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    Measuring porosity downhole

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    22 views2 pages

    Measuring Porosity Downhole

    Uploaded by

    Wanambwa Silagi
    Measuring porosity downhole

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    Measuring Porosity Downhole Tony Smithson Editor ‘When it comes to evaluating conven: tional resents, pelrophysicits are fen concerned with three key parameters: permeability, porosity fand the presence of hydrocarbons. Permeability isthe measure of rock's abiity to allow fuids to pass theoagh , Porosity is the volumetric void space in the rock—the space not oocupied by solid material (=) Without the presence of hyrocar bons, porosity—ihich is directly rolated to production potential—and permeability may be of little interest to log analysts Although porosity is a crucial parameter fr evaluating roservoirs, the Sirs logs moasurod formation resistivity Introduced in tho 1920s, resistivity tools helped identify potential hydrocarbon-bearing rocks. High resistivity is 4 characteristic of the presence of hydrocarbons and low resistivity is indi ative of water However, log analysts could not diferentiate between rocks containing hydrocarbons and those with no porosity because both exhibit ‘igh resistivity. Even when hydrocarbor-besting zones were identified using resistivity tools, the volume of hydrocarbon could not be determined with outa porosity measurement. ‘The first porosity measurements, which became available in the early 1960s, came from sonic, or acoustic, loging tools. Soni porosity is com pled by comparing the speed of sound through the formation to that of rocks with no porosity, Sound travels more slowiy though fuifilled rocks ‘than through rocks with no porosity, Scientists have developed an assortment of porosity logging tools based on various physical principles. Today, although soni porosity logs are stl sed the two predominant porosity measurements are density porosity and neutron porosity Porosity. The voié space inrocks net occupied by solid material may be filed with wate ol or gas. Porosity Measurements Dersity tools emit mediun-anerey gamma rays into a borehole wall (ve ch) The gamma rays colide with electrons in the formation, lose energy and scatter after succesive colsions. The numberof olsions is related to the numberof electrons per unit volume—the electron density Th elec tron density for most minerals and ids encountered ino and gas wells is dinectly proportional other balk density, p. ‘The bulk density measured bythe tool, p,. results fom the combined effects af the fu (porosity) and the rock (matrix) andis wed to compute density porosity (6) Peasy = ‘ies ve ure 8.8 CoppshtD 202 Sener “he met common reste ks ao sande (Pana = 285 gem’), himestone (Pag = 271 om?) and alm (p, = 257 Yo). These ratixdesi als te edt ompute dna pray The tern, Poy usually that of water (1 g/cm). Appropriate choice r nee wh sy ars ota dtd fom , Lowpcd Formation other measurements, ‘ncrucal tothe density porosity computation An incorect Paine input or a mintare of rock types will yield an incorrect. density porosity measurement. ‘The same is tue for he pimp Neutron porosity tools emit high-energy fast neutrons (on the order of 10 eV) from chemical or eletronic sources (009). Neutrons, which ate neutally charged subatomic particles, Tose energy when they collide with nace of formation materials, The energy Joss is related to the relative mas ofthe particles with which the neutron collides. Hydrogen, which consists ofa nucleus with a single proton, is the ‘most effective element for slowing fast neutrons, In reservoir rocks, hydrogen ‘in associat wit the liquids—ol or waler—that il the por space. Gas has ‘much lower hydrogen donsty than ol and water. Sronsoaced souks ‘Density porosity tol A rasionctive source ems faye rtum to detectors where they are counted and their energy levels measured Creal oace Foston sone seer ‘nema Aesg tema fect 1 ayes fue! Nast Lite of a fast neutron, The neutron porosity tool left! sends out high ‘energy neutrons that code with molecules inthe formation rocks and fluids lose eneray (right) and eventually reach thermal energy evel {0.026 eV} ina ragian some distance fromthe source. Some ofthe thermal ‘euleons return to he (ool whe ‘ours are converted into hydrogen in ‘used to compute neutron poresty. Thermal eutrons ae eventual captured by elements nthe formation. PCC UU) Mair Serdar Mai Linetne asia lone ised Deny 268? Meuned Mabey 27 gm? Reened Mash Deny 287 le? sat Sha efe TL Pere T [saree os "| Fermation | i wae a a a a a Cnet ome esterene 1 tence echt and fi afects. Densiy porosity red) and neutron porosity (dashes blu he tone’ characteristic responses to tionships. Log analysts use computed from ‘over a great dealin gas and separate in shales, I an incorrect mattxis used, such as limestone (middle) or Golorte right the computed porosities a After multiple collisions, the neutrons achieve 2 low enorgy sate (1025 6¥) and are referred ta as thermal neutrons. The number of thermal neutrons resulting from collisions with hydrogen is proportional to the hydo- on index (HD ofthe formation ‘Aconvertional neutron porosity tol has two detectors located feed dis tanoes ftom the soutee, The detectors count neutrons that have passed through the formation ad attained thermal energy levels. The HTis derived from the rato of counts ftom these two detectors, and analysts apply a lithologydependnt transform to convert Hl to neutron porosity. As with the density porosity obtaining aceutate neutron porosity depends on using the correct matrix. For clean, shalestee formations, in which the porosity is filled with, ‘water or al, the neuron log measures the fluid-filled porosity. Beosuse gas hhas a much lower hydrogen density than oil or water, gas-filled porosity appears a low porosity. Several environmental factors affect neutron porosity measurements and corrections have been developed to compensate fr them, These include bore hol size, mud wight and salinity, mudcake thickness, hydrostatic pressure, {formation salinity and temperature, Complementary Measurements Porosity tols respond in well-defined ways to the physical attributes of fluids and rocks, As part ofthe log interpretation process, log analysts account for these different responses, Two of the most easily recognized examples of tool responses are the shale effect andthe newlvon-density gs eect (0). In clean rocks filed with water, the density and netaon porosity logs should overlie each other ifthe correc lithology input is applied. When shale fi present, the neutron porosity measurement is higher than the density porosity. Tis results from the neutron responding to the large volume of uid ausorbed by the shal. Th net effet is that, in shales, heros a separation betwoon the density and neutron porasitycurves—tho shale affect. ‘The effects of shale also give rise to another term—fective porosity Petrophysieists derive total porostty values by combining diferent incorrect by 4% and 12%, respectively ‘measurements and correcting for environmental and lithologie eonditions. ‘This total porosity includes Mus associated with shale. Bocause the uids Jn shales cannot usually be produced, thelr contributions ta the measure mont can be subtracted from the total porosity. By quantilving the shale contribution and removing it from the total porasity measurement, log analysts are able to compute the effective porosity, which more accurately portrays a reservoi's potential, ‘The gas effect results fom two physical measurement principles. Gas filled porosity is sen by the nextron porosity tol as low porosity In contrast, the density porosity measurement may be higher than the true porosity, The results thatthe density and neutron porosity curves are nether overying ‘each other—hich would indicate water-o oiled porosity and the comect 1matrix—nor separated from eachother, the shale effect. Bocause the neutron porosity is lower than the density porosity the curves etoss ove eachother, ving ise tothe term crossover. ‘The shale effoctcountoracts the erassover effet; however, potrophysiits use other measurements to correct for the shale volume and determine the clfoctiv porosity. The gs effect can also be masked by the presence of deep ‘invasion when dling fd trate displaces the orignal gas inplae. Logging hile

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