Integration of outcrop and borehole image logs for high-resolution facies interpretation: example from a fluvial fan in the Ebro Basin, Spain

Electrical borehole image logs yield high-resolution information about variations in micro-resistivity along the borehole wall. To interpret these variations in terms of sedimentary structures and lithofacies types, calibration with real rock is needed. Normally, the only real rock available is core, and this only provides one-dimensional information. In this paper, the interpretation of fluvial facies types from borehole image logs was established by direct comparison with outcrops. Four fluvial facies associations were established in an outcrop study of a low net-to-gross fluvial succession: (i) meandering rivers, (ii) braided rivers, (iii) crevasse deltas, and (iv) crevasse splays. The lithofacies characteristics and palaeocurrent distributions of each fluvial facies association were established. Two 200 m deep wells were drilled behind the cliff face outcrops. One well was cored to a depth of 150 m and borehole image logs were recorded in both wells. The wells were correlated with the outcrop. The borehole image logs were analysed by their vertical colour succession and the dipmeter pattern. Image log facies were established, and these were interpreted in terms of the fluvial facies associations encountered in the corresponding outcrops. The study of borehole image logs yields a set of diagnostic criteria for a detailed fluvial facies interpretation and the establishment of depositional trends, and thus provides a powerful tool for the direct interpretation of fluvial facies in a reservoir setting.     

综合利用测井曲线研究沉积特征及绘制小层岩相图

油水流动的基本单元是单砂层,而单砂层的分布取决于沉积环境,因此合理开发油气田,必须研究小层沉积相。其研究步骤:①从岩芯井着手,观察岩性、韵律、粒序、沉积构造、粒度分布特征和古生物相等,综合判定亚相;②建立小层各亚相的组合测井曲线标准图版,将各井的组合测井曲线与其对比、定相;③绘制小层岩相剖面图、等厚图及平面相带分布图;④分析图件,对沉积环境演化进行探讨。     

Using Artificial Neural Networks to Predict the Presence of Overpressured Zones in the Anadarko Basin,Oklahoma

Many sedimentary basins throughout the world exhibit areas with abnormal pore-fluid pressures (higher or lower than normal or hydrostatic pressure). Predicting pore pressure and other parameters (depth, extension, magnitude, etc.) in such areas are challenging tasks. The compressional acoustic (sonic) log (DT) is often used as a predictor because it responds to changes in porosity or compaction produced by abnormal pore-fluid pressures. Unfortunately, the sonic log is not commonly recorded in most oil and/or gas wells. We propose using an artificial neural network to synthesize sonic logs by identifying the mathematical dependency between DT and the commonly available logs, such as normalized gamma ray (GR) and deep resistivity logs (REID). The artificial neural network process can be divided into three steps: (1) Supervised training of the neural network; (2) confirmation and validation of the model by blind-testing the results in wells that contain both the predictor (GR, REID) and the target values (DT) used in the supervised training; and 3) applying the predictive model to all wells containing the required predictor data and verifying the accuracy of the synthetic DT data by comparing the back-predicted synthetic predictor curves (GRNN, REIDNN) to the recorded predictor curves used in training (GR, REID). Artificial neural networks offer significant advantages over traditional deterministic methods. They do not require a precise mathematical model equation that describes the dependency between the predictor values and the target values and, unlike linear regression techniques, neural network methods do not overpredict mean values and thereby preserve original data variability. One of their most important advantages is that their predictions can be validated and confirmed through back-prediction of the input data. This procedure was applied to predict the presence of overpressured zones in the Anadarko Basin, Oklahoma. The results are promising and encouraging.     

Slotting of borehole sequences

A method is described for comparing and correlating borehole sequences using information from one or more physical logs recorded from the boreholes. The method is illustrated by a small worked example. Ways are described whereby constraints may be imposed on the comparison to allow the incorporation of relevant information, such as the presence of marker beds in the stratigraphic sequences. An account is given of the comparison of three boreholes in the Lansing Group of Kansas, USA, and there is a short discussion on the effects of filtering, standardizing, and weighting the logs.     

Facies,provenance and paleoclimate interpretation using spectral gamma logs: Application to the Lower Cretaceous of the Scotian Basin

Spectral gamma logging has been useful in some settings for correlation of wells, for identification of sediment facies, and for interpretation of hinterland paleoclimate. We have taken advantage of the hundreds of geochemical analyses of sandstones and shales from conventional core that are available from the Scotian Basin to test the relationship of the elements K, U and Th measured by spectral gamma to sedimentary facies. These elements are also known to be useful in characterising provenance of sediment to different parts of the basin. The geochemical and spectral gamma data both show that there are subtle differences in K, U and Th in different lithofacies, such as higher Th/U in low sedimentation rate facies, but they are not sufficiently distinctive to identify the lithofacies of any unknown interval. The main control on abundance of these elements is the effect of grain size, that is the proportion of sand to mud in sediment. Volcanic sources have a high K/Th ratio, and early Albian sediments with relatively high volcanic component have unusually high K/Th. In distal shale-prone successions, the grain size effect is sufficiently small that climate controlled variations in Th/K ratio are recognised in the Early Cretaceous, with the ratio being higher at times of humid weathering on land. The variations in Th/K ratio through time are broadly similar to those known from Western European sections, notably with topmost Hauterivian and topmost Aptian humid events. Overall, this study provides an assessment of the use and pitfalls of spectral gamma logs in a deltaic succession.     

Fuzzy inference system for identification of geological stratigraphy off Prydz Bay, East Antarctica

The analysis of well logging data plays key role in the exploration and development of hydrocarbon reservoirs. Various well log parameters such as porosity, gamma ray, density, transit time and resistivity, help in classification of strata and estimation of the physical, electrical and acoustical properties of the subsurface lithology. Strong and conspicuous changes in some of the log parameters associated with any particular geological stratigraphy formation are function of its composition, physical properties that help in classification. However some substrata show moderate values in respective log parameters and make difficult to identify the kind of strata, if we go by the standard variability ranges of any log parameters and visual inspection. The complexity increases further with more number of sensors involved. An attempt is made to identify the kinds of stratigraphy from well logs over Prydz bay basin, East Antarctica using fuzzy inference system. A model is built based on few data sets of known stratigraphy and further the network model is used as test model to infer the lithology of a borehole from their geophysical logs, not used in simulation. Initially the fuzzy based algorithm is trained, validated and tested on well log data and finally identifies the formation lithology of a hydrocarbon reservoir system of study area. The effectiveness of this technique is demonstrated by the analysis of the results for actual lithologs and coring data of ODP Leg 188. The fuzzy results show that the training performance equals to 82.95% while the prediction ability is 87.69%. The fuzzy results are very encouraging and the model is able to decipher even thin layer seams and other strata from geophysical logs. The result provides the significant sand formation of depth range 316.0- 341.0 m, where core recovery is incomplete.     

改进的模糊模式识别方法在测井曲线分层中的应用

应用改进的基于数域上的模糊模式识别方法，综合多条测井曲线进行自动分层。首先，找出各条曲线总的上升沿（或下降沿），然后，在对上升沿（或下降沿）中各采样点构造模糊集时采用测井曲线的斜率，而不是采用测井曲线值。在求取各点隶属度时，采用各条曲线中的最大斜率值，反映了地层分层点在测井曲线拐点这一客观规律。最后，应用贴近度准则分层。该方法给出了更合理的分层点。     

Relation between source rock properties and wireline log parameters: An example from Lower Jurassic Posidonia Shale, NW-Germany

The relationships between source rock quality and wireline log parameters were established for the Lower Jurassic Posidonia Shale, the most prolific petroleum source rock of Central Europe. Wireline logs used are the gamma ray spectrometry, density, sonic and various resistivity logs. The organic geochemical parameters considered include the organic carbon content, hydrogen index, and the hydrocarbon potential expressed by pyrolysis yield. The case history presented is based on a continuous core through the entire Posidonia Shale interval from a location where this source rock is immature. Care was taken to detect and to avoid samples and log values influenced by bore hole roughness and fractures. Fair correlations were observed only between uranium content from gamma ray spectrometry log and organic carbon content. No correlation was recognized between uranium content and kerogen type as defined by hydrogen indices. For various reasons density, sonic, and resistivity logs did not provide useful data in this study.Three rock units with irregular, high and low uranium contents could be differentiated. Possible causes for this tripartition are different environments during deposition and postdepositional redistribution of uranium during early diagenesis and in association with fractures.     

A method for stratigraphic correlation of several boreholes

The borehole slotting method previously proposed by Gordon and Reyment for two boreholes may be extended to three or more boreholes, but soon becomes computationally intractable. We propose another method based on the mixture model of cluster analysis, the computational labor of which increases linearly with the number of boreholes. This method produces profiles of the unknown strata to which the individual boreholes are easily matched by the two-borehole slotting method.     

Potential causes of differences between ground and surface air temperature warming across different ecozones in Alberta, Canada

Analysis and modelling of temperature anomalies from 25 selected deep wells in Alberta show that the differences between GST (ground surface temperature) warming for the northern Boreal Forest ecozone and the combined Prairie Grassland ecozone and Aspen Parkland transition region to the south occur during the latter half of this century. This corresponds with recent changes in surface albedo resulting from permanent land development in the northern areas and also to increases in natural forest fires in the past 20 years. Differences between GST and SAT (surface air temperature) warming are much higher in the Boreal Forest ecozone than in the Prairie Grassland ecozone and Aspen Parkland transition region. Various hypotheses which could account for the existing differences between the GST and SAT warming in the different ecozones of Alberta, and western Canada in general, are tested. Analysis of existing data on soil temperature, hydrological piezometric surfaces, snowfall and moisture patterns, and land clearing and forest fires, indicate that large areas of Alberta, characterised by anomalous GST warming, have experienced widespread changes to the surface landscape in this century. It is postulated that this has resulted in a lower surface albedo with a subsequent increase in the absorption of solar energy. Heat flow modelling shows that, after climatic SAT warming, permanent clearing of the land is the most effective and likely cause of the observed changes in the GST warming. The greater GST warming in the Boreal Forest ecozone in the latter half of this century is related to landscape change due to land development and increasing forest fire activity. It appears to account for a portion of the observed SAT warming in this region through a positive feedback loop with the overlying air. The anthropogenic effect on regional climatic warming through 20th century land clearing and landscape alteration requires further study. In future, more accurate quantification of these various forcings will be necessary in order to distinguish between, and to detect, the variety of natural and anthropogenic influences and on climate.