QUICKLOOK PETROPHYSICAL MATH

If you have sufficient training and experience with logs, log analysis methods,
and a year or two in the oil and gas industry, you can probably perform the basi
c petrophysical analysis tasks without learning everything on this website. In f
act, many engineers, geologists, and technical staff are given, or build for the
mselves, calculator or spreadsheet programs that can do a credible job with very
minimal training.
Some of the quicklook methods embedded in these programs may be "local" or conta
in assumptions that do not apply universally. The following material provides si
mplified, quicklook math suitable for programmable calculator or spreadsheet sof
tware that covers about 95% of the world/s oil and gas reservoirs. More detail o
n the methods, and alternate methods, are contained elsewhere in this Handbook.
This presentation assumes that you have mastered the concept of the log response
equation and the visual log analysis rules contained in other sections of this
Chapter.
A spreadsheet that performs the math is available for download and is illustrate
d here.
SHALE VOLUME
Shale is an imprecise term used to describe a rock composed of clay, silt, and b
ound water. The clay type and silt composition can vary considerably from one pl
ace to another. These can be determined from appropriate cross plots of PE, thor
ium, and potassium logs. The bound water volume varies with clay type, depth of
burial, and burial history. Some shales have not lost as much water as others at
similar depths and are called overpressured shales. Most shales are radioactive
due to potassium and thorium, and sometimes due to uranium.
Shale volume, shown in black, can be estimated from logs in a number of ways. Th
e result is
the average over the interval measured by a log and is independent of the shale
distribution. Blue shading represents the effective porosity.
Shale volume estimation is the first calculation step in a log analysis. All oth
er calculations depend on the shale volume being known from this step.
STEP 1: Convert density log (gm/cc or Kg/m3) to porosity units if a density poro
sity log is not available (skip this step if density data is already in porosity
units):
1: PHIDSH = (DENSSH
KD2) / (KD1
KD2) do this once in an obvious shale zone
2: PHID = (DENS
KD2) / (KD1
KD2) do this for every data level
Where:
KD1 =
KD2 =
KD2 =
KD2 =
KD2 =
KD2 =
KD2 =

KD1
1000
2.65
2650
2.71
2710
2.87
2870

= 1.00 for English units

for Metric units
for English units Sandstone scale log
for Metric units Sandstone scale log
for English units Limestone scale log
for Metric units Limestone scale log
for English units Dolomite scale log
for Metric units Dolomite scale log

NOTE: The choice for KD2 must match the neutron log units
if neutron is in Limes
tone units, KD2 must be 2.71 for gm/cc or 2710 for Kg/m3 log scale.
STEP 2: Calculate shale volume from the three common methods:
3: Vshg = (GR - GR0) / (GR100 - GR0)

4: Vshs = (SP - SP0) / (SP100 - SP0)

5: Vshx = (PHIN - PHID) / (PHINSH - PHIDSH)
NOTE: Trim Vsh values between 0.0 and 1.0. If too many values fall outside this
range, check the clean and shale parameters. Do not calculate methods which fail
to pass all usage rules listed below.
STEP 3: Adjust gamma ray method for young rocks, if needed:
8: Vshc = 1.7 - (3.38 - (Vshg + 0.7) ^ 2) ^ 0.5
STEP 4: Take minimum of available methods:
9: Vsh = Min (Vshg, Vshs, Vshr, Vshx, Vshc)
PARAMETERS:
GR0 = 8 to 45
GR100 = 75 to 150
SP0 = -20 to -120
SP100 = +20 to -20
PHIDSH = -0.06 to +0.20
PHINSH = 0.15 to 0.45
All values must be picked from logs or assumed from previous experience.

PORE VOLUME
The second calculation step in a log analysis is to find shale
y. Pore volume is the space in a rock filled with oil, gas, or
sity includes the bound water in the shale and is called PHIt.
y does not include bound water, and is called PHIe. When there
equals PHIt.

corrected porosit
water. Total poro
Effective porosit
is no shale, PHIe

Logs read total porosity. All our analysis methods correct for shale, so the ans
wers from any method presented below will give effective porosity. Some analysis
methods NEED total porosity as an intermediate step, so you may also need to ca
lculate it.
Raw log porosity, as presented in the field by the service company, does NOT tak
e into account shale or lithology effects, so raw log readings should NEVER be u
sed as answers. Log analysis MUST ALWAYS be done to find the correct porosity. A
ll our analysis methods also account for matrix rock (lithology), but YOU may be
required to define the rock type for some methods. Other methods will define th
e lithology for you.
POROSITY FROM THE COMPLEX LITHOLOGY DENSITY NEUTRON CROSSPLOT
While there are many other porosity methods, the best method available for moder
n, simple, log analysis involves the density neutron crossplot. Several variatio
ns on the theme are common, but not all models are recommended. A crossplot meth
od, called the shaly sand model was once widely used. It was found to be a poor
model for any sandstone that contained other minerals in addition to quartz. The
complex lithology model works equally well in quartz sands as in mixtures, so i
t is the preferred model today. Although the name of the method is complicated,
the mathematics are not.
NORMAL CASES:
STEP 1: Shale correct the density and neutron log data for each layer:
1: PHIdc = PHID
(Vsh * PHIDSH)
2: PHInc = PHIN (Vsh * PHINSH)
PHIDSH and PHINSH are constants for each zone, and are picked only once.
STEP 2: Check for gas crossover after shale corrections and calculate porosity f
or each layer from the correct equation:

3: IF PHInc >= PHIdc, there is no gas crossover

4: THEN PHIxdn = (PHInc + PHIdc) / 2
The density neutron crossplot porosity, PHIxdn, after all corrections are applie
d, is called the effective porosity, PHIe.
SPECIAL CASES:
CASE 1: IF gas is known to be present AND gas crossover occurs after shale corre
ctions, apply the following gas correction:
6: IF PHInc < PHIdc, there is gas crossover
7: THEN PHIxdn = ((PHInc ^ 2 + PHIdc ^ 2) / 2) ^ 0.5
CASE 2: IF gas is known to be present but no crossover occurs after shale correc
tions, this usually means gas in dolomite or in a sandstone with lots of heavy m
inerals, apply the following gas correction:
8: PHIx =
PHIdc / (PHInc / 0.8
1) / (1 + PHIdc / (0.8 PHInc))
9: PHIxdn = PHIx + KD3 * (0.30
PHIx) * (DENSMA / KD1
KD2)
Where:
KD1 =
KD2 =
KD2 =
KD3 =
KD3 =

KD1
1000
2.65
2.71
1.80
2.00

= 1.00 for English units

for Metric units
for Sandstone scale log
for Limestone scale log
for Sandstone scale log
for Limestone scale log

CASE 3: IF rock is dolomite AND porosity is less than 5%, use the following inst
ead of Equation 4 or 5:
10: E = (4 - (3.3 + 10 ^ (-5 * PHInc - 0.16))
11: PHIxdn = (E * PHIdc + 0.754 * PHInc) / (E + 0.754)
This option can be used instead of equation 4 as long as there is no gas crossov
er after shale corrections. It is slightly more accurate, but requires a compute
r or preprogrammed calculator.
Bad hole, high shale volume, and statistical variations can cause erratic result
s in both very low and high porosities. Values from any method used should be tr
immed by the following:
1: IF PHIe < 0
2: THEN PHIe = 0
3: IF PHIe > PHIMAX * (1 - Vsh)
4: THEN PHImx = PHIMAX * (1 - Vsh)
5: AND PHIe = Min (PHIe, PHImx)
PARAMETERS:
PHIDSH
PHINSH

-0.06 - 0.15 (choose from log)

0.15 - 0.45 (choose from log)

FORMATION WATER RESISTIVITY

For simplicity, we have left out the third step in a typical log analysis job, f
inding the lithology of the rock. Refer to Chapter 13 on the main index page for
these calculations.
The fourth step in a log analysis is to determine the water resistivity since mo
st methods for computing water saturation require knowledge of this value. Water
resistivity data can be sparse or overwhelming, depending on where you are work

ing at the moment.

RW FROM CATALOG OR LAB DATA:
Catalogs and lab reports usually provide results at 77'F (25'C) and this value m
ust be transformed to a different value based on the formation temperature.
STEP 1: Calculate formation temperature:
1. GRAD = (BHT
SUFT) / BHTDEP
2: FT = SUFT + GRAD * DEPTH
STEP 2: Calculate water resistivity at formation temperature:
3: RW@FT = RW@TRW * (TRW + KT1) / (FT + KT1)
Where: KT1 = 6.8 for English units
KT1 = 21.5 for Metric units
If water salinity is reported instead of resistivity, as may happen in reporting
direct from the well site, convert salinity to resistivity with:
4: RW@FT = (400000 / FT1 / WS) ^ 0.88
NOTE: FT1 is in Fahrenheit
In some cases, salinity is reported in parts per million Chloride instead of the
more usual parts per million salt (NaCl). In this situation convert Chloride to
NaCl equivalent with:
5: WS = Ccl * 1.645
To convert a downhole RW to a surface temperature, reverse the terms in equation
3:
6: RW@SUFT = RW@FT * (FT + KT1) / (SUFT + KT1)
Where: KT1 = 6.8 for English units
KT1 = 21.5 for Metric units
Sometimes, it is nice to know what the resistivity log would read in a water zon
e (R0). For quick look work, use the following:
(PHIe ^ 2)
7: R0 = RW@FT
For example, If RW@FT = 0.10 and PHIe = 0.20, then R0 = 0.10 / (0.20^2) = 2.5 oh
m-m.