Identifying the Potential Upside of Hydrocarbon Saturation from Electric Logs
Summary Validated electrical type curves, which collectively describe a continuum of conductivity behavior of fluid-saturated rocks, allow the petrophysical evaluation of hydrocarbon saturation to be set within a generic reference framework. As part of this process, the type curves permit pre-existing data from other reservoirs to be examined as potential analogs. Through the type curves, a reservoir rock can be classified in terms of its electrical character, specifically adherence to, or departures from, classical clean-sand (Archie) conditions and, by corollary, the degree of any shale (non-Archie) effects. The classification guides the approach to future core-data acquisition and to well-log analysis. In particular, in non-Archie reservoirs the type curves indicate whether the formation-water salinity is sufficiently high for the application of shaly-sand equations for the evaluation of hydrocarbon saturation or whether recourse should be made to a (customized) pseudo-Archie approach. Thus, the type curves are used to ensure that interpretative algorithms are appropriate to the petrophysical task at hand. The application of the type curves, using initializing log data from seven shaly hydrocarbon reservoirs containing relatively fresh formation waters, has illustrated how petrophysical interpretations away from the key intervals can be screened with minimal supporting information through a pseudo-Archie approach. Comparisons of best estimates of hydrocarbon-filled porosity with previously reported values have indicated a potential volumetric upside in all cases, with hydrocarbon saturations being up to 30 saturation units higher for these complex reservoirs. This outcome is attributed to the generic nature of the screening process, which takes account of the electrical character of a reservoir without any of the procedural constraints that are associated with conventional well-log analysis. To reduce further the risk of underestimating hydrocarbon volumes, a set of equivalence charts has been constructed using basic petrophysical properties. The equivalence charts allow a quick-look recognition of any departures from Archie conditions and thence whether the type curves are likely to be required. The screening process has been synthesized into pragmatic workflows, whose adoption should impart additional quality assurance to the petrophysical evaluation of hydrocarbon volumes.