QUICK-LOOK
INTERPRETATION
INTRODUCTION
• Quick-look log analysis are the techniques for plotting
log data in a reasonably effortless and simple way that
reveals either the formation content or the formation
lithology.
• These are Compatible Overlays and Curves, Crossplots of
Selected Curve Readings and Simple Algorithms for
Calculators.
• Compatible overlays manage to eliminate some
unknown quality by taking a ratio, while revealing some
other quality of interest (water saturation). Crossplots
offer a quick and convenient means of determining end
points such as Rw. Algorithms offer quick and simple
means to calculate items of interest, such as porosity and
water saturation.
COMPATIBLY SCALED OVERLAYS
• Compares two or more log curves with one overlaid
on the other and a tracing made to determine the end
results composite with the two curves.
• The commonly used overlays are:
SP with Rxo/Rt For hydrocarbon
R0 with Rt detection
EPT porosity with porosity
Neutron porosity with For lithology,
density porosity porosity, and
Density porosity with hydrocarbon typing
sonic porosity
SP with Rxo/Rt
• This overlay is not universally applicable because it
requires borehole conditions that result in the good
development of the spontaneous potential (SP)
• Where those conditions are met (i.e., in wells drilled
with freshmud having salty connate water), it is an
elegant way to detect hydrocarbons without
knowing porosity. Good for wells with only
Induction-SP log available.
• Theoretically the method can be expressed as
𝑆𝑃 = −𝐾 log(𝑅𝑚𝑓 Τ𝑅𝑤 ) (1)
SP with Rxo/Rt
• Rewriting the equation for both the invaded and
undisturbed zones
𝑛 = 𝐹 × 𝑅 Τ𝑅
𝑆𝑤 (2)
𝑤 𝑡
𝑛
𝑆𝑥𝑜 = 𝐹 × 𝑅𝑚𝑓 Τ𝑅𝑥𝑜 3 , 𝑠𝑜
𝑛
𝑆𝑤 𝑅𝑤 𝑅𝑥𝑜
= × (4)
𝑆𝑥𝑜 𝑅𝑚𝑓 𝑅𝑡
• If an assumption is made that Sxo is related to Sw by
the relationship:
1
𝑆𝑥𝑜 = 𝑆𝑤 5
SP with Rxo/Rt
8Τ
𝑛
• Then the quantity 𝑆𝑤 Τ𝑆𝑥𝑜 can be replaced by 𝑆𝑤 , if n is
5
assumed to be equal to 2. the term 𝑅𝑚𝑓 Τ𝑅𝑤 can then be
8Τ
replaced by (𝑅𝑥𝑜 Τ𝑅𝑡 )𝑆𝑤 5 and the SP equation rewritten as
8ൗ
−𝑆𝑃 = 𝐾 log[(𝑅𝑥𝑜 Τ𝑅𝑡 )𝑆𝑤 5 ] (5)
Or
8ൗ
−𝑆𝑃 = 𝐾[log(𝑅𝑥𝑜 Τ𝑅𝑡 ) + Klog 𝑆𝑤 5 ] (6)
In a water-bearing zone where the water saturation, Sw, is
8Τ
100%, the term K log 𝑆𝑤 5 is equal to 0, thus the term
𝐾 log(𝑅𝑥𝑜 Τ𝑅𝑡 ) is numerically equal to -SP.
SP with Rxo/Rt
• In an oil-bearing zone with, Sw less than 1, the term
8Τ
K log 𝑆𝑤 5 will be less than 1. Consequently, the term
𝐾 log(𝑅𝑥𝑜 Τ𝑅𝑡 ) will be numerically less than -SP.
• Provided that there is no substantial SP reduction
due to the presence of hydrocarbons, a comparison
of the actual SP with 𝐾 log(𝑅𝑥𝑜 Τ𝑅𝑡 ) will have the
following characteristics:
➢In clean, water-bearing zones, the two curves will
track each other.
➢In hydrocarbon-bearing zones, the 𝐾 log(𝑅𝑥𝑜 Τ𝑅𝑡 )
curve will separate from the SP curve (Figure 1).
SP with Rxo/Rt
Fig. 1: SP versus Rxo/Rt overlay playback
SP with Rxo/Rt
• In the wet lower sandstone formation of Fig. 1, the SP
and the filtered Rxo/Rt ratio closely overlay.
• In the hydrocarbon-bearing upper sandstone
formation, the two curves separate.
• In shales, the Rxo/Rt ratio is close to 1, and so
the Rxo/Rt (which is effectively zero) and SP curves
essentially overlay between depths of 4,685 and
4,710, and from 4,780 to 4,815.
SP with Rxo/Rt
• Practically, some data manipulation is usually
required to obtain a good overlay with the two traces
overlaying in both the shales and the water-bearing
zones.
• This requires using the correct K value for the
formation temperature in question and the correct
offsetting of either the SP baseline or the
filtered Rxo/Rt curve.
• In summary, this method works if there are
sandstone and shale sequences with good SP
development. This method cannot be used with oil
base drilling muds, where the SP will be invalid.
Ro with Rt : The F Overlay
• Another popular and extremely effective overlay is
the F overlay, which effectively compares Ro with Rt
𝑛
𝑆𝑤 = 𝐹 × 𝑅𝑤 Τ𝑅𝑡 (2)
Taking log of both sides
𝑛𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑆𝑤 = 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝐹 + 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑅𝑤 − 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑅𝑡 (7)
• F is available from porosity measurements, eg:
density log. Bulk density may be converted to an F b
employing standard relationships:
𝜙 = 𝜌𝑚𝑎 − 𝜌𝑏 Τ 𝜌𝑚𝑎 − 𝜌𝑓 (8)
Ro with Rt : The F Overlay
𝑎
𝐹= 𝑚 (9)
𝜙
• The log analyst generates the formation factor, F,
and then normalizes the logarithmic F curve with a
logarithmic deep resistivity, Rt, curve so that these
two curves overlay in clean, water-bearing zones.
• By so doing, the log F curve has been shifted by an
amount equal to log Rw. Since the product
of F and Rw is equal to Ro, the resultant effect is an
overlay that compares Ro to Rt (Fig 2).
• Wherever the two curves separate, with Rt greater
than Ro, the water saturation, Sw, is less than 100%,
and, therefore, some hydrocarbons are present.
Ro with Rt : The F Overlay
Fig. 2: The F overlay, or Ro versus Rt
Neutron Density Overlay
• The neutron-density overlay is the most commonly
used presentation, with the density and neutron
porosity logs invariably run in combination both in
logging while drilling (LWD) and wireline operational
modes.
• Two types of overlay are considered here:
➢The compatible sandstone-scaled overlay for use in
sandstone and shale sequences
➢The compatible limestone-scaled overlay for use in
carbonate and evaporite sequences
• The compatibly scaled sandstone presentation has
the neutron porosity log on a sandstone matrix
setting and is displayed on a 0% to 60% scale.
Neutron Density Overlay
• Similarly, the bulk density recording must be
converted to an apparent sandstone porosity curve
by the choice of an appropriate value for the
sandstone matrix density, such as 2.65 gm/cc, and
displayed on the same scale as the neutron log (Fig.
3).
• In shales, the neutron porosity is much higher than
the density log porosity.
• In clean, water-bearing intervals, the density and
neutron porosity curves will overlay.
• In gas-bearing zones, the neutron porosity reads a
lower apparent porosity than the density porosity.
Neutron Density Overlay
Fig. 3: Density-neutron porosity
overlay/playback
Neutron Density Overlay
• For carbonate reservoirs, the lithological mixture is
limestone, dolomite and occasional evaporites.
• The compatible limestone presentation requires the
neutron porosity log to be on a limestone matrix
setting, with the density log on an apparent
limestone porosity basis.
• Since dolomite and anhydrite may compute apparent
porosities less than zero on a limestone matrix basis,
an appropriate scale for this type of overlay is 45% to
-15% (Fig. 4), but occasionally a 60% to 0% scale is
used. If the bulk density curve is used, rather than the
computed density porosity, then the compatible
scaling is 1.95 gm/cc to 2.95 gm/cc. In many parts of
the world this limestone scaling is always used,
irrespective of the actual formation lithologies.
Neutron Density Overlay
Fig. 4: Density-neutron porosity
overlay/playback
Neutron Density Overlay
• In clean limestone, the two curves overlay one
another as the logs are acquired with limestone
matrix settings.
• In dolomite, the apparent neutron porosity is higher
than the apparent density porosity, and in sandstone
the reverse is true.
• This sandstone crossover effect is due to the matrix
effects on the two porosity devices and is a
consequence of the limestone porosity scaling used.
• This should not be confused with crossover produced
by the effect of gas, which significantly reduces the
neutron porosity.
Neutron Density Overlay
• In sandstone intervals, both curves have a similar
character although separated from one another. If
gas were present, it would be identifiable by an
additional separation, with the neutron porosity even
lower than the density.
• The evaporitic salt and anhydrite intervals are also
shown along with shale. Such a presentation is useful
as a quick-look guide to the rock types drilled and is
a very good starting point for other more detailed
analysis.
Density-Sonic Overlay
• The density-sonic overlay is useful for the detection
of secondary porosity, which is often the result of
vugs and/or fractures (Fig. 5).
Fig. 5: Formation with
both intergranular
porosity within the matrix
and fracture porosity
Density-Sonic Overlay
• Provided the type of rock matrix is known, the
density porosity will be equal to the total porosity:
𝜙𝐷 = 𝜙 𝑇 = 𝜙𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑥 + 𝜙𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦 (10)
• The sonic logging tool, will only respond to the
primary matrix porosity.
• Compressional waves traveling through a vertical,
fluid-filled fracture, for example, will travel more
slowly than those traveling through the adjacent
rock matrix system.
Density-Sonic Overlay
• Because the sonic log response is triggered on the
first arrival, the later arrivals passing through the
fracture system will not be used to derive the sonic
porosity. Thus:
𝜙𝑠 = 𝜙𝑚𝑎
• In an overlay of the sonic porosity and the density
porosity, ϕS and ϕD, the two curves separate in
fractured or vuggy intervals (Fig. 6), with the density
porosity being higher by the amount of secondary
porosity.
Density-Sonic Overlay
• A number of scaling
options are available. If
the bulk density and
the sonic travel time
are to be overlain, then
the compatible scaling
is 1.95 to 2.95 gm/cc
for the bulk density
and 108 to 28 Fig. 6: Density-sonic overlay indicating
microseconds/ft for fracturing
the sonic travel time.
Dielectric Porosity Overlay
• The compatible porosity overlay (Fig. 7) of a
dielectric log-derived porosity with another porosity
curve is useful for quick-look hydrocarbon detection.
• The dielectric log-derived porosity is effectively the
water-filled pore space, whereas a density porosity
indicates the total porosity. If the formation is water-
bearing, these two porosities will overlay.
• In hydrocarbon-bearing zones, separation will occur.
• The usual caveats of requiring clean formations and
the correct choice of matrix parameters apply when
computing these two porosities.
Dielectric Porosity Overlay
Fig. 7: Dielectric-porosity overlay
