Assoc. Prof.
Issham Ismail CEng CMarEng
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Johor Bahru
Formation Evaluation?
• Estimate GIIP or OOIP ( Sw, So, Sg, A, h, Ф )
• Estimate recoverable oil
• Rock typing
• Locating fluid contact
• Reservoir depth?
• Oil or gas reservoir?
• Production rate, etc.
Formation Evaluation
• Data While Drilling
– Drilling operations log (progress, mud, cuttings,
etc.)
– Cores
– Measurement while Drilling ( MWD ) or Logging
While Drilling ( LWD )
• After Drilling
– Open-hole well logs (before casing!)
– Cased-hole logs
– Reservoir fluid samples
– Flow potential (Drill Stem Test – DST)
– Wireline formation test
Formation Evaluation Methods
• Drilling Operation Logs
• Coring Direct Methods
• Productivity Tests
• Wireline Logging Indirect Method
Drilling Operations Log
Continuous record of the hole as it is being drilled;
cuttings, mud returns, drilling operations plotted against
depth. Cuttings data:
•Lithology (correlation)
•Porosity
Wellsite •Oil shows
geologist •Gas shows, etc.
Cuttings data problem:
•Lag time
•Disintegrated
•Re-drilled, etc.
Sample/Lithologic Log – Source: Cuttings
Sample/Lithologic Log – Source: Cuttings
Sample/Lithologic Log – Source: Cuttings
Sample/Lithologic Log – Source: Cuttings
Sample Description:
Rock texture, color,
grain size, sorting,
cementation,
porosity, oil staining,
microfossil content,
etc.
Cuttings data
Problem:
•Lag time
•Disintegrated
•Re drilled
•…
Sample/Lithologic Log: Symbols used
CORING
Coring
1. The objective of coring is to bring a sample of
formation and its pore fluids to the surface in
unaltered state, to be analyzed in laboratory.
2. Data outputs : Porosity, permeability, lithology,
Pc, Sw, etc.
3. Methodology
- Conventional coring
- Diamond coring
- Wireline coring
- Sidewall coring
- Special coring
Core Samples
TYPES OF CORING
• Conventional & Diamond Coring
• Sidewall Coring
• Wireline Coring
• Special Coring Tools
Normal
Drilling
Operation Bit
Conventional/Diamond
CORING OPERATION
CORING BITS
Equipment for
Conventional/Diamond
Coring
ICE CORE
Conventional/Full Diameter Core
• Conventional core offers the most complete
sampling of rock encountered in the subsurface
• Geophysical logs are gathered under less than
ideal conditions, yield an incomplete picture, and
are subject of a fair bit of guesswork
• Drill cuttings (chips) yield insight into
mineralogy/lithology/texture, but none on
structures, offer poor vertical resolution, and are
too small to be used for assessing reservoir
properties
• Sidewall core allows for some reservoir data, but
yields an incomplete picture of the rock structure,
with little sed-strat applicability
Conventional/Diamond Coring Summary
• Taking a core requires that the regular
drill bit be removed from the hole. It
is replaced with a "core bit", which is
capable of grinding out and retrieving
the heavy cylinder of rock.
• The core bit is usually coated with
small, sharp diamonds that can grind
through the hardest rock. A core bit
cuts very slowly.
• A core is a solid cylinder of rock about
4-5 inches in diameter, and a single
core will usually be about 30 feet long.
TYPES OF CORING
•Conventional/diamond
coring
• Sidewall coring
• Wireline coring
• Special coring tools
Sidewall- Coring
• This method is cheaper than the
conventional coring.
• Cores can be taken in hours, instead
of days.
• In sidewall coring, a slim wireline
coring tool is run into the hole. The
tool may be of two general types;
either ‘rotary sidewall’ or
‘percussion’.
• Typically, cores about 1" in diameter
and 1" to 2" long can be retrieved
with this method.
PERCUSSION SIDEWALL CORING
Sidewall Core Analysis
•Percussion Sidewall
Coring
•Run on wireline Sidewall Core
Gun:
Typical sample 2 inch
long half inch
diameter
• Usually in soft
unconsolidated formation.
• Cylinder impact might crush
core, i.e., porosity &
permeability might not be
correct
Rotary Sidewall Coring
◙ ‘Drilled’ into
formation
◙ Multiple
samples:
Groups of 30-
50
Pumps & Pipes 1
Why sidewall cores ?
• Much cheaper than conventional cores
• Core after drilling through the
formations and have run electric logs
• You do not core in zones where core
data is not needed.
• You can selectively retrieve formation
samples.
Coring 12.1-39
TYPES OF CORING
• Conventional/diamond
coring
• Sidewall coring
• Wireline coring
• Special coring tools
Wireline Coring
WIRELINE CORING BIT
DRILL PLUG
Wireline
Coring
Bit
TYPES OF CORING
• Conventional/diamond
coring
• Sidewall coring
• Wireline coring
• Special coring tools
Specialized Coring Tools
Directional Sampling
◙ Oriented Coring
• Directional features
• Fractures, bedding orientation
• Directional-horizontal drilling
• Well placement
Oriented Coring
Special orienting
tools scribe a
mark on the core
so that formation
dip and strike can
be determined
from the core.
Coring 12.1-46
Specialized Coring Tool
◙ Sleeved Cores
• JamBustersm
• Telescoping sleeves
• 2 restarts
Specialized Coring Tools
Why protect the cores ?
• Altered permeability
• Altered porosity
• Altered fluid content and
saturations
Coring 12.1-49
FACTORS AFFECTING CORES - Flushing
Cores Provide
Valuable Data
Core analysis
• Porosity (several
methods)
• Fluid saturations
• Permeability
•Vertical Diamond
•Horizontal or PDC bit
• Some fluid data
(often contaminated)
Core Analysis Techniques
Plug analysis
Whole core analysis
Sidewall analysis
Plug
Analysis
Plug Analysis
Whole
Core
Analysis
Cores Sawn in the Middle
A pore is a small open space Connected pores give
a rock permeability
CUBIC PACKING OF SPHERES
Porosity = 48%
RHOMBIC PACKING OF SPHERES
Porosity = 27 %
Packing of Two Sizes of Spheres
Porosity = 14%
Formation Evaluation Methods
• Drilling Operation Logs
• Coring Direct Methods
• Productivity Tests
• Wireline Logging Indirect Method
Drilling Time Log
Drilling Time Log
FAST SLOW
Drilling Time Log
Mud Logs
• Immediate interpretation of what the
drill bit has penetrated and whether
there are any hydrocarbons present
(a show!).
• Making maps of the subsurface
geology.
Typical Parameters Monitored
During Drilling
MUD LOG – Chemical analysis of mud and cuttings
• Continuous
monitoring
– Gas
shows
– Oil
shows
GAS SHOWS
OIL SHOWS
Productivity or Production Tests
• Potential flow rates,
– Permeability, skin factor
• Fluid properties, and in some cases
– Reservoir boundaries.
• Better Method than the alternatives
– Well logs give only indirect indications of
permeability and fluid saturations
– Costly development mistakes have been made
using inadequate or no production tests
– SPE definition of reserves as ‘proved’ requires
confirmation through production testing
Productivity Tests – RFT/WFT/MDT & DST
1. Drillstem testing (DST)
2. Wireline formation testing ( WFT)
(Repeat Formation Tester – RFT /
Modular Formation Dynamics Tester
- MDT)
Productivity Test – DST
1. Drillstem testing (DST)
• Drillstem testing (DST) –
– Tool run on drillstring
– Fluid flow & pressure
versus time.
• Good productivity
data, fluid samples
• Indication of reservoir
boundary (size)
– Expensive, high risk of
packer failure
Drillstem
Test (DST)
assembly
using two
straddle
packers
22.3-80
Productivity Tests – RFT & DST
1. Drillstem testing (DST)
2. Wireline formation testing
(WFT/RFT/MDT)
REPEAT FORMATION TESTER (Modular Formation
Dynamics Tester (MDT) Tool
Wireline Formation Testing •Formation pressure
•The tool’s design involves extension of a
sampling probe pad against the borehole wall by
•Flow samples
backup pistons and the insertion of a smaller
test probe a small distance into the formation.
•The probe is then opened to a sampling
chamber within the tool, where fluids from the
formation can flow, free of contamination by the
borehole fluid.
•The formation pressure is measured using an
extremely accurate gauge that can resolve small
pressure differences. The pressure and the rate
of fluid flow into the sample chamber can be
used to calculate reservoir permeability.
•Multiple probes can also be used to determine
both vertical and horizontal permeability data,
which can be used to assess near-wellbore
permeability anisotropy (i.e., the degree to which
vertical and horizontal permeability within the
same reservoir differ).
The Repeat
Formation Tester
can take an
unlimited number of
formation pressure
measurements and
up to two fluid
samples in a single
trip in open hole.
SUMMARY
SUMMARY
Formation Evaluation Methods
• Drilling Operation Logs
• Coring Direct Methods
• Productivity Tests
• Wireline Logging Indirect Method
Open Hole Logging
1st open hole logging was recorded in 1927, in
France.
