FORMATION EVALUATION

PETE 663
PASSIVE MEASUREMENTS NATURAL GAMMA

Summer 2010
Dr. David Schechter

PASSIVE MEASUREMENTS
Caliper
Spontaneous Potential
Gamma Ray
Natural
Spectral

GAMMA RAY LOGS

Uses
Correlation
Lithology indicator; exploration
for radioactive materials
Mineral identification
Open or cased hole; any fluids
Evaluation of shale content
Paleoenvironmental indicator
Fracture detection
Properties
Measures natural gamma
radiation
Random fluctuations

Rock Formations

GR Tool

GAMMA RAY TOOLS

1. The gamma ray tool records the natural
radioactivity of the formation without regard to
the source
2. The spectral gamma ray tool identifies the
source and gives the contribution of each
elements (potassium , uranium, and thorium )
to the overall spectrum. Also, it is useful in
identifying fractures

API: (1/200) OF THE DIFFERENCE IN LOG

READING BETWEEN A HOT AND A COLD ZONE

GAMMA CALIBRATION
HOT AND COLD ZONES
The Gamma tool is placed in the hot zone (200
API)
and the gamma counts are recorded.
It is then placed in the cold zone and the gamma
counts are recorded. The difference in counts is
converted by a gain factor to represent 200 API.
API UNIT: (1/200) OF THE DIFFERENCE IN
LOG READING BETWEEN A HOT ZONE
AND A COLD ZONE

NATURAL GR PRINCIPLE
Cause
Unstable isotopes in
formation
Isotopes decay
Emit GRs (various energies)

Three main contributors

K40 with half-life 1.3x109 yrs
Th232 with half-life 1.4x1010
yrs
U238 with half-life 4.4x109 yrs

Sources
K40 feldspar, mica, illite
Th232 heavy minerals, clays
U238 organic material

Probability of Emission per Disintegration

1.46
Potassium

Thorium Series
2.62

Uranium-Radium Series
1.76
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
Gamma Ray Energy (MeV)

SOURCES OF PASSIVE
GAMMA RAYS
1. Clays
Kaolinite (very little K [potassium])
Illite (4-8% K)
Montmorillonite (<1% K)

2. Sand and Silt

Potassium (K) feldspar
Heavy minerals
Volcanoclastics

3. Natural Cements
Fracture-filling

4. Uranium Ores

SCINTILLATION DETECTORS
1. Gamma rays interact with scintillation crystal
2. Electrons excite phosphor atoms, which in turn decay
by emission of light
3. These photons interact with the photocathode of the
p.m tube producing electrons
4. Ejected electrons are focused into photomultiplier
string
5. Electrons are accelerated through successive dynodes
producing multiplication at anode (1e = 106 e)

SCINTILLATION DETECTOR

SHALE WASHOUT

From Dresser Atlas, 1982

CORRECTED AND
UNCORRECTED
GAMMA RAY
CURVES
IN WASHOUT

From Dresser Atlas, 1982

STATISTICAL ISSUES
Measurement problem

API
0

120

GR emissions random
Tool moving

Shale

Results
Imprecise measurement
Details smeared out

Procedures
New tools better
detectors
Limit logging speed

5,400 ft/hr
1,800 ft/hr

4ft
sand

Old tools 1800 fph

New tools 3600 fph

Exercise care interpreting

boundaries

600 ft/hr

Shale

GR 2.25 FILTER
150
100 FPM

GR 2.25 FILTER
150
13 FPM
0

Are these
reversed?

GR UNFILTERED
13 FPM
150

EFFECTS OF
LOGGING
SPEED AND
FILTER LENGTH
ON GAMMA
RAY LOG
High-resolution logging
for thin bed, .i.e. coal, is usually
done at low speed to
better define bed boundaries
and partings

GR RESPONSE IN COMMON FORMATIONS

Shales often radioactive
Clays
Trace and heavy minerals

Sandstones may be radioactive

Non-clay minerals, e.g., mica,
feldspar
Clays

See Appendix B, Chart

Book
Units
GR calibrated to standard
Response in mid-continent
shale equals 200 API units
Calibration pits

50

100 API units

Shaly sand
Shale
Very shaly sand
Clean limestone
Dolomite
Shale
Clean sand
Coal
Shaly sand
Anhydrite
Salt
Volcanic ash
Gypsum

WHAT IS Vshale?
Fraction of rock made up of
shale
Why calculate Vsh in
Sandstone?

Delimit reservoir quality rock

Shale = clays in FE
Clays reduce perm and porosity
Estimates of Sw too large
Shales reduce net pay

Vsh definition
matrix (silt + dry clay)
+
fluid (bound water)

sand
silt

Vsh
dry clay
bound water

free water

HC

Unit volume of rock

VOLUME OF SHALE

Gamma Ray Index

I SH

GR GRMIN
=
GRMAX GRMIN

RELATIONSHIP

EQUATION

Linear

Vsh = Ish

Clavier

Vsh= 1.7-(3.38-(Ish+.7)2 )1/2

Steiber

Vsh= 0.5*(Ish/(1.5-Ish))

Bateman

Vsh= Ish (Ish +GRFactor)

GRFactor = 1.2 1.7

CALCULATING CLAY CONTENT

(VSHALE)
Shale Index
GR GRmin
I sh =
GRmax GRmin

GR (API)

100

90 GAPI

Shale

GR (max)

Calculating Vsh

Some Models:

Vsh = I sh
Vsh = I sh /( 2 I sh )
Vsh = I sh /( 4 3I sh )
Vsh = 0.33(2 2 I sh 1)

GR

Shaly
sand

48 GAPI

GR 15 GAPI
(min)

90 GAPI

GR Tool

Numerous models
Always have Vsh < Ish
May only apply locally

Clean
sand
Shale

EXAMPLE PROBLEM
Choose value for
GRmax and GRmin
and compute Vsh in
sand C using
linear, Clavier, and
Steiber methods

SOLUTION

GRmin = 10API

Grlog =50 API

GRmax =132

V SH RELATIONSHIPS

Example from Slide 22

I sh =

GR GRmin
GRmax GRmin

I sh =

48 15
90 15

I sh = 0.44
Example from Slide 24

GR GRmin
I sh =
GRmax GRmin

I sh

50 10
=
132 10

I sh = 0.327

26%
20%

17.5

14%

0.327 0.44

SOLUTION
GRmin = 10 API
GRmax = 132 API
Choosing a depth in SAND C , say GR =50 API
Linear

Vsh = 0.327

Clavier Vsh = 0.175

Steiber

Vsh = 0.139

SPECTRAL GR ANALYSIS

Gives the individual quantities of uranium,

potassium, and thorium

Good fracture detector, because uranium

tends to precipitate with fracture-filling
minerals

A sharp uranium peak may indicate fractures

Good for mineral identification

SPECTRAL GR
Th, U, and K different energies Output
K, Th, U contents.
Tool measures
Th + K gives CGR

counts
energies

no-uranium GR curve
better measure for Vsh

CGR

Th
K
SGR

SPECTRAL ANALYSIS PRINCIPLE

The radioactivities of the 3 elements differ, based on the

energy level peaks

SPECTRAL GAMMA RAY LOG

URANIUM
THORIUM

POTASSIUM

SPECTRAL GAMMA
RESPONSE IN
MESOZOIC
CARBONATES
AND SHALES,
EAST-CENTRAL
TEXAS

From Dresser Atlas, 1982

From Halliburton

From Halliburton

SOME GR APPLICATIONS VERSATILE TOOL

Lithology indicator
Reservoir descrimination
Vsh cutoff
Correlation
Well-to-well
Open hole to cased hole
Core-to-log
Depth control
Depositional Environment
Uses curve shape, log responses, and characteristis of
bedding contacts to infer grain sizes and sedimentary
processes and environments
Exploration for radioactive rocks
Uranium, potassium chloride
Fracture detection
Some fracture-filling mineral deposits are hot