PETROPHYSICAL PARAMETERS AND ROCK

MECHANICAL PROPERTY STUDIES ON CORE

SAMPLES FOR RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION

A M.Sc. Dissertation Thesis

Submitted to
Centre for Petroleum & Applied Geology

Panjab University, Chandigarh

FOR THE PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF MASTER DEGREE IN
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY

SUBMITTED BY:
Ravi Shankar Chaubey
M.Sc 2nd year
Centre for Petroleum & Applied Geology
Panjab University, Chandigarh

UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF:

Mr. M.K. Tewari
DGM Geophysics (Wells)
KDMIPE ONGC, DEHRADUN
 Acknowledgements:

This is an honor for me, being part of such a prestigious Panjab University which has
provided opportunity to work in KDMIPE, a Premier R & D Institute of ONGC. Words of
appreciation will be too little to express my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. D.K.Dasgupta, ED-
HOI, KDMIPE for providing me all the facilities and data to work on and also Shri P.K.
Bhowmick, Ex-ED-HOI, KDMIPE for providing me with the best mentor to work under. I
am highly grateful to Mr. Kalika Prasad G.M. Geophysics (Wells)-Head Logging Group,
KDMIPE for providing me the facilities to undertake this project at Petrophysics Lab of
KDMIPE, ONGC, Dehradun. Also, my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. V. Banerjee GM-ONGC
Academy for Coordinating the Dissertation.

I wish to express my deep sense of gratitude and indebtness to Mr. M.K.Tewari my

mentor and to Dr. Rajeev Patnaik (Prof., Coordinator) and Dr. Birendra P. Singh (Assist.
Prof.), my teachers, who always tried to put their best efforts to teach and guide. The
knowledge they provide is of deep understanding which always helped me to integrate things
and produce the best results. Also kind acknowledgements are to Mr. H. Upadhyay, G.M.
Geology & Sedimentology Division-KDMIPE.

I express my sincere gratitude to Shri Gurmeet Singh, Shri Mohan Lal, Shri Ashok
Mishra, Shri S.S.Kahana and Mr. Parmod Kumar and other members of Petrophysics Lab for
their kind support in completion of my dissertation work.

At last but not least, I thank to my family for boosting my moral and freedom to take
challenges and do the best I liked in all years of my studies. Also sincere acknowledgements
are to ONGC Academy for financial support, AAPG for sponsoring membership and free
access to AAPG Bulletin, and also to Schlumberger Oilfield Review.

Date: Ravi Shankar Chaubey

Place: Chandigarh M.Sc. Honours IInd year
Centre for Petroleum & Applied Geology
Panjab University, Chandigarh

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 Keshava Deva Malaviya
Institute of Petroleum Exploration
9, Kaulagarh Road, Dehradun
Ph.: 0135-2795000

This is to certify that the dissertation thesis entitled “PETROPHYSICAL

PARAMETERS AND ROCK MECHANICAL PROPERTY STUDIES ON
CORE SAMPLES FOR RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION” is an authentic
record of the work carried out by Mr. Ravi Shankar Chaubey, Roll No. - 50035
and Registration No. 07-GD-21, of M.Sc. Honours School Petroleum Geology,
Centre for Petroleum and Applied Geology, Panjab University Chandigarh
under my guidance and supervision during the period from 2 nd Jan. 2012 to 2 nd
July, 2012.

It is further certified that the work embodied in the project has not been submitted to
any other University/Institute for the award of any Degree/Diploma. And the
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of the project thesis is a sole property of ONGC
and this material cannot be reproduced in any manner or otherwise used in any
presentation or work without the express written permission of ONGC.

Date: 2nd July, 2012 Mr. M.K. Tewari

DGM, Geophysics (Wells)
I/C Petrophysics Lab
KDMIPE, ONGC
DEHRADUN

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 CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION

I hereby solemnly declare that the work which is being presented in this
project, entitled “PETROPHYSICAL PARAMETERS AND ROCK MECHANICAL
PROPERTY STUDIES ON CORE SAMPLES FOR RESERVOIR
CHARACTERIZATION” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the
degree of Master of Science in Petroleum Geology, is a bonafide work and an authentic
record of my own project work carried out during the period from 2nd Jan. 2012 to 2nd June
2012, under the kind supervision of Mr. M.K. Tewari DGM (Wells)-I/C Petrophysics Lab,
KDMIPE, ONGC, Dehradun.

The matter embodied in this project has not been submitted by me for the award of any other
degree. Further this is to inform (KDMIPE/Diss/New/Panjab University/2011
Dated26.09.2011 and 403/Pet./Geo. Dated 4/Oct./2011) that the Intellectual Property Rights
(IPR) of the project thesis is a sole property of ONGC and this material cannot be
reproduced in any manner or otherwise used in any presentation or work without the express
written permission of ONGC.

Date: 2nd July, 2012 (Ravi Shankar Chaubey)

Place: Dehradun M.Sc. (Honours) Petroleum Geology

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 CONTENTS
SL. No. TITLES PAGE NO.
i. Acknowledgements 2
ii. Certificates 3-4
iii. Abstract 8
1. Introduction 9-11
1.1. Objectives 12
1.2. Previous Work and Literature review 13-23
1.3. Material and Methodology
1.3.1. Coring, Preservation and Handling 24-28
1.3.2. Petrophysical Study 29-34
1.3.3. Rock Mechanical Property 35-42
2. Petrophysics
2.1. Introduction 43-44
i. Porosity 44-50
ii. Permeability 50-59
iii. Formation Resistivity Factor 59-61
iv. ‘m’ Cementation exponent 61-69
v. ‘a’ Tortuosity factor 70
vi. ‘n’ Saturation exponent 71-73
vii. Saturation 74-75
viii. Wettability 75-77
ix. Capillary Pressure 77-78
x. Theta Function 79-80
2.2. Significance of Petrophysical studies 80

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 3. Rock Mechanical Property
3.1. Introduction 81-88
3.2. Mechanical Properties of Rocks 89-92
3.3. Acoustic Properties 93-94
3.4. Significance of Rock Mechanical Property 95-109
4. Case Study I (for Petrophysical Parameters)
(Kalol Formation, Cambay Basin)
4.1. Introduction 110
4.2. Regional Geology of Cambay Basin 110-113
4.3. Stratigraphy 113-117
4.4. Habitat of Oil 117-119
4.4.1. Source Rock
4.4.2. Cap Rock
4.4.3. Reservoir Rock
4.4.4. Traps
4.5. Petrophysical Studies and Reservoir 120-124
Characterization (Results and Conclusions)
4.6. PETROPHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND 125-130
THEIR DEPENDENCY ON SEDIMENTARY
MICROFACIES
5. Case Study I (for Rock Mechanical Property)
(Bombay Offshore Basin)
5.1. Introduction 131
5.2. Tectonic Setting and Structural Framework 132-133
5.3. Stratigraphy and Depositional Environment 133-139
5.4. Petroleum System and Geological Controls 140
5.5. Rock Mechanical Property studies and Reservoir 141-169
Characterization. (Results and Conclusions)
5.6. Future Prospects and Expectations 170-172

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 6. APPENDIX – A
BASIC WELL LOGS AND RESERVOIR
CHARACTERIZATION
Introduction 173
A.1. Caliper Log 174-177
A.2. Gamma Ray Log 178-185
A.3. Spectral Gamma Ray Log 186-191
A.4. SP Log 192-198
A.5. Electrical Logs 199-216
Induction
Latero Tools
Shallow Tools
Array Induction Tool
Formation Micro Scanner-FMI
A.6. Formation Density Log 217-227
A.7. Neutron Porosity Log 228-238
A.8. Sonic or Acoustic Log 239-245
A.9. NMR Log 246-249
7. REFERENCE’S 250-253

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 ABSTRACT
The modern Petroleum Sciences are characterized by extraordinarily rapid progress,
as well as by the development and application of numerous new and refined methods.
Working in light of modern methods seems to solve almost all the problems and the
conclusion drawn is highly reliable. Carbonate reservoirs hold more than half of the world’s
hydrocarbon reserves whereas Clastic reservoir holds significant easy oil and it has become
important to develop better and simpler methods to estimate petrophysical and rock
mechanical properties which are very important for high resolution improved formation
evaluation, Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) and Carbon Capture and storage programs (CCS)
and mechanical modeling for hydraulic fractures, borehole stability and better seismic
analysis for advanced reservoir characterization.
The electrical resistivity in fluid-filled sedimentary rocks is largely controlled by its
pore space geometry, as the electric current is conducted predominantly through the pore
fluid. Yet, in rocks, the variation in electrical resistivity and the cementation factor for a
given porosity are not clearly understood. Many studies have recognized that acoustic
velocity and permeability in carbonate rocks is dependent upon pore geometry. In this study
we aim to explore the complex relationship between the shape and size of pores and pore
throats and the flow of the electric charge for better understanding of clastic reservoir and try
to understand the carbonate reservoir through its mechanical properties and bridge a
relationship between petrophysics and rock mechanical properties.
Here in the present work all the new aspects and concepts have been put forward
together to build a more clear and correlative picture of reservoir. However, efforts have been
made to weave important new information into the basic structure of previous works of
various workers and integration over petrophysics to geology has been done to explain the
heterogeneity of the reservoir. It is hoped that the present work would add a new dimension
to the latest work in the advanced reservoir characterization for both Clastic and Non-Clastic
reservoir.

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 1.1 OBJECTIVES

The present work aims at understanding the factor controlling tortuosity factor ‘a’,
cementation exponent ‘m’, and saturation exponent ‘n’. The classical Archie’s law link the
electrical resistivity of a rock to its porosity to the resistivity of the water saturating its pores,
and to the fractional saturation of the pore space with the water. They have been used for
many years to calculate the hydrocarbon saturation of the reservoir rock and hence
hydrocarbon reserves. The classical Archie’s Law contain two exponent ‘m’ and ‘n’ which
Archie called the ‘cementation exponent’ and the ‘saturation exponent’ respectively. The
conductivity of the hydrocarbon saturated rocks is highly sensitive to change in either
exponent. So, the present study aims to understand the various factors controlling the
petrophysical parameter and the effect of heterogeneity on reservoir characterization.

Secondly, in the present work rock mechanical property of carbonate rocks have been
studied with an aim to establish and recognize characters of reservoir rocks. Recent studies
have increased our understanding of elastic rock properties in siliciclastic or shaly sediments.
The causes for variations in velocity have been investigated for siliciclastic rocks, mixed
carbonate siliciclastic sediments, synthetic sand-clay mixtures or claystones. The concepts
derived from these studies are however only partly applicable in pure carbonates. Carbonates
do not have large compositional variations that are, as is the case in the other sedimentary
rocks, responsible for velocity contrasts. Pure carbonates are characterized by the lack of any
clay or siliciclastic content, but are mostly produced and deposited on the top or on the slope
of isolated or detached carbonate platforms that have no hinterland as a source of terrigenous
material. They consist of over 95% of the carbonate minerals calcite, dolomite and aragonite.
These minerals have very similar physical properties, which excludes compositional variation
as a major reason for the large variability in velocity of carbonates.

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 7. REFRENCE’S

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N. Misra, and K. Chandra, 2002, The effective source rocks in the Cambay basin,
India: AAPG Bulletin, v. 86, p. 433-456.
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