2 - Exploration and Well Logging

Exploration and well logging
Rasan sarbast
Petroleum Exploration
• The task of finding oil is assigned to geologists,
whether employed directly by an oil company or
under contract from a private firm. Their task is to
find the right conditions for an oil trap -- the right
source rock, reservoir rock and entrapment
• most commonly, they use seismology,
creating shock waves that pass through
hidden rock layers and interpreting the
waves that are reflected back to the surface
Petroleum Exploration
• The shock waves travel beneath the surface of the
Earth and are reflected back by the various rock
layers. The reflections travel at different speeds
depending upon the type or density of rock layers
through which they must pass. The reflections of
the shock waves are detected by sensitive
microphones or vibration detectors -- hydrophones
over water, seismometers over land. The readings
are interpreted by seismologists for signs of oil and
gas traps
PETROLEUM EXPLORATION
 EXPLORATION DRILLING
• Geophysical survey will only indicate the potential petroleum trap

structures.
• Test wells or exploratory wells, known as wildcats are drilled.
• These activities are called Exploration Drilling.
• Q/ Exploration wells serve several functions namely:

1. Provide geological information on the rocks and their
formation, nature and thickness.
2. Test the fluid content of various rocks layers or strata.
3. Determine the pressure and temperature at a particular
depth.
 Obtain the necessary data information through the
well, several tests need to be carried out during drilling.
• If petroleum is discovered in a commercial quantity

after those tests, the well is either:
• Completed with production tubing and valves for

production, or
• Plugged and abandoned, especially for offshore

exploration
• Basically the petroleum engineer or geologist make his
deduction from two main group of data:
ƒ examine directly at rock sample from the drilled well.

ƒ examine indirectly at the rocks by logging and studying the rates
of penetration.
 Major tests performed during exploration drilling are :

ƒ Core Samples
ƒ Drill Cuttings
ƒ Sidewall Sample
ƒ Well Logging
ƒ Drill Stem Testing
 Core Samples
• Core samples of the formation are obtained by

drilling with a special type of drilling bit, called
core bit.
• Allows the core of a rock inside the drilling bit to

remain in one piece and be brought to the surface in
fresh so that the exact information about the rock at a
particular depth penetrated can be identified.
 Drill Cuttings
• Drilling cuttings are rock particles

which have been fragmented by drill bit
and brought to surface together with
mud.
 Sidewall Sample
• A sidewall sample is used if only a small formation sample is

needed.
• A device lowered into the well by wireline to a desired depth and

shot into the wall of the well by means of an explosion.
• Samples of the formation are then collected in a cylinder as they

are retrieved by wireline from the formation.
• The advantages are fast and cheap as compared with core

sample, and the sample is taken at an exact depth and not
contaminated with mud.
 Well Logging
• Well logging provides measurement of certain properties of the

penetrated formations by running logging tools in the well.
• The information are simultaneously recorded on a chart at the

surface. From these charts:
• a) The type and amount of fluid content can be estimated.

• b) The characteristics of the rock can be determined.
• c) The production potential of a reservoir can be
evaluated.
 Types of well logs
• a) Electric Log
• It records the resistively or the conductivity of the water contained in

the encountered formation.
• The movement of the drilling mud into porous beds.
• The movement of formation water into the well bore.
• It also indicate the presence of oil and gas, since the oil and gas have
different electrical conductivity. The electric log can be correlated with
other data to develop a more accurate information of the structure of
formations.
 b) Radioactive Log
• Radioactive log is also known as Radiation Log.
• It records the natural characteristics of formations.

Radioactive log normally consists of gamma and
neutron curves.
• Both curves indicate the types and fluids contained in

the rocks.
 c) Acoustic / Sonic Log
• An acoustic or sonic log is used to determine the porosity

of a formation by measuring the time travel for a sound
impulse through a given depth of rock formations. The
speed or velocity of the impulse through the rock depends
on the composition of the rocks and its fluid contained.
• By interpreting sound travel times, the porosity of a rock,

which is the important factor of potential reservoir, can be
determined
 Drill Stem Testing
• The well is produced through the drill stem for a period of

time. It is shut in to built up pressure and produced again.
• The permeability and other characteristics of the reservoir

are calculated base on how fast the pressure builds up. The
shorter the build up time, the higher the permeability.
• Pressure and temperature in the reservoir at the bottom of

the well are also recorded.
 The oil, gas and water produced is separated
in a test separator. The stream of each outlet
is measured and the gas-oil ratio (GOR) and
the percentage of water content is calculated.
• To get an accurate rate of production, the oil is

collected to a test tank and time is taken for it
to fill a certain measured volume.
 More information about the reservoir is necessary, hence the
discovery appraisal is needed.
• The general principle for appraisal is to estimate the size of

the petroleum accumulation.
• Appraisal begins with a series of more detail investigations

and studies on the area of interest.
• Hence ,detail seismic survey, called Production Seismic

should be made to assist in selecting drilling locations.
 Appraisal Drilling
• Once the strategic drilling location are identified , selected wells

are drilled on those locations. These drilling are called Appraisal
Drilling and the wells are called Appraisal wells or Outstep Wells.
• The primary objective of appraisal drilling is to asses the the

discovery.
• It is also essential for initial development planning and future

studies.
• Since the exploration is expensive, appraisal wells must be
carefully located and designed ,hence the properties of the
accumulation can be determined with a minimum number of
wells.
 Economic Evaluation
• Economic evaluation represents :-
• i) The final task of bringing together all findings

• ii) Translating the findings into financial terms
• iii) Performing the necessary economic analysis
to investigate the economic performance.
• The final product will be in the form of
recommendations supported by facts and figures
which would be presented to top management
for decision making.
Some important items in the final evaluation would
be :-
i) Expected recoverable reserve

ii) Expected price of petroleum
iii) Expected cost of exploitation
iv) Expected profitability
V) Expected risk and contingency
 The objective of development is to meet maximum recovery with
minimum cost. To achieve the development objective or goal, proper
planning is indispensable. As such, development normally begins with
the preparation of a development plan.
• The plan includes :-
• Drilling requirements - Number of wells, spacing and drainage pattern,

drilling program and completion strategy.
• Production techniques and policy anticipated - artificial lift needs,

pressure maintenance.
• Facilities required - such as for Drilling and Production
• Development cost expected

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Exploration and well logging

• Geophysical survey will only indicate the potential petroleum trap

• Q/ Exploration wells serve several functions namely:

• If petroleum is discovered in a commercial quantity

• Completed with production tubing and valves for

• Plugged and abandoned, especially for offshore

ƒ examine directly at rock sample from the drilled well.

 Major tests performed during exploration drilling are :

• Core samples of the formation are obtained by

• Allows the core of a rock inside the drilling bit to

• Drilling cuttings are rock particles

• A sidewall sample is used if only a small formation sample is

• A device lowered into the well by wireline to a desired depth and

• Samples of the formation are then collected in a cylinder as they

• The advantages are fast and cheap as compared with core

• Well logging provides measurement of certain properties of the

• The information are simultaneously recorded on a chart at the

• a) The type and amount of fluid content can be estimated.

• It records the resistively or the conductivity of the water contained in

• The movement of the drilling mud into porous beds.

• The movement of formation water into the well bore.

• Radioactive log is also known as Radiation Log.

• It records the natural characteristics of formations.

• Both curves indicate the types and fluids contained in

• An acoustic or sonic log is used to determine the porosity

• By interpreting sound travel times, the porosity of a rock,

• The well is produced through the drill stem for a period of

• The permeability and other characteristics of the reservoir

• Pressure and temperature in the reservoir at the bottom of

• To get an accurate rate of production, the oil is

• The general principle for appraisal is to estimate the size of

• Appraisal begins with a series of more detail investigations

• Hence ,detail seismic survey, called Production Seismic

• Once the strategic drilling location are identified , selected wells

• The primary objective of appraisal drilling is to asses the the

• It is also essential for initial development planning and future

• Economic evaluation represents :-

• i) The final task of bringing together all findings

i) Expected recoverable reserve

• The plan includes :-

• Drilling requirements - Number of wells, spacing and drainage pattern,

• Production techniques and policy anticipated - artificial lift needs,

• Facilities required - such as for Drilling and Production

• Development cost expected

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