Well Log Interpretation

Basic Relationships

Drilling and Completion

Cable-Tool
1800s

Drilling and
Completion

Rotary Drilling
1900s - present

Drilling and
Completion
Rotary Drill Bits
attached to
hollow pipe (drill
string) in 33
lengths. Mud is
circulated
through drill
string, out the bit
and back up the

Drilling and
Completion

The drill string is

attached to the
kelly a square rod
that slides through
the Kelly Bushing.
The kelly bushing
rotates the Kelly,
drill string and bit.

Drilling and
Completion
The mud
circulating
through the drill
string cools the
bit and carries
the rock chips
back up the hole
outside the drill
string.

Drilling and
Completion
The mud carrying
the rock chips goes
to the shaker screen
which separates the
rock chips which are
examined by the
Geologist to
determine lithology
and stratigraphic

Drilling and
Completion
Casing is set to
prevent cave-ins
and produce fluids.
Cement holds it in
place and helps
prevent corrosion
and leaks. Well logs
are normally run
before casing is set.

Role of
Geologist
A Mudlogger
records lithology
from well cuttings,
& tests for
petroleum with UV
light. Bottomhole T
& P, rate of
penetration,
composition of

Role of
Geologist
A well site geologist
may be present.
Duties include
advising driller on
anticipated
lithologies and
pressures, Picking
casing and coring
points, and
supervising logging.

Producing
Methods
Water drilling
platforms may be
jacked up from
seabed or be floating
platforms held in
place by anchors
and/or propellors

Producing
Methods
At sea, a single
producing platform
may have a dozen or
more deviated wells.
These platforms may
be fixed to bottom or
floating. Oil, gas and
water are separated
and the petroleum
piped to shore. Wells
must be cased and

Formation Evaluation
Geological evaluation of the lithology,
stratigraphy, fluids and reservioir properties are
essential for exploration and field development.
Critical information from a well comes from:
the mudlog,
cores (regular and sidewall)
geophysical logs.

Formation
Evaluation

Typical Mud
Log

Geophysical Logs
Routine geophysical
logs typically
measure natural
electrical currents,
electrical resistivity,
sonic velocity, and a
variety of
radioactive
parameters, to
derive information
like density,
porosity,
permeability,

Geophysical Logs

Factors affecting log

response include:
Nature of drilling
mud;
Porosity &
Permeability;
Nature of pore
fluids;

Some Definitions

Porosity: Pore Volume/Total Volume

Effective Porosity: Interconnected pore space
Fracture Porosity

Some Definitions

KA
P

P
1
2
Q
L
Permeability: Ability to transmit
fluids; unit called a Darcy
Q: Rate of Flow
K: Permeability

A: Cross section
area
Q KA P P
L
P1 P2: Pressure drop across
L
L: Length
1

Some Definitions

If there is more than one fluid, then things get

complicated.
Wetting: One fluid wets the rock (usually water),

Q KA P P
and the other(s)
are blobs surrounded by the
L
wetting fluid
Water Saturation (Sw) = volume of water in
pores/Volume of pores
1

Some Definitions

Q KA P1 P2

The wetting fluid adheres to the rock and will not

move. It is usually water and is called the
irreducible water saturation (Swirr)

Some Definitions

If more than one fluid then Permeability is more

complicated:
P
Q KA P permeability
Ka = Absolute
= K of fluid at 100%
L
saturation
Ke = Effective permeability: Permeability of one fluid in
presence of another
1

Some
Definitions

R rA
P
Q KA P measured
Resistivity (R)
in ohm-meters
L
Conductivity = 1/R
1

r = resistance (Ohms)
A = area across which electrons flow
L = length along which electrons flow

Some
Definitions

Resistivity (R) is measured by electrical logs

Q KA P P
Rock is high
R L(low conductivity)
Oil is high R
Pure Water is high R
Salt water is low R
Drilling mud can be either high or low R
depending on whether saline or fresh water is
1

Estimating Water Saturation

Water saturation, Sw, is the bottom line. If it is
less than one, then there is probably petroleum.
Sw can be estimated from a resistivity
measurement
using
the
Archie
Equation,
an

Q KA P P
L
empirical relationship
derived from experiments
done by G.E. Archie in 1942
1

Estimating Water Saturation:

Some Definitions
Rw = Resistivity of water in the rock pores
(measured)
R0 = Resistivity of rock saturated by water of Rw.

Formation Resistivity
Factor,
Q KA P P
L
F = R0/Rw, and
1

R0 = F Rw

Estimating Water Saturation

Based on experiments, Archie found that F could
also be related to a tortuosity factor, a, the
porosity, , and a cementation exponent, m,
by

Q KA P1 P2

Fa

Estimating Water Saturation

Archie also found experimentally that

R0

Sw

Rt
Q KA P1 P2

n is the saturation exponent with a value of about 2

and

R0 = resistivity of rock 100% saturated by water of Rw

(unknown).
Rt is the resistivity of the combined rock and fluid
measured by the log.

Estimating Water Saturation

Combining these relationships produces the
Archie Equation:
1

F Rw

Sw

R
t

Q KA P1 P2

n and F are experimentally determined, but there are

tables for typical rock types.

Rw = resistivity of fluids in the rock and must be

measured at the well site.

Rt is the resistivity of the combined rock and fluid

Estimating
Water
Saturation

Q KA P1 P2

Experimentally
determined
formation factors for
various lithologies

Borehole
Environment

Q KA P1 P2

During drilling, the

mud is kept at a
higher pressure than
the formation fluids
to avoid blowouts. As
a result, mud fluids
invade the rock
leaving a mudcake
along the bore hole.
Mud fluid invasion

Borehole
Environment
Dh = Hole Diameter
R = Resistivity
Rm = mud

Q KA P1 P2

Rmc = mud cake

Rmf = mud fluids
(filtrate)
Rxo = rock and filtrate
Rt = rock and

Resistivity profiles
around Borehole
Well logs that measure resistivity can detect
hydrocarbons by measuring water saturation
Sw using the Archie Equation. The petroleum
saturation is

Sp = 1 Sw
Knowing Sp is critical to calculating reserves
and determining the economic viability of a
well.
Q KA P1 P2

Resistivity profiles
around Borehole
Formation water is typically saline and
normally has a low Rmf.
Water used in drilling muds is usually saline
but may be fresh
with high Rmf.

Q KA P1 P2

The resistivity profile around a borehole

depends on whether the mud uses fresh or
saline water.

Resistivity profiles
around Borehole

Q KA P1 P2

Logs typically measure

three resistivities:
shallow, intermediate
and deep
corresponding to the
three zones around the
borehole.
The graph shows
resistivity profiles in

Resistivity profiles
around Borehole
The graph shows
resistivity profiles in
rock filled with oil (or
fresh water).

Q KA P1 P2

Log Headers

Q KA P1 P2

The log header

usually has all the
necessary
information needed
to calculate Sw.

Typical
Resistivity
Logs

Q KA P1 P2

Mud uses
fresh water.
Whats in the
rock pores?

Typical
Resistivity
Logs

Q KA P1 P2

Mud uses saline

water. Whats in
the rock pores?

Typical
Resistivity
Logs

Q KA P1 P2

Mud uses
fresh
water.
Whats in
the rock
pores?

Typical
Resistivity
Logs

Q KA P1 P2

Mud uses
saline
water.
Whats in
the rock
pores?

Resistivity = fcn (Temp, Salinity)

Q KA P1 P2