
K Fe
Chlorite
Na K
. . Calcite
Fe . .
. . Dolomite
S S
Ankerite
Ti
Siderite Reservoir
Calibrated Anhydrite
mapping functions Pyrite
Calibrated formation
Detailed mineralogy including clay typing, split between properties; input to reservoir
quartz, feldspar types, mica, carbonates types, modeling, stimulation,
organics, with slow logging sanding analysis, etc
 Multi-mineral Automatic
“calibrated” VAE solution
solver solution

14

from Johansen et al. (2019) from Craddock et al. (2021)

 𝑅𝐻𝐺𝐸 − 𝑅𝐻𝑂𝑍
𝐷𝑃𝐻𝐼_𝐼𝑁𝐶𝑃 =
𝑅𝐻𝐺𝐸 − 𝑅𝐻𝑂𝑊

𝐸𝑁𝐺𝐸 − 𝐴𝑃𝐿𝐶
𝐴𝑃𝐻𝐼_𝐼𝑁𝐶𝑃 =
𝐸𝑁𝐺𝐸 − 𝐻𝐼𝑊

𝑆𝐼𝐺𝐸 − 𝑆𝐼𝐺𝐹
𝑆𝐼𝑃𝐻𝐼_𝐼𝑁𝐶𝑃 =
𝑆𝐼𝐺𝐸 − 𝑆𝐼𝐺𝑊
• Pulsar spectroscopy has same functionality and computational capacity as Litho Scanner – results are comparable
• Cased hole spectroscopy in wide range of formations and casing sizes and configurations
• Detector performance retained even at higher temperatures
 •

▪ For the first time, we can do CH spectroscopy logging at realistic logging speeds and maintain good data quality
▪ Detector performance retained even at higher temperatures
X000

X100

Pulsar
-GR
-Density (FNXS)
X200 -Resistivity (SIGM)
-Neutron Porosity (TPHI)
-Spectroscopy (capture and inelastic)

X300

X400 Schlumberger-Private
 Capture Cased Hole
Ratio Burst Standalone
Open Hole Logs GR SIGM TPHI Ratio FNXS Interpretation
Gas, oil, water volumes and saturation with Pulsar
logs interpretation integrating FNXS, TPHI neutron
porosity, Sigma, elemental concentrations, including
Carbon/Oxygen ratios and TOC

Resistivity log reads as low as in conductive shale,

despite oil is still present

Resistivity log reads as low as or lower than in

conductive shale, despite oil is still present – it
would underestimate reserves. Pulsar accurate
quantify the hydrocarbon and water volumes
 Pseudo Tcombo 2017

Total Carbon (TC) is measured;

Minerals are computed

Inorganic carbon is calculated from minerals

TIC = 0.120*Calcite + 0.130*Dolomite + 0.104*Siderite
+ 0.116*Ankerite
▪

 
 

TCO critical to detect and quantify oil, where

resistivity based approach failed due to complex matrix effects and low salinity
• First production 1982
• Shutoff due to high water cut in 2015
• 2017 re-evaluation using pulse neutron log finds
remaining hydrocarbon potential

Low resistivity pay originally not considered due to lack

of sensitivity from resistivity-based saturation (OH FE)

Bypassed Oil shown from pulse neutron

logs in absence of complete and useful
open hole logs in low resistivity pay

SPE-186957-MS
23
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•
Casing + tubing with different annular fluids

Bypassed gas discovered with Pulsar logging during production

Quicklook gas corrected Porosity from Neutron-FNXS;

Gas and water volume in near realtime

Quick evaluation of Porosity corrected for main lithology

and hydrocarbon effects, water and hydrocarbon
volumes from FNXS with TPHI and Sigma
▪ Interbedded sand, shale, limestone, coal
▪ 8.5in hole, double 3.5in tubing strings with open perfo
▪ Pulsar accurately identify gas

▪ Gas potential and saturation computation where

standard resistivity-based method would have failed
due to lack of contrast
Identification of bypassed oil reservoir in large borehole and gas-filled annulus completion using Pulsar C/O and TOC salinity independent
methods. Thin oil reservoirs discovered with Pulsar logs, where original resistivity log remained low in value showing poor response to oil.

Logging in 12.25in borehole, 9.625in casing + dual

tubing with gas in the annulus and unstable
conditions

Objective: OWC and GWC contacts in produced

reservoirs (for reservoir contact management),
potential bypassed hydrocarbon zones

Robust C/O and TOC measurements where

previous generation PNL would have failed.

Pulsar IC (Carbon/oxygen) logging passes

revealed additional pay zones that were missed
by the openhole logs
Oil volume and oil saturation were computed from
TOC and C/O methods, respectively. They show
good agreement, which gives good confidence in
the results.
SPE-186957-MS
Producing field; shaly sand formation with low porosity gas-
filled and very low porosity zones alternating.
 Pulsar depth log data can be reprocessed at higher resolution for better definition of thin
beds properties and potential
Acquisition program can be optimized for high resolution, with simultaneous acquisition of
station log data with depth log (with station data acquisition being transparent to logging
time, yet providing times the resolution of standard depth log)

FNXS unfiltered solves for very thin gas layers,

otherwise overlooked

Pulsar log recorded at 900ft/hr; this translate in ELAN based on PNX GSH integrated to CPI volumes; solving for 2 gases as novel
0.669inches per point measurement for station data methodology to define depleted layers in thin bedded variable depleted reservoir
Pulsar High Resolution Case Study

Gas Condensate field with

• Heterogeneous composition
• Laminated nature of the formation
• Various grain sizes distribution
• Inclusions of accessories minerals

Field development challenges:

▪ the reservoir distribution and quality are variable
▪ porosities are generally low
▪ sandstone reservoirs contain clay and cementing material
▪ interbedded with finer-grained layers
▪ main producing layers are differentially depleted
The contrast between gas bearing and tight rock response is limited

Not easy to isolate gas effect on sonic crossplot

SPE-208557 • Unlocking Potential in Thinly Laminated Reservoirs through Cased Hole Pulsed Neutron Logging • Yernur Akashev
Pulsar Elemental Spectroscopy – Advanced Mineralogy
• Elemental spectroscopy processing outputs:
• clay types,
• quartz,
• feldspar and micas,
• type of carbonates,
• heavy accessory minerals

• Good match between logs- and core-based analysis

• DW of minerals are ready to be integrated with Sigma, Neutron porosity,

and FNXS into a multi-mineral petrophysical model

SPE-208557

SPE-208557 • Unlocking Potential in Thinly Laminated Reservoirs through Cased Hole Pulsed Neutron Logging • Yernur Akashev
Pulsar Integrated High Resolution Answer

Neutron Porosity vs FNXS effective in quantifying

gas layers; the crossplot investigation is effective
for quick turnaround decisions.

Gas-filled sand responses within the thin

laminations are highlighted (red region of the
crossplot); clearly separating them from fluid-filled
sands and siltstones (on 100% fluid line or
above).

The GSH-Lith data integration solves for correct

porosity, gas and water saturations

The review of FNXS versus FNXS matrix

crossover and FNXS vs TPHI confirms the
presence of dry gas to guide completion design.

SPE-208557 • Unlocking Potential in Thinly Laminated Reservoirs through Cased Hole Pulsed Neutron Logging • Yernur Akashev
 Continuous profile of core-like mineralogy & lithofacies

Logs reconstruction to
Facies prediction, rock Statistical mineral
locally optimized
groups classification analysis by facies
ternary plot

Carbonates
▪ Static reservoir modelling in new field and model update/refining
in case of purposing of existing assets
▪ Detailed stratigraphic analysis in complex reservoir
▪ Well-to-well correlation
▪ Input to reservoir connectivity
▪ Support stimulation and completion strategy for tight rock
production and geothermal processes
Producibility ‘signature’ in one-click 34
Saleh et al., 2020
Open
 Elements from Capture Spectrum Elements from Inelastic Spectrum

Litho Scanner Features and benefits (most feactures are available with Pulsar also)
■ High-performance pulsed neutron generator (PNG)
▪ Elimination of radioactive sources to improve operational efficiency and personnel safety
▪ Optimized pulsing scheme with multiple square and short pulses for clean separation to measure both inelastic & capture GR
▪ High neutron output of 3.6 x 108 neutrons/s for greater measurement precision
■ State-of-the-art cerium-doped lanthanum bromide (LaBr3:Ce) scintillator, photomultiplier, and counting electronics
▪ Excellent spectral energy resolution at high operating temperatures (350 degF [177 degC])
▪ Highest count rate capability in the industry
▪ Calibrated measurement of elemental concentrations for Al, Ca, Fe, Gd, Sr, K, S, Si, Ti, Ba, Cl, H, N, Mg, Mn, Na, Br, O, C
and P and the metals Cu and Ni, with other elements on request
■ In situ TOC and formation chlorine measurements
■ Combinable with most open hole and well integrity services in wireline, TLC* tough logging conditions, or tractor conveyed

LaBr3:Ce Applications
Detector
■ Open and cased hole high-definition mineralogy and lithology for geochemistry, stratigraphy, and rock typing
■ Open and cased hole determination of hydrocarbon weight fraction
▪ Total organic carbon (TOC) quantified as difference between measured total carbon and inorganic carbon;
▪ Oil volume from TOC; Hydrocarbon identification in low-resistivity pay
Compact ▪ Identification of oil zones in freshwater and mixed- or unknown-salinity reservoirs
PNG
▪ FE with greater accuracy by accounting for grain density and mineral properties in porosity, dielectric dispersion, PEF logging
3.6 x 108 ■ Real-time formation sigma
neutrons/ ■ Element logs for well-to-well correlation and sequence stratigraphy
s
■ Informed real-time wellsite selection of sampling, pressure measurement, and coring points
Pulsed Neutron Challenges

Unique Pulsar Solutions

Tool Optimization compared to competitor tools (and RST)
Challenges
▪ Industry’s highest neutron output 3.5 x 108 neutrons per sec
1 Complex Completions
▪ Self Compensation
— TPHI and SIGMA
for greater precision
▪ State-of-the-art scintillator (Near & Far detectors: lanthanum
bromide; Deep: YAP), photomultiplier and counting
electronics
2 Borehole Parameters
for continuity
▪ Only ONE user Input
— Hole Size ▪ Simultaneous acquisition of time and energy domain data
▪ Higher spectral precision; hence faster logging / reduced
number of passes for C/O
▪ FNXS, TOC
3 Standalone CHFE ▪ Combinability with ThruBit
Platform o Self-compensated Sigma and Neutron Porosity
o FNXS (fast neutron cross section) – act as density
▪ LithoScanner Elemental o Capture and inelastic Spectroscopy data for an
4 Thru Tubing
Spectroscopy ▪
Concentrations
Improved Spectral C/O enhanced formation evaluation (like Litho Scanner but
measurement sloeer for same precision due to detector size)
▪ Simultaneous Time & Energy
• Combining FNXS, TPHI, SIGM with Spectroscopy we can run
5 Operating Envelope ▪
▪
Domain
Sourceless
Temperature 175 degC/350 degF
standalone interpretations with PNX if no OH data is available