Course - Petrophysics - Well Logging, Fundamentals - TPG4175
Petrophysics - Well Logging, Fundamentals
About
About the course
Course content
This course is fundamental for anyone working with the subsurface within the petroleum industry. Well logging provides data to answer essential questions regarding petrophysical, geological and mechanical properties required to evaluate, develop and produce a reservoir. The course introduces important petrophysical concepts and equations. A number of well log measurements are discussed: resistivity, natural gamma radiation, neutron absorption, density, photoelectric absorption, acoustic/sonic, nuclear magnetic resonance, formation pressure and others. Further topics include the measurement environment, geometrical considerations in a borehole, environmental corrections, and the link between the measured parameters and the rock's porosity, permeability, fluid/gas saturation, lithology and clay content. Through exercises and projects the students will learn how to interpret well log data.
Learning outcome
Competencies
Through this course the student will:
- Develop an understanding of key reservoir properties required in order to assess the technical and economic viability of hydrocarbon accumulations
- Learn fundamental petrophysical concepts and equations
- Learn how to extract key reservoir properties by analyzing subsurface data acquired by well logging and coring
- By working with real field data, learn to acknowledge uncertainties inherent in the data and how to apply an understanding of the measurements coupled with geological reasoning to make consistent interpretations
Knowledge and Skills
After completing the course, the student should be able to:
- List the key petrophysical properties required for the assessment of volumes and producibility of a hydrocarbon reservoir
- Contribute to the planning of a well data acquisition program
- Describe how well log data is acquired
- Explain the physical principles of the well log measurements covered in the course and describe the most important application(s) for each measurement
- Explain the basic geometric model of the wellbore, the invaded zone and the uninvaded zone around the borehole as used in well log evaluation, and how these are affected by the drilling fluid
- Apply appropriate environmental corrections to the well log data
- Evaluate on a basic level the quality of well log data
- Correctly use basic petrophysical equations and crossplots with appropriate input parameters
- Analyze a suite of well log measurements in order to determine basic petrophysical properties (e.g lithologies, porosities, fluid saturations and fluid contacts) across a hydrocarbon reservoir
- Explain how core, fluid and surface log data can support and complement the interpretation of well log data
- Effectively communicate results of a well log analysis through tabulated results and written reports
Learning methods and activities
Lectures and group work. Compulsory exercises and projects.
Compulsory assignments
- Exercises
Further on evaluation
If there is a re-sit examination, the form of assessment may be changed from written to oral examination.
Recommended previous knowledge
Basic knowledge in physics, geology and mathematics.
Course materials
Lecture slides, Petrophysics MSc Course Notes (Dr. Paul Glover), selected papers. Exercise material. Well log data from the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
Credit reductions
| Course code | Reduction | From |
|---|---|---|
| SIG4050 | 7.5 sp | |
| TPG5120 | 7.5 sp | Autumn 2010 |
Subject areas
- Geophysical Interpretation
- Petroleum Geosciences
- Petroleum Engineering - Production Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering - Drilling Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering - Reservoir Engineering
- Petroleum Geology - Sedimentology
- Formation Evaluation
- Petrophysics
- Petroleum Production/Well Technology
- Petroleum Geophysics
- Well Logging
- Deep drilling Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering
- Petroleum Geology
- Petroleum Production
- Resource Geology
- Reservoir Engineering
- Applied Geophysics
- Geophysics
- Geology