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.

Limitatio~~s
of Electrical Logging t
ABSTRACT
The method of electrical logging is con~paratively
new, and nlany of its users did not have opportunity
to make a more thorough study of the technique of
interpretation of a n ' electrical log. As a result there
exists now in many instances a tendency to expect from
the method a simple and definite answer to many complex and difficult questions. Such a trend niay lead to
costly mistakes, and is unfair to the method itself.
Because the profile of an electrical log may be
INTRODUCTION

In the brief period of a few years, since its introduction to the oil industry of this country, the method
of electrical logging h a s nlet with general acceptance
and is now one of the routine operations in oil-field
esploitatioa. This acceptance was so rapid and so un1versa1 t h a t many of the present users of t,he method did
not have the opportunity fully to learn the tecl~nique
and the difficulties of interpretation. As a result of
this fact there now exists in many instances a tendency
to expect to'find in a n electric log a simple, definite,
and coinplete answer to a number of conlples and difficult questions. Such a tendency must lead inevitably to
costly mistakes and is unfair to the method, a s mistakes
nearly always mill be charged not against the wrong
interpretation, but against the method itself.
The basic value of electrical logging lies in the fact
t h a t certain formational characteristics, of great importance in oil-field exploitation, a r e indicated in a n
electric log a s easily recognizable electrical patterns.
The basic limitation of the method, on the other hand,
lies in the fact t h a t the electrical log also measures
and records a nulnber of other factors which usually
have no direct relation to those formational characteristics which a r e of primary interest in surveying a
prospective oil well. Some of these factors a r e quite
obvious, and their effect may be esplained easily by
proper analysis of conditions of the survey. Other factors, however, a r e not interpreted so easily, and they
represent the inherent limitations of the method in its
present stage of development. Even some of these factors quite often may be recognized and isolated, if study
of a n electrical log is combined with analysis of data
furnished through other methods of investigating the
formational characteristics.
Among the engineers and geologists affiliated with
oil-producing companies o r conducting their ow11 consulting practice there a r e many who, having access to
Bravo 011 C o . I 3 ~ ~ 1 1 s t oTusns
n.
f Presr~~ted
a t spring meeting. Sor~thmesteru District, Divla~orla~f l'roduct~un, l-iouston, Texns, h l i ~ r .1940.

* Rio

affected by several factors which usually have n o direct


relation to these formational characteristics which are
of primary interest in surveying a prospective oil well,
the analysis of an electrical log requires considerable
thought and study if serious errors of interpretation are
to be avoided. The effect on an electrical log of salinity
and weight of mud; of spacing of the electrodes; and
of pressure, characteristics, and connate-water content
of fortnatiol~sis discussed and illustrated.

a large number of electrical logs


- of wells from different
oil-producing areas of the country, have learned to
ascribe proper welght to factors affecting the profile of
a n electrical log. F o r these men this paper will be only
a review of the fundamentals. But there exists in the
oil industry a large group of men who, although using
electrical logging in their everyday work, d ~ dnot have
opportunity to make a more thorough study of the
subject. F o r them the paper gives a summary of t h e
most important interfering factors which may affect
the profile of an electrical log, and in consequence
may lead perhaps to wrong interpretation.
The basic principles of electrical logging a r e wellknown and generally understood. They will be dealt
with in this paper only very briefly.

Definitions and Principles


Electrical logging may be defined a s a method of
determining the characteristics of formations penetrated
by a drill, by measuring and recording certain electrical
phenomena within the hole.
The electrical phenomena thus recorded a r e : 1, electrical resistivity of formations and their fluid contents
to the current transmitted from the surface through
an electrode lowered into the well; and, 2, the electromotive force generated within the fornlation a s a result of electrofiltration and electrochemical action.
I n commercial practice electrical logging now is used
f o r the purpose of: 1, determining the probable gas,
oil, o r salt-water content of formations; 2, determining
the characteristic markers which may be used in solving the structural problems of a given field; and, 3, determining characteristics which may be used in local
and long-range correlation.

ElectEical Resistivity
The electrical resistivity of fornlatioils is generally a
function of the amount and characteristics of fluids
contained within the formations. Saline waters a r e

good conductors of electricity; therefore, the formations


containing saline water generally will have low resistivity. Gas and oil a r e electrically non-conductive,
and porous forn~ationscontaining oil o r g a s usually
will have high resistivity. On the other hand, formations with no appreciable amounts of connate moisturesuch a s granite, gypsum, rock salt, coal, and lignitealso wlll show high resistivity.

Self-potential
When a n electrolyte is caused to flow through a solid
porous dielectric, a n electromotive force is generated
which is proportional to the pressure and electrical
resistivity of the liquid, and inversely proportional to
its viscosity. The direction of the current is t h e same
a s the direction of the filtration. The filtration of the
water into the porous formations penetrated by a drill
results In the occurrence of a n electromotive force,
which is one of the components recorded 011 t h e selfpotential diagram of a n electrical log. The other component 1s a n electromotive force resulting from electrochemical action. When two electrolytes come in contact,
a n electron~otiveforce is generated. I11 the case of a
well the contact of drilling-mud water with saline water
of formations results in occurrence of a spontaneous
electromotive force.*
The electromotive force recorded by the self-potential
curve of a n electrical log is a n algebraic sum of the
two aforementioned electron~otiveforces. Inasmuch a s
the phenomena of electrofiltration and electrochen~ical
action occur in front of porous formations, the selfpotentla1 diagram often is referred to a s "porosity
diagram."

Factors Affecting tlie Profile of an Electrical Log


The foregoing brief outline of the basic principles
of electrical logging suggests the factors, o r combinat ~ o n sof factors, which may bring cmsiderable changes
in the profile of a n electrical log. F o r instance, because
the electrolnotive force a s shown by the self-potential
diagram is a n algebraic sum of electromotive forces due
to filtration and due to electrochemical action, i t 1s theoretically possible t h a t conditions may a n s e under which
these two forces would tend to neutralize each other.
The following is a discussion of more important factors which should be taken into consideration in the
interpretation of a n electrical log:

Salinity of Mud
Under ordinary conditions the concentration of salts
in fol-;national waters is higher than in the drilling
mud. The electric current, therefore, enters the formation, and the self-potential diagram shows the wellknown negative anomaly with respect to the shale-base
line. Quite often, however, the inud is saltier than the
formational watel--either
due to the penetration of a
salt mass by a bore hole, o r due to the flow of salt water

from sands under pressure abnormally high for t h e .


particular depth, or because the saline content of the
mud purposely was increased to deal with certain drill:
ing problems. I n such a case the self-potential diagram
may show a positive anomaly, particularly a t shallow
depths, where the flow potential may be small. An
example of such a case is shown in Fig. 1. This figure
shows the shallow sand section of a n electrical log of
a well drilled i n Pierce Junction Field, Harris County,
Texas. This well encountered salt a t the depth of
4,130 f t and w a s drilled 50 f t into the salt, which resulted in highly saline mud. An electrical survey of the
well was made. The well then was plugged back a t
2,815 f t and was drilled directionally to the total depth
of 4,947 ft, a t which depth another electrical survey
was made. The second hole did not penetrate the salt
mass. Flg. 1-A shows the log of t h e original well in
which the sallne mud resulted in a positive anonlaly
opposite the shallow sand. The same sand h a s a negative characteristic in Fig. 1-B, which represents the
log of a directional well with fresh-water mud., A t this
particular depth the two holes were horizontally 8 f t
apart.
This is, of course, a n extreme case. I t is easy to
visualize a case in which a certain degree of salinity
of mud may cause only change in the amplitude of the
self-potential diagram. If a n attempt is made to correlate such a log with logs of other wells drilled with
fresh-water mud in the same field, these variations
must be taken lnto consideration.
Another effect of saline mud on the self-aotential
diagram is a complete masking of details of the profile.
Fig. 2 shows sections of electrical logs of the same
well drilled in Southwest Texas. The log in Fig. 2-A
shows the survey made while fresh-water mud was
used. The log in Fig. 2-B shows the survey a t the same
depth after a change to brine inud had been made.
The foregoing two cases deal with the effect of brine
mud on the self-potential diagram. The standard resistivity also may be affected, because filtration of the
brine mud into the forn~ationmill reduce the resistivity
of the portion of formation immediately surrounding
the hole bore. The effect will be noticed particularly
on curves with the small radius of lateral investigation.
Factor of salinity of the mud should not be difficult
to eliminate in the analysis of a n electrical log. Every
log sho\~ysthe resistivity of the mud d u r ~ n gthe survey.
If abnormally low resistivity of the mud is noted, this
factor should be taken into consideration.
I t is difficult to say in general what resistivity value
of the mud constitutes a limit below which t h e mud
is saline enough to affect the self-potential curve. The
value iv'ill be dlffesent f o r d~fferentareas.

Other Cliaracteristics of tlie Mud


The weight of the mud will affect the amplitude of
the allonlalies of the self-potential curve. Field experiments have shown t h a t increasing the weight of mud
will increase the peaks of the curves, and i n certain

Effect of Salinity of the Mud.

FIG. 1

Effect of Salinity of the Mud.

FIG. 2

cases also will have a tendency to shift the base line of


the shales. Inasmuch a s the general pattern of the
curve is not being changed, but only the amplitude
of the peaks increased, this factor should not cause a n y
undue difficulties when the logs a r e used f o r correlation purposes.
The phenomena of increased peaks of the selfpotential curve can be noticed quite often in overlap
surveys, when a well surveyed to a certain depth later
was deepened and resurveyed.
Some chemicals used f o r controlling the viscosity may
have the same effect on the self-potential and resistivity
curve a s the increased salinity of the mud. Ordinarily,
however, the ratio of the amount of chemical used to
the total amount of mud is not sufficiently high to influence the pattern of the curves.

log with the analysis of data obtained through other


exploitation methods, In this case the mechanical coring.

~ormationalCllaracteristics
Hardness and compactness, cleanliness and t h e type
of cementation of the sand, all will have a n effect on
the pattern of the curves indicating the sand.
Fig. 4 sho\vs a section of a n electrical log of a deep
test in the Garwood area of Colorado County. The

Electrode Spacing
When the multi-electrode method of electrical logging
is used, the spacing of the electrodes is a n important
factor affecting t h e pattern of the resistivity curve,
because the spacing of the electrodes determines the
depth of investigation. There is no need to illustrate
this factor with any specific case, a s a glance a t a n y
log havlng resistivity curves with different radii of
lateral investigation, resulting from different electrode
spacing, will show how different these curves may be.
I t is true t h a t now the spacing of the electrodes
is more or less standardized and uniform, but such was
not the case in the past; and when old logs a r e used,
due consideration should be given to the possible influence of thls factor. I n general i t is a good practice
to note the spacing of the electrodes during a survey.

For~llationalPressure
Formational pressures abnormally high f o r t h e given
depth ]nay obliterate, through reversal of filtration, the
normal effect of a porous formation on the self-potentlal curve. An example of such a case is shown in
F1g. 3.
The well in question, drllled in Jefferson County,
Tesas, showed a very h ~ g hpressure a t a depth of
7,900 ft. The u~eightof mud had to be increased considerably above the figure which would be normally
sufficient to hold the pressure a t this depth. A mechanical core showed sand with some saturation. Casing
was set, and the well-first
on the drill-stem test and
later on the open-hole flow test-made considerable g a s
and flowed some distillate w ~ t ha large amount of salt
water.
The case is, of course, a r e r y unusual one, a s neither
the self-potential nor t h e resistivity curve gave indication of the porous body. There esists possibility of
mechanical error in the instrument, or of faulty routine
of the survey. But even if the foregoing example is
only the one isolated case of such a type, i t supports
the statenlent made in the introduction, which pointed
out the value of combining t h e study of a n electrical

TOTAL DEPTH 7930'


Electrical Log of a Well in Jefferson County, Texas.

FIG. 3
'

potential and .resistivity curves have a n appearance


which may indicate a porous oil-bearing formation.
Actually all the electrical-log shows were tested, and
produced salt water. The well was abandoned i s dry.
The section was cored mechanically and, although
several cores were missed, a n analysis of some of the
salnples is available. The sand was very hard. This
type of electrical log is quite common f o r the Wilcos
sand, and is probably a result of deep invasion of the
formation. An adequate depth of investigation may
cllsclose the actu'al fluid content of formation.
Fig. 5 shows a section of a n electrical log of a well

LOGGING
LIMITATIONS
OF ELECTRICAL
drilled in F o r t Bend County, Texas. I n order to determine the salt-water level, the casing was perforated
from 5,400 f t to 5,403 f t with 9 holes. On a 3-hour test

25

the well produced a t a rate of 1 7 bbl of oil on &in.


choke.
Proximity of a sand body only a few feet below the
perforations suggests the possibility of a n error in
measurements. This is, of course, possible; although
the measurements were checked carefully. However,
the mechanical core of the perforated section showed
a very compact sand with saturation.
Quite often a statement is made that the existence
of a "peak" on the self-potential curve indicates definitely porous sand o r limestone. Fig. 6 illustrates a case

5550

5400

--( A to R, perforated section.)

Elcctrical Log of a Well in Fort Bend Count?, Texas.


FIG. 5

Electrical Log of a Well in the Garwood Area, Colorado


County, Texas.
FIG. 4

which suggests t h a t such may not always be the case.


The section of a log shown is from a well drilled in
Jefferson County, Texas. The log below 8,100 f t has
a n appearance of a salt-water sand. Actually the section which was cored is a shale body without any sand.
This type of log h a s been observed in several cases in
the Vicksburg shales of the Gulf Coast, and the explanation may be that the formation is porous.
Thin lime streaks in a sand body sometimes will not be
distinguishable, because they maintain the high resistivity in the resistivity curve of a n oil sand, and a t
the same tirne they may not be registering clearly on
the potential curve. Quite often, however, when the
self-potential curve is amplified, the presence of these

lime streaks will be shown very definitely. If this precaution (the a m p l ~ f y ~ nofg the self-potential curve) is
not taken, and if no mechanical core is available,
serious errors may result if-for the purpose, for instance, of estimation of reserves-the sand is cons~dered
a s a solid sand body.

ging. The method is one of the most important, if not


the most important, contributions to,the science of oilfield exploitation. I t gives a continuous reliable log
which is of incalculable value In incr,easing the knowledge of sub-surface conditions of the producing oil

Connate Water
The presence of connate water even in these oil-bearing strata, which are potential sources of production of
clean 011, has a very decided effect on the resistivity
curve of an electrical log, and, therefore, should be

~ i r s t qead,kg
8/45'
Electrical Log of a Well in Jefferson County, Texas.

FIG. 6

considered carefully-particularly in cases in which the


log is used for the purpose of determining the probable
fluid content of the formation. Fig. 7 shows a portion
of an electrical log from a well in Fairbanks Field,
Harris County, Texas. This well was completed a t the
depth of 6,835 f t to 6,837 f t for the initial production
of 130 bbl of oil on Q-in. choke, with tubing pressure of
750 Ib and casing pressure of 2,000 Ib. The core analysis
showed a very high connate-water content a t this depth.
011 the basis of the electrical log alone this sand might
be considered as a salt-water sand by a casual observer.
CONCLUSION

The foregoing discussion of factors which may affect


the profile of an electrical log should not be interpreted
a s an attempt to minimize the value of electrical log-

Electrical )Log of a Well in the Fairbanks Field,


Harris County, Texas.
FIG. 7

fields. The purpose of this paper is to focus the attention of the users of the method on two facts: 1, that
electrical logging is not a "cure-all" and is not meant
to replace other esploitation methods; 2, that a casual
glance a t an-electrical log is not sufficient for intelligent interpretation. Considerable thought and study
are required if serious errors of analysis are to be
avoided.
This paper, of necessity most general in its nature,

is written from tlie standpoint of a practical user of


the method. Extensive research of the probleins connected w ~ t helectrical logging is being conducted by
numerous corporations and individuals. I t is to be
hoped t h a t findings of this research will be publicized
more freely in the f u t u r e ' t h a n they were in the past,
and t h a t papers dealing in more detail with some of
the questiohs considered in this paper will follow.
I

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Of great help in the preparation of this paper were


information and data gathered during the meetings of
the Houston Geological Society's first study group on
electrical' logging, of which group t h e writer was a
member. Specla1 thanks a r e due to E. J. Hanlner, of
the Humble Oil and Refining Company; P. J. Fly, of
the Davis 011 Company; James W. Kiesling, of the
Alnerada Petroleum Corporation; E. F. Miller, of the
Oliphant Oil Corporation; and H. C. Spoor, of the
Union Producing Company-who discussed the subject
with the writer, and furnished solne of the examples
illustrated in the paper.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 II,oust,on C:eologic:~l Society S t u d r C:roul).
"Elrctrical Well
Lvgglng. Uirll d r t i Assuc. ~t'trolerrs; Gcol 23 [ 9 ] 1157 (103ll.l
2 \\'. J
C;lll~ngl~;ln~"JClectr~c:ll L o g g ~ n g In t h e Apl~nlachl;in
l?~c.lds." I'o~rr S t a t e 'Coll. Uttzcral I t ~ d r l s t r l c sE r p c r . ,St(!. 6'1111.
21 (1937)
3 .\las:~r~cler
1Jeusst.n and,, Eugene G L ~ o n a r d o n . "Electrical
Exl~lorntiun of Ijrlll IIoles, Drrllltrg (111d P r o d r l c t ~ oPructlce,
~~
-li (1385)
'Alesandcr Ijeusaen a n d Ellgene C;
Leonarclon, "Use of
Elcctric;~lI,ogs t o r Oa#rrel:lt~a~n
In t h e (711lf 1:uast of Texas a n d
L O I I ~ ~ I ~ I IlI';vI~. "~ cA l ' I 16 [IV] ( P r o d Ur!!l.
A70 :?I61 1s (19331.
S I T ' . 3 c::~llingl~;ln~
nnrl t V U S t ~ ~ r n r r l ..I ~ r l , l ~ c n t ~of
o n Electrical-Logg~ng Methods t o West T e x a s Problrms." L)rrllrtrg tr~rrl
l'rotlttctruti Pmctlce, 97 (193s) , also I'rt~-ul~rcrri.Etiyr I S [?I
52 and I S [8] 84 i l 9 3 8 ) .
E L
W. Q t i ~ r l n . "Electrical Logging I'mctices on t h e C:ulf
Co?st," 017011s .I 35 1 3 8 1 1-16 (l!+37)
bl AIartin. ;1: H AInrrar. a n d m7. J G ~ l l i n g l ~ a r u"Determina.
tion of t h e k ' o t e n t ~ a ll'roc?!ictlrity of Oil-Bmrlug Formations bg
R e s i s t ~ v i t gRIeart~~renrents,<feoplr!isics 3 [ 3 ] 25s (l!JZS1.
8 Ralph J Schiltllnis. "Connate W a t e r in Oil a n d G a s Sands."
An1 I t ~ s t .~ I I I I IMet.
I I ~ E11grs Tcch P u b NO 669, Oct (1957)

DISCUSSION

Ralph J. Schilthuis (Humble Oil and Refining Company, IIouston, Texas) (written) : There is no question
that electrical l o g g ~ n gis one of t h e most important
advances yet made in the science of petroleum development. The application of the method was so immediately obvious, so important, and so successful t h a t i t s
development and almost universal acceptance came
about very rapidly. The electrical log h a s established
itself a s a most useful tool f o r general correlation, and
a s a reliable 111eans for mapping formations when
sufficient information has been developed to establish
a knowledge of the character of the logs with respect
to the formations being studied.
The successful use and ordinary interpretation of a n
electrical log is a fairly simple matter i n many instances; yet, as Mr. Zaba very properly points out, a n
electrical log is affected by a number of highly complicated factors, w h ~ c hmay alter its character materially

and make a proper interpretation in some cases a very


difficult matter. The usual ease and success of application have a tendency to cause one to overlook t h e
limitations. Casual interpretations frequently a r e seriously in error; and a careful study based upon a knowledge of the fundamental nature of a n electrical log,
with full understanding of its peculiarities and limitations, is essential if costly mistakes a r e to be avoided.
A t the present time electrical-logging-service companies and oil operators actively a r e pursuing cooperative study and research on the technical proble~nsinvolved in electrical logging. Conti~luedadvance in t h e
utility of electrical logging can be espected to evolve
froin such work.

W. D. Mounce (Humble Oil and Refining Company,


Houston, Texas) (written) : The widespread general
acceptance of the electrical well-logging method, together wlth its often invaluable usefulness, h a s blinded
many operators to the esistence of I ~ n ~ i t a t i o which
ns
are
inherent in the method. However, I wish to take exception particularly to Mr. Zaba's statement t h a t : "The
basic principles of electrical logging a r e well-known
and generally understood." He should have said t h a t
the basic pr~nciplesof electrical logging a r e much more
well-known than understood. Even the physicists,
chemists, and engineers who devote most of their time
to the more fundamental research in well logging do not
have a comprehensive understanding of these fundamentals, but they have learned t h a t much of the commonly accepted theory is either specious o r irrelevant.
It must be borne in mind t h a t electrical logs a r e
electrical measurements made inside a bore hole filled
w ~ t ha fluid, and t h a t actually we measure the effect of
the material surrounding the bore hole on the electrical
properties of this fluid. Correspondeilce between geological s t r a t a and electrical ano~naliesi s fortuitous, but
not essential.
I n most of the literature 4. the measured "self-potential" is assumed to be the sum of two potentials:
a, the flow potential:
'S

m = a constant associated with the inaterial


R = the resistivity of the fluid
V = the viscosity of the fluid
P = the pressure difference, and

b, the electrochemical, or liquid, junction potential:

k = a constant
C1 and Cz= the "concentrations" of the two fluids in
contact.
Gillingham2 h a s shown good correlation between
measured potential and permeability of sands, but his
a

Figures refer t o bibl~ogrnphy on p. 29

measurements were made with clear pure water in the


hole. In most of the oil fields of the world, however,
the drllling fluid is a mud which forms a filter cake on
the walls of all permeable sections. Measurements of
the permeability of this filter cake show i t to range
from 0.01 to 0.00001 md (millidarcys), whereas a n y
useful sands range from 5 to 1,000 nld, o r more. Hence
we may see: t h a t with a permeability ratio of the
order of 1,000 to 1 esisting between the filter cake and
the sand, essentially all of the pressure drop and consecluently all of the flow potential between the well fluid
and formation occurs across the filter cake; t h a t under
these conditions t h e flow potential observed in a n
electrical log is independent of t h e permeability or
porosity of the sand within estremely wide ranges.
Experiments made in the Gulf Coast and i n California, in which the potential was observed a s a
f u n c t ~ o n of pressure, indicate t h a t a t 5,000' f t , f o r
esample, not more than about 20 per cent of the
observed potential d~fferencebetween sands and shale
base reasonably can be ascribed to flow potent~al.
Hence i t appears t h a t the greatest p a r t of the observed
potential n ~ u s tbe due to some other cause-probably
t o some kind of chemical reaction.
I t may be said that, whenever a difference of potential exists in any homogeneous conducting medium,
there must be a n electric current flowing i n the medium
to maintain this potential. Because variations of
potential a r e observed a t certain depths in a well even
after repeated circulatioll of the mud, i t follows t h a t
the mud is essentially ho~nogeneousin the region, and
t h a t there nus st be electrical currents flowing through
the mud whenever differences of potential a r e observed.
F o r example, a t a typical sand-shale interface this
current must flow from the shale to the drilling fluid
to the sand and back through the earth to the shale.
This ~nvolvesa system of electrolytes in which t h e sun1
of the junction potentials is not zero. Obviously, a t
least three electrolytes must be involved; however, the
necessary and suffic~entconditions f o r such currents to
flow in a system of this kind a r e not included in current
electrochemical theory.
Any expression f o r the liquid-junction potentials
C
which obeys a n additive law, such a s E = k l o g
C,
always will add u p to zero around the circuit. F o r
esample, if t h e 3 electrolytes have "concentrations" of
1,100 and 10,000, the net potential around the circuit
Hence we can see t h a t
will be +2k +2k -4k=O.
a n espression of this kind in 110 way can esplain the
observed conditions of potential difference existing in
the mud and is, therefore, in no way pertinent to
electrical logging.
Concerning the resistivity logs, one should bear in
mind t h a t we a r e not able to nieasure the actual
resistivity of any e a r t h material, but a r e nleasuring
a n apparent resistivity with our measuring system in
the drilling fluid. This value is affected by the resistivity of the surrounding earth. I f we have a
measuring system surrounded by homogeneous e a r t h

material whose th~cknessis nluch greater than the distance penetrated by the drilling fluid, this apparent
resistivity will be close t o the resistivity of t h a t e a r t h
material, provided t h a t a sufficiently wide "spread of
electrodes" is used. However, when the spread is increased, we do not simply increase the "lateral ~nvestigation," but t h e vertical investigation a s well. Inasmuch a s the earth is seldom homogeneous, i n practice
we measure a n average resistivity of a large volunie
made up of various earth materials. This average h a s
no simple relation to the resistivit~esof the colnponent
parts, and there is no single point of reference within
the electrode spread f o r depth measurements. A s is
illustrated i n the Humme1 article,' when a three-electrode resistivity tneasuring system passes a n interface-such a s a shale-sand contact-three
distinct deflections a r e recorded, each corresponding to the passage

POlLNllPll
QOTLNTIAL
LRCNCC FOR

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Rer,Jhr,Iy
ACTUAL
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FIG. 1 (MOUNCE)

of a n electrode across the interface [Fig. 1 (Mounce)].


This means t h a t t h e indicated values of resistivity
always a r e nlisleading f o r a distance equal t o t h e
electrode spread on each side of a n interface, even if
we ignore the effect of the mud a n d if there is no mud
invasion. When t h e spread is small, 1 f t or 2 ft, this
limitation is of no g r e a t consequence; but f o r the wider
spreads used f o r "increased lateral investigation," the
recorded values a r e likely to be most confusing o r
misleading, particularly in a sand section of which t h e
thickness is conlparable to the electrode spread employed. I n such a case the recorded values of resistivity
show a sharp drop near w h a t appears to be the middle
of the sand [Fig. 2 (Mounce) 1. One would be likely t o
postulate a n oil-salt-water contact if he tacitly assumed
t h a t the electrode spread w a s small.
The diagrams herein [Fig. 1 and 2 (Mounce)] illustrate t h e extreme importance of considering the
electrode spacing before attempting a n y detailed interpretation. Furthermore, i t must be remembered also
t h a t logs made with different electrode spacings o r con-

figurations cannot be compared in detail, even though


they a r e made in the same well. Operators who do their
own interpretation of logs should insist t h a t the logging-service companies include the configuration and
spacings of the electrodes used to obtain t h e several
curves on t h e heading of the log.

3
POTENTIAL

ELECTROD15

POINT R[I
ERLNCt FOR
DEPTH

UltAlURiYUl

CLLfCTRODE
URUINT

Res,st!vlty
ACTUAL RLSlSlIVllV

FIG. 2 (MOUNCE)

The ultimate usefulness of electrical logging will not


be approached until these basic fundamentals a r e investigated rigorously, a n d such investigation seriously
will be retarded if the users of logs smugly assume t h a t
they know all t h a t they need t o know about them.
Bibliography
1 J [ , ~ I I S ~
C:ci)logicnl
~III
Society Stlltly (;1.0111). "l':l(~ctrir:~lWpll
L ( y l r l g . ' ' IIrrll. d n i . ..lsxoc. Pf'trolf'itrrr Gcol. 2:) [9] 1237 (1!):3!)~.
\\I.
.I. (;illi~~ghniii. "IClcctrical Loggiilg ill tilt- L \ ~ ) g a l : ~ c l ~ i a l ~
b'irltls." l'orn. Statc. Coll. lllineral Ii~flrr.~tr~iru
Czl.prr. S'ta. U ~ r l l .!!I
(1!!37).
, - . I . N. IIummel n i ~ d 0. n u l l i ~ . . " T ~ I I A
. l ~ l ! ; ~ r r rS)~rbrific
~t
ltrs i s t r ~ t ~ ci rl l Bore Holes." lIcitr. zrrr frrtyeic. Gcol.plrus., Leipzig, 6.
lrt~rt,1 (1:I:Ki I .
4 c . u ~ r d 31. Schlumbergrr : ~ n d 1%:. G . 1.ro1111rtlo11.
"Elrc~lrio:rl
( ' o r i l ~ g: A 3Icthod of IJetern~iningI{ottoni-llt~ltsIJnta by ISIcctric i ~ l. \ l e n s ~ ~ r e ~ n ( ~ nl1run8.
ts,"
AWL.Ir18t. JIitrin!j J I c t . J . ; I I ~ ~110,
R.
227 (19:{4).
I?.
ant1 31. Schlr~mbcrger a n d 1,:. (:. I,rol~nl.don. ".\ X(.nr
Coiilrihutio~l of Sub-surf:~cc~Studir~s~,!;y Al\lcnns L I ~ IClcctricnl
AIrasurt~mrnts in JJrill Ilolc~s." ibitl., - I . { .

Chairman H. M. Vance (A. and M. College of Texas,


College Station, Texas) : Referring to Fig. 5, it is
indicated t h a t the casing was perforated in order t o
determine the salt-water level, and I wondered what
influenced the operator t o perforate a t t h a t particular
point.
Mr. Zaba: I have no comments to t h a t question, and
why it was perforated there I cannot tell you.
There a r e two points in Mr. Mounce's discussion of
my paper which I should like to answer.
The first one pertains to Mr. Mounce making exception t o t h e statement I used: "The basic principles
of electrical logging a r e well-known and generally understood." I t occurs t o me t h a t the point is a highly
academic one. P e r definition, "basic" means fundamental. Now, the fundamental principles of electrical
logging a r e contained in t h e f a c t t h a t the method i s
based on measurement of spontaneous potential occurring in a well, and of apparent resistivity of fluid
content of formations. W h a t causes the spontaneous
self-potential; what, if any, i s t h e relation between
geological characteristics a n d electrical anomalies; what
is the relation of average resistivity t o resistivity of
component parts, a r e not questions which constitute
t h e "basic" principles of electrical logging. They belong
i n t h e realm of research, and my statement cannot be
interpreted a s suggesting t h a t these questions a r e well
understood.
The other point is the sentence Mr. Mounce uses
. . such investigain the end of his discussion, viz:
tion seriously will be retarded if t h e users of logs
smugly assume t h a t they know all t h a t they need to
know about them." In using this sentence Mr. Mounce
either agrees with t h e main theme of my paper-in
which case his discussion is quite i r r e l e v a n t o r he
misses completely the main point of t h e paper.
The majority of the practical users of electrical
logging fully realize how little is known about the
method. To them electrical logging i s a wonderful
new tool, and they a r e anxious t o learn a s much a s
they can about this tool. They hope, a s I tried to point
out in my paper, t h a t findings of the research now
conducted on problems of electrical logging will be
publicized more freely in the f u t u r e t h a n they have
been i n the past.

". .

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