Porosity and Lithology

Wellsite Log Interpretation for Field Professionals

Why is porosity important?

ƒ Represents volume available to fluids (hydrocarbon and water).

ƒ Required
R i d ffor saturation
t ti estimates.
ti t
ƒ Sw = f (porosity, formation resistivity, water resistivity).

ƒ Required for volumetric estimates.

ƒ Volume = C × porosity × (1 – Sw) × area × thickness.

ƒ Knowing how much is enough can be difficult.

ƒ Porosity “cut-off”?

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Measuring porosity

ƒ Can only be measured with

core, and even then requires
corrections.

ƒ Can only be estimated with

logs.

ƒ Logs only measure some

other
th fformation
ti propertyt
that is related to porosity.

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Classes of porosity

ƒ Total = all that is there.

ƒ Effective
Eff ti = that
th t which
hi h iis iinterconnected.
t t d

ƒ Isolated = no interconnectivityy ((“Swiss cheese”).

)

ƒ Must have methods for estimating all three.

ƒ Some rocks have only interconnected pore space.
ƒ Some rocks have both interconnected and isolated pores.
p
ƒ Some rocks have only isolated pores.

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Thin sections

ƒ Interconnected (effective) pore space.

ƒ Common
C iin sandstones.
d t
ƒ Results from depositional processes.
ƒ A form of “primary” porosity.

ƒ Original amount often reduced by

cementing minerals or shaliness.
shaliness

ƒ Also exists in carbonates.

ƒ Sands Æ granular rocks
ƒ Dolomites Æ crystalline rocks

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Thin sections

ƒ Isolated pore space.

ƒ Mostly
M tl ffound
d iin carbonates.
b t
ƒ Usually results from dissolution.
ƒ A form of “secondary” porosity.

ƒ Rare in sandstones because of the

difficulty in dissolving quartz
quartz.

ƒ Isolated pores contain fluids, but they

do not produce those fluids.
ƒ What happens if we frac it?

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Why we need to know all three

ƒ Total porosity.
ƒ Used in the Archie model (and others) to estimate saturation.

ƒ Effective porosity.
ƒ Helps establish if a rock has permeability, and possibly how much.

ƒ Isolated porosity.
ƒ Will not produce the fluids it contains
contains…
ƒ …so why do we need to know it?

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Isolated porosity

ƒ How would the resistivity of this rock appear on a log?

ƒ Could that resistivity response lead us to a wrong conclusion?

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“Porosity” tools

ƒ Density Æ Φtotal
ƒ Neutron Æ Φtotal
ƒ A
Acoustic
ti Æ Φeffective (but
(b t sometimes
ti Φtotal)
ƒ Magnetic resonance Æ Φtotal and Φeffective
ƒ Resistivityy Æ Φeffective ((but not the best))
ƒ Dielectric Æ Φwater-filled

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“Porosity” tools

ƒ Density Æ bulk density

ƒ Neutron Æ “amount” of hydrogen
ƒ A
Acoustic
ti Æ speedd off sound
d
ƒ Magnetic resonance Æ polarization of hydrogen
ƒ Resistivityy Æ current flow
ƒ Dielectric Æ dielectric properties

ƒ No tool measures porosity.

ƒ Each tool measures some other property which is closely related

to porosity.

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“Porosity” tools

ƒ Density
ƒ Neutron To accurately estimate porosity with only one tool,
the lithology
gy and p
pore fluid type
yp must be known.
ƒ Acoustic
A ti

Learning lithology and fluid type are two reasons

why the well must be logged in the first place!

We don’t already KNOW lithology or fluid type.

ƒ Assumptions are required – matrix and fluid type present.

ƒ Multiple porosity estimates are preferred.

ƒ Comparison helps determine lithology.
ƒ Comparison provides better porosity estimate.
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DSNT-SDLT

ƒ Assumptions:
ƒ Lime matrix.
ƒ Water.
Water

ƒ How much porosity

is there in these A
three intervals?

ƒ What are their B

lithologies?

C
ƒ What if the matrix
assumption could
be changed?
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Must the assumptions be correct?

ƒ If using only one measurement Æ ABSOLUTELY

ƒ If using two or more Æ not really!

ƒ How accurately would we know porosity in these examples?

ƒ ΦD(lime) = ΦN(lime) = ΦS(lime)

ƒ ΦD(lime) = ΦN(lime)

ƒ ΦD(lime)

ƒ More estimates = better accuracy.

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Cross-plot porosity

ΦD + ΦN 2 2
Φ XP =
2

ƒ ΦD and ΦN have opposing responses!

ƒ Minimizes the influence of wrong assumptions.

ƒ Averaging essentially cancels out any problem with making the

wrong assumption – at least in common reservoir rocks!

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DSNT-SDLT

ƒ Cross-plot porosity.

ƒ Wh
Whatt if the
th matrix
ti
assumption could
be changed?
A
ƒ “Two-thirds” Φ?

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Other considerations

ƒ What do the comparisons tell us about pore types?

ƒ Φcross-plot = Φsonic Æ effective Æ permeable

ƒ Φcross-plot > Φsonic Æ some isolated present

ƒ ΦD(sand) = ΦN(sand) Æ tells us nothing (other than that

porosity exists).

ƒ Φcross-plot < Φsonic Æ is this even possible?

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So much for porosity…
p y

What about lithology?

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Why is lithology important?

ƒ Provides an idea of “what to expect.”

ƒ What types of pores might we find?
ƒ How much porosity might we expect?
ƒ Would any porosity be permeable?

ƒ Completion concerns – how it responds to frac and acids?

ƒ Geologic information
information.
ƒ Reconstructing depositional environments.
ƒ Mapping – defining trend of pay.

ƒ Analysis.
ƒ Basis for assumptions when core not available
available.

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Lithology indicators

ƒ Essentially anything that responds to the mineralogy or the

framework of the rock.

ƒ Gamma ray.

ƒ Photoelectric factor (PE).

ƒ Density
y porosity
p y and neutron p
porosity.
y

ƒ Resistivity – useful for shales and evaporites.

ƒ Spontaneous potential (SP) – useful for shales.

ƒ Caliper???
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Identifying shale

ƒ SP baseline.

ƒ “Stacked”
“St k d” resistivities.
i ti iti

ƒ Resistivityy shale baseline.

ƒ Borehole enlargement is
common in shales – check
the caliper!

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Gamma ray

ƒ Very useful in simple geologic environments (e.g., sand/shale).

ƒ Not
N t so useful
f l in
i complex
l geologic
l i settings.
tti
Limestone
Dolomite
S d t
Sandstone What if all are encountered in the same well?
Halite
Anhydrite

ƒ Best used for identifying shale, but even then there is a problem.
ƒ K,, U and Th can exist – and often does – in any
y rock.
ƒ GR range in shales: ~70api to ±800api.

ƒ Never
N ttrustt in
i th
the gamma ray b
by it
itself!
lf!
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Photoelectric factor (PE)

ƒ Fastest – though not always most accurate – indicator.

ƒ PE values
l iin pure mineralogies:
i l i
ƒ Quartz (“sandstone”) 1.81
ƒ Calcite (“limestone”) 5.08
ƒ Dolomite (“dolomite”) 3.14

ƒ Some mineralogies make the use of PE problematic.

problematic
ƒ Shales 2.5 – 4.0 (common range of clays)
ƒ Halite 4.65
ƒ Anhydrite 5.05

ƒ Look at PE – but don’t

don t ignore other lithology indicators!

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Density and neutron porosities

ƒ Porosity estimates require matrix assumptions, therefore:

ƒ Similarity in Φ values tells you what the rock might be

be.

ƒ Difference in Φ values tells you what the rock is probably not.

ƒ Can provide ambiguous lithology indications.

ƒ Responses also influenced by pore fluid present.
ƒ Shaliness.

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DSNT-SDLT

ƒ Assumptions:
ƒ Lime matrix.
ƒ Water.
Water

ƒ What are the

lithologies of these A
intervals?

ƒ What would the B

response look like
if shaliness of B
was increased? C

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DSNT-SDLT

ƒ Assumptions:
ƒ Sand matrix.
ƒ Water.
Water

ƒ What are the

lithologies of
these intervals? X

ƒ What is the cause

of cross-over?
Y

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A good process to follow

ƒ To determine lithology:

1 Start with resistivity and SP – identify intervals that are shale.

1. shale

2. For those intervals that are not shale:

a. Knowing the matrix and fluid assumptions, what can you learn
from a comparison of ΦD and ΦN?

b. Does it agree with what PE tells you?

c. D both
Do b h agree with
i h what
h gamma ray tells
ll you?
?

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Lithology estimates

ƒ More than anything else, it requires practice.

ƒ And
A dddon’t
’t fforgett the
th caliper!
li !

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Associate Field Professional – Open Hole

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