CHAPTER: 8

WIRELINE LOG INTERPRETATION

8.1 Introduction:

The most common type o f geologic data available for subsurface geologic

analysis is the log of different kinds. Log interpretation is the process by which the

resistivity, bulk density, the internal transit time, the spontaneous potential, the

natural radioactivity, and the hydrogen-content of the rock are translated into the

desired petrophysical parameters of porosity, hydrocarbon saturation,

permeability, producibility, lithology etc. (Schlumberger, 1983). Together with

drill cuttings the log provides a basic suite o f information about the lithology,

petrophysical properties, and pore-fluid content o f the strata penetrated.

No wireline log determines lithology or grain size directly. Consequently,

lithologic and textural interpretation are based on calibration o f log response with

core or other independent lithologic data, used o f assumed correlations between

lithology and the property actually measured, or comparison o f several log types

(Galloway et al, 1983).

8.2 Types of lo g : Different types o f wireline log measure different physical

parameters indicating different petrophysical properties of the formation. The

common types o f log are S.P., Resistivity, Gamma ray, Neutron, Density, Sonic

and Dip- meter. In the present study area only S.P., Resistivity, Gamma ray,
/

Neutron and Density logs are studied.

The electric log, which comes under many different names including

registivity log, induction log and lateral log, typically displays two basic traces-

Spontaneous Potential (S.P.) and Registivity curve. The S.P curve, which lies in

track 1 along the left side o f the log, measures the relative electrical potential

developed between the fluid within the bore hole and the formation, referenced to
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the fixed potential o f an electrode at the surface. The S.P. curve opposite to shales

defines a more or less straight line on the log, called the shale base line. The

excursions (deflections) may be either to the left (negative) or the right (positive)

depending primarily on the relative salinities o f the formation water and of the

mud filtrate. If the formation water salinity is greater than the mud filtrate salinity,

deflection is to the left. For the reversed salinity contrast, the deflection is to the

right. The S.P. curve deflects to the left from the base line within porous,

permeable lithologies such as sand.

The electrical resistivity o f a substance or rock matrix is its ability to

impede the flow o f electrical current through the substance or rock matrix. It is a

direct or calculated measurement o f the resistivity o f the rock matrix and its

contained pore fluids. Because resistivity o f sediment or rock matrix is high

compare to that o f saline or even brackish water, measured resistivity is primarily

a function o f pore fluid chemistry rather than o f lithology. However, if porosity

and permeability are low, as in a tightly cemented or highly compacted, texturally

immature lithology, the resistivity curve may register the high matrix resistivity by

a deflection to the right. The resistivity curve may thus be used to determine and

measure thickness o f sand bodies in fresh water zones or in facies sequences

characterized by very low intergranular porosity.

The gamma ray (GR) log measures natural gamma radiation o f the

subsurface formations. Such radiation is primarily emitted by radiogenic

potassium contained in the litho-units and clay minerals. In mixed siliciclastic

sequences, the gamma ray curve can be readily used to distinguish between sand

and shale. Further, the degree o f the deflection is an index o f “Shaliness” o f the

interval. The deflection produced by the end member lithologies define sand and

shale baselines that bracket the log trace. Again intervals o f thinly interbedded

sand and mud may produce a trace deflection midway between shale and sand
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base lines. In progradational sequences, in which upward-coarsening is the result
of the increasing number and thickness of sand beds relative to interbedded mud,
both S.P. and gamma ray log traces ideally display a progressive deflection from
the shale base line to the sand base line, indicating the increasing proportion of
permeable sand and decreasing proportionately the shale and clay content
Similarly, vertical change in the textural maturity o f a sand may be readily
reflected by both the log types.

The density log has become the most commonly used indicator of the
porosity of a formation (North, 1985). A source of high-velocity gamma radiation
is pressed against the side of the borehole and the rays are emitted directly into the
formation. The log measures the amount of back-scattering of the gamma radiation
through collisions with the electrons in the rock. The reading is, therefore, directly
related to the electron density, which in turn related to the true bulk density and,
therefore, inversely related to the porosity. If Pm>Pb and Pf are the apparent
matrix, bulk and mud filtrate densities in g cm'3, then

Pm-Pf
For Tipam Sandstones of the present study area, which are shaly
sandstones, Pm = 2.68 gcra'3, Pf = 1 g0™'3 , and porosities are calculated and
compared with neutron porosity and thin section porosity, which is discussed in
chapter-7.

The neutron log reflects the abundance of hydrogen nuclei in the fluids. All
fluids in and around the bore hole contain hydrogen, the higher the content, the
lower the reading. The hydrogen absorbs neutrons, so that porous rocks give low
counts. The neutron log is especially useful for revealing variations in the
porosities of carbonate rocks, which are, therefore, logged by compensated
neutron-density logs. The neutron porosities for Tipam Sandstones of the study
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area are calculated with the formula ALP + 4, where ALP stands for Apparent

Limestone Porosity.

8.3 Wire line log Interpretation:

Log interpretation may be qualitative or quantitative. In qualitative log

interpretation, logs are used to determine lithologies, and to interprete depositional

environmental, correlate stratigraphic units, determine depths to a stratigraphic

marker and stratigraphic unit, and measure sandstones thickness. In quantitative

log interpretation, the petrophysical parameters of a reservoir such as porosity,

hydrocarbon saturation, thickness are evaluated. Since present study is concerned

with Tipam Pay Sands, so hydrocarbon saturation is not evaluated, only porosity

and thickness are calculated.

Log patterns may be used at three levels of interpretation: (1) determination

o f vertical sequence and bedding architecture, (2) recognition and mapping of log

facies, and (3) interpretation of depositional environment (which is discussed

separately in Chapter-9)

8.3.1. Determination of Vertical Sequence:

One of the most important log interpretations is determination of vertical

sequence. The characteristic erratic, upward-coarsening and upward-fining textural

patterns of aggradational (vertical filling of the basin), progradational (in filling

from the margin in which sediment is washed into the basin) and lateral accretion

(if sediment moving within the basin preferentially accumulates against the

margin) bedding geometries are readily recognized on electric and gamma logs.

The electric log segments of the present study area (wells A, B, C and D)

shown in Fig. 8.1, illustrate a succession of mainly aggradational and in some

places progradational and lateral accretional patterns. The segments show a

systematic vertical distribution o f aggradational units (a) and individual sand

bodies in the aggradational portion of the sequence also display upward-

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coarsening pattern (b). Shale dominated aggradational sequence (c) punctuated by

scattered sandstone units, many o f which have poorly developed upward fining

tops (d). Sandstones-rich aggradational sequences (e) also display upward-fining

tops.

8.3.2 Recognition of Log facies :

Three facies, based on log patterns, are recognized in the present study area

(Fig. 8.2 & 8.3). One facies dominated at the lower half of the stratigraphic

succession, is thick (69-167 m), simple aggradational sandy facies . The middle

half succession consists o f mixed aggradational sand and shale sequence (150 -
200m). At places shale dominates over sand unit. The upper half consists of thick

(250 - 300 m) sandy facies with occasional shale bands.

8..4 Well log correlation :

The starting point for detailed cross section construction within a field is

consideration o f well correlation. When a well has been drilled and logged, a

composite log is prepared. This log correlates the geological data gathered from

the well cuttings with that of the wire-line logs. The formation tops then have to be
selected and correlation with adjacent well can be made.

In the present study area, S.P. and resistivity logs are used for correlation.

The clay/shale bands within Tipam Formation are fairly persistent and provide a

dependable correlation (Handique et al, 1991). Correlation have been done by

selecting two wells (B and C) from the study area and four wells (F,G ,H , I ) from

adjacent wells. Fig. 8.2 illustrates a series of logs (wells F, G and H) to correlate.

The correlation has been achieved by considering the Barail Top as reference
plane, which shows dramatic “kick” on resistivity and porosity logs. In some

cases, significant intervals~of section are missing. This phenomenon may be

caused either due to depositional thinning or erosion or normal faulting.

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8.5 Geological cross-section

Vertical cross-sections are extremely important in presenting geological

data. In the present study area the cross-sections are constructed using the datum

as reference plane (Fig. 8.3). After constructing the cross-section, it has been

found that there is a fault-cut out of about 50m. in well-B.

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8.6 Discussion and Conclusion:

The Tipam Pay Sands of the Jorajan Oil Field, Upper Assam show a

overall vertical distribution of aggradational units. Aggradational bedding,

developed by vertical filling of the basin, produces no inherent systematic textural

trends, rather each bed in some places display varying texture and composition i.e.

coarsening upward or fining upward sequence.

The Tipam Sandstone Formation in the study area shows three litho-facies.

The bottom part is characterized by thick simple aggradational sandy facies which

is followed by mixed aggradational sand-shale sequence which in some places

dominated by shale and the top is characterized by thick sandy facies with minor

shale bands.

After correlation of the wells it has been found that in some cases,

significant intervals of section are missing. This phenomenon may be caused either

due to depositional thinning or erosion or normal faulting.

In well-B a fault cut out o f about 50m has been observed after constructing

the cross-section.