Neutron Logging

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Neutron Logs:

Nucleus of all elements except hydrogen have

neutrons. Neutrons have same mass as protons
but no charge. Their small size and electrical
neutrality make neutrons ideal projectiles for
penetrating matter.

Over the years, several logging tools have

appeared that rely on the neutron’s interaction with
matter.

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Two categories of neutron sources are found in the
logging industry: chemical and pulsed sources.

Chemical sources are composed of two elements in

intimate contact that continuously emit neutrons,
usually plutonium/beryllium or americium/beryllium.
Such sources need to be heavily shielded when not in
use (health hazard).

Pulsed sources incorporate a neutron accelerator and

a target and can be activated by simply switching on
the accelerator. This source is used for pulsed neutron
logging and in tools that measure inelastic neutron
collisions (carbon/oxygen- type logs).

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Neutrons from chemical source have initial energy of ~4
MeV(28,000 km/sec) – fast neutrons. These interact with the
nuclei of other atoms and lose energy with each collision.

Eventually, fast neutrons reach an intermediate energy level,

where they have an energy of only few eV (0.2 to 1MeV)(~5
km/sec) In this state the neutron are called epithermal.

After yet more interactions, a neutron may be slowed down to

a point at which it has the same energy as the surrounding
matter, this energy level is directly dependent on the absolute
temperature. Such neutrons are called thermal neutrons.

When the neutron reaches thermal energy, it can be captured

by a nucleus. During this the nucleus emits gamma ray. This
gamma ray is called capture gamma ray.

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Numbers of collisions involved during change from ~4 Mev to 1 eV

H 14.5
C 91.3
O 121
Ca 305
H20 15.8
Lst (20%) 29.7
Lst(0%) 132

(after Ellis, 1987)

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Thermal neutron capture cross-section of some elements:

H .33* .198**
C .0034 .00017
Si .16 .0034
Cl 33 .564
B 759 42
Gd 49,000 188

*Average atomic absorption cross section, barns

**Mass normalized absorption cross section, cm2/g

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All conventional neutron logging tools have operating
principles based on the spatial distribution of the
neutrons or the capture gamma ray. Pulsed neutron
tool assesses distribution as a function of time.

Early neutron tools, known as GNT-type tools

(Schlumberger), consisted of a chemical source and a
single detector of neutron capture gamma rays. This
tool, a quantitative indicator of porosity, was badly
affected by hole size and the salinity of the borehole
fluid and formation water. (No longer in use)

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In an attempt to overcome these problems, the sidewall
neutron porosity (SNP) tool was introduced in the early 1960.
It relied on a single detector of epithermal neutrons. This tool
overcame the salinity problems but had its own unique
problem in that mudcake could affect its reading, and
estimation of the magnitude of error was not always easy. (In
limited use)

SNP was followed by compensated neutron device (CNL)

which had two detectors for thermal neutrons. The present
state-of-the-art tool is CNL-type tool with two detectors for
epithermal neutrons.

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Two elements, hydrogen and chlorine, dominate
the behavior of all neutron tools.

Hydrogen is the best material for slowing down

neutrons. Chlorine has a large capture cross
section for thermal neutrons, absorbing them 100
times faster than most other elements.

Neutron needs to collide an average of 18 times to

reach thermal energy. Once a neutron reaches
thermal energy, it is very likely to be absorbed by
a chlorine nucleus.
.

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This explains why the old GNT tools (based on
capture gamma ray detector) had such a
dependence on fluid salinity. It also explains why
the SNP was such an improvement over GNT. The
SNP was completely blind to capture gamma rays,
since it only detected epithermal neutrons.

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Compensated Neutron Tool:
CNL measures neutron porosity index which relates to the
porosity of the formation only if the lithology and formation fluid
content are known.

It can be run equally well in open or cased holes. In empty

hole (gas-filled) tools with epithermal detector
need to be used.

Usually, CNL is run in combination with density

and gamma ray tools.

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 Operating Principle:
Thermal neutron flux, defined as the number of thermal neutrons crossing unit
area in unit time, is controlled by hydrogen content on the formation. Hydrogen
is found in water; thus, hydrogen content of the formation is a direct indication of
the porosity.

The figure shows the thermal neutron flux as a function of distance from the source
for three different porosities. Note the lines crossover at some distance from the
source. At points closer to the source than the intersection, high thermal neutron flux
means high porosity, but at points farther from the source, high flux mean low
porosity.
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Operating Principle:

The absolute count rate seems to be a poor indicator

of porosity, it is affected by several factors such as
hole size, mud weight, casing size and mudcake
thickness. Therefore, the CNL reading must be
normalized to correct for unknown environmental
effects. This is done by taking readings from the two
detectors at different spacing and using them to
define slope of the response line. This slope is
relatively unaltered by the environmental effects,
although the position of the response line on the
graph may vary in the “y” direction substantially.
.

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 CNL borehole compensation

The primary measurement of the CNL tool is thus the ratio of two count rates.

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 The conversion of the ratio to a porosity value is based on laboratory
. experiments conducted with rock samples of known porosity. To record the
porosity value directly lithology must be known. If subsequently, the matrix
is found to be different correction, chart has to be used.

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14
12

Log value

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NPHI=Neutron Porosity PHID=Porosity from density

(Schlumberger log – neutron and density log scales are compatible for a
clean limestone N, 0% = 2.70g/cc)
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Neutron porosity opposite clay minerals:

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Neutron porosity reading for evaporites:

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 Example of compensated
neutron and FDC log.
Indicator of porosity,
lithology and fluid.

 N  D
Shale

 N  D
GWC
Sand
 N = D

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(1 div = 3 pu) 26
 In shaley formation
N > D

Water sat. Lst

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 (Density scale: 1.65 to 2.65)
(Porosity scale: 60% to 0%)

In shaley formation
Shale N > D

a = ( 
In formations
Gas containing gas
D > N

a = (2D + 2N ) / 2
Sand
In water filled formation
D = N

a = (D + n ) / 2
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 Positive separation
indicating gas zone in
limestone.

Mudcake
& low
gamma

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 False gas indication:

A constant difference of 5 to 7pu

indicates wrong matrix value and
not the gas effect.

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 Den-Por and Neu-Por are plotted on a scale such that
the two curves should overlay each other in brine
saturated limestone.
Note +ve separation in some parts – gas bearing
limestone.
No separation – water filled limestone?
5 Pe helps us in this regards. In number of zones where
the two curves overlay Pe indicates that these zones
are dolomite and not limestone.
Further analysis concludes that the dolomite zones are
gas filled too!

3.5

3.5
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Matrix settings and lithology, pore and fluid effects:
Sand/shale sequences: The log should be run with a sandstone matrix
setting and with a porosity scale of 60% to 0% left to right across Track II
and III. If a density log is recorded, then it should be scaled as an
apparent sandstone porosity on the same scale (1.65 to 2.65 gm/cc).

Carbonate/evaporites/generally unknown lithology: The log should be run

on a limestone matrix setting with a porosity scale of 45% to -15% left to
right across track II and III. If a density log is also recorded, then a scale of
1.95 to 2.95 gm/cc is required.

The advantage of the compatible sandstone scales are that 1) gas can be
easily spotted (neutron reads less than density) and 2) shales can be
distinguished from sands ( neutron reads more than density)

Limestone scales: both curve will coincide in limestone, and the neutron
will read less than the density in sands and more than the density in
dolomites and shales.

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Sandstone Scale: The two curves will overlap in clean water saturated sands.
In limestone PHIN < PHID, and in dolomite & shales PHIN > PHID

Environmental Corrections: are generally small and can be estimated from service
company charts. Of all the corrections, the temperature and borehole size are the
largest.

Depth of investigation: Depends on both formation porosity and the salinity of the
mud filtrate and formation water. 90% of the response is from the first 10 inches of
formation, compared to 6 inches for the FDC tools.

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Lithology Pore fluid Sandstone scale Limestone scale
Sandstone Water N ~ D N < D
Limestone Water N < D N ~ D
Dolomite Water N > D N > D
Shale N > D N > D
Sandstone Gas N < D
Limestone Gas N < D

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CNL calibration:
The compensated neutron tools are calibrated in a large water filled tank. This
shop calibration is carried out at 60-day intervals. Practical quality control can be
monitored by two natural benchmarks, which are salt (N = -3%) and anhydrite
(N =-2%).

To provide a standard unit for neutron log measurements, the American Petro.
Institute (API) adopted the API neutron unit. One API neutron unit is defined as
1/1000 of the difference between instrument zero (i.e. tool response to zero radiation)
and log deflection opposite a 6-ft zone of Indiana limestone(porosity =19%) in
neutron calibration pit.

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 Lithology Pe
Sand 1.81
Dolomite 3.14
Salt 4.65
Limestone 5.08
Anhydrite 5.05

RHOB – 1 div = .05 gm/cc

Phin – 1 div = 3 pu

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Dual Porosity Compensated Neutron log CNT-G:

In addition to two thermal neutron detectors this tool also has two epithermal
detectors (response of the later is not affected by thermal absorbers such as
boron and gadolinium (see slide #9) which can add up to as much as 15% pu
to neutron porosity but typically around 5pu).

Porosities in shales typically read 30-45% on the neutron tool. Shaliness of

gas-bearing sand may therefore suppress the crossover indication normally expected.

CNT-G also has epithermal detectors whose readings are minimally affected by clay
minerals and other trace elements.

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Gas sand

Gas sand

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Pulsed Neutron Tool:
- Thermal Decay Time, TDT (Schlumberger)
- Neutron Lifetime Log, NLL (Atlas Wireline)

Measures the time required for a certain fraction of high energy neutrons to
be absorbed by the formation. The neutrons are created by downhole accelerator.
Chlorine is by far the most efficient neutron absorber; so, the tool response in clean
sands is controlled by the brine content. This tool can be run in cased holes.

Uses:
-Qualitatively to differentiate between water-, oil-, and gas bearing sands
-Quantitatively to estimate water saturation

Theory:
Decay of thermal neutron is given by:

−t /
n = n0 e

where tau is the thermal decay time.

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Thermal decay time depends on the composite capture cross-section of the
formation  .

With TDT ‘tau’ is defined as the time require for neutrons to diminish by 37% and
for NLL as 50%.

therefore  = 4.55 /  − −TDT

 = 3.15 /  − − NLL
The measured cross section is related to the constituents of the formation. For
clean, porous formation containing water and hydrocarbon:

log = (1 −  ) ma +  Sw w +  (1 − Sw ) h
Sigma for water, hydrocarbons and matrix are known or can be estimated thus
allowing calculation of water saturation.

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After subtraction of
background reading from
gates I & II reading, tau
and sigma are computed.
Gamma ray counted
during these three
intervals

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 Response of far (F1) and near (N1) detectors
are plotted on such a scale that the two will
overlay in water zone and will depart as the
hydrogen index decreases i.e. as the pore fluid
changes from water to oil to gas.

Gas zone F3 (background) curve is plotted for quality

control purpose.

Oil zone

Water zone

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 Hydrocarbon zone:

Sw ~ Ca / C
where Ca is apparent ratio in the
hydrocarbon zone and C is the
ratio in water zone.

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Topics covered to date:
Chapter 1: Electrical Properties of Rocks
Chapter 2: Radioactive Properties of Rocks
Chapter 4: Measurement Environment
Chapter 5; Resistivity Logs
Chapter 6: The Spontaneous Potential Logs
Chapter 7: Gamma Ray Logs
Chapter 8: Gamma Ray Absorption Logs
Chapter 9: Neutron Logs

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Example of thermal decay log:

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