WELL LOG ANALYSIS

PERMEABILITY
3RD STAGE
PETROLEUM ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
BAGHDAD UNIVERSITY

Dr. Rwaida Kaiser

 PERMEABILITY o Methods of Determining Permeability
o the ability of a rock to transmit fluids. It is related to porosity but is not Many methods to estimate the permeability but the best
always dependent upon it. one form core and well test as well as NMR log ,
o Permeability is controlled by the size of the connecting passages
between pores (measured in darcys).
Note :From conventional log the permeability not
accurate .
1 Darcy = 1000 milliDarcy = 𝟏𝟎−𝟏𝟐 𝒎𝟐
 Methods of Determining Permeability
o Permeability can be classified as: 1. Core analysis
Absolute permeability : The ability of a rock to transmit a single fluid, 2. From log
when it is completely saturated with that fluid, which is derived from 3. Well test analysis ( Build up test )
Darcy’s law.
Effective permeability :refers to the ability of the rock to transmit one fluid
4. DST , MDT , RFT
in the presence of another fluid when the two fluids are immiscible. 5. NMR
Formation or connate water held by capillary pressure in the pores of a
rock serves to inhibit the transmission of hydrocarbons. As a consequence,
it may block or otherwise reduce the ability of other fluids to move through
the rock.
Relative permeability is the ratio between effective permeability of a fluid
at partial saturation and the permeability at 100% saturation (absolute
permeability).
VISUAL INDICATIONS OF Indications of permeability can be found from some of the following:
PERMEABILITY ON LOGS 1. Relatively low shale content as seen on the gamma ray log or the SP
log, combined with some porosity on the sonic, density or neutron logs.
2. Mud cake buildup as seen on the caliper log. (See top left illustration in
Figure #1).
3. Separation between the deep induction (or any deep resistivity device)
and the shallow resistivity device as in the top right illustration of Figure
#1. Separation is seen when two logs do not read roughly the same
resistivity value, because fluid from the mud has invaded the formation.
This causes a different resistivity to occur close to the borehole wall
compared to deeper in the formation. This method is not applicable in high
resistivity due to borehole effect.
4. Positive separation on a microlog, if the log is available, is another
indicator of permeability. Positive separation means that the dotted curve
(RES2) reads higher resistivity than the solid curve (RES1). Figure #1
(bottom) illustrates a modern microlog with positive separation.
5. Porosity of any significant amount usually indicates permeability.
However, the amount of permeability cannot be directly related to the
porosity without some outside knowledge, such as core analysis data. In
the low porosity - permeability range the logarithm of permeability is often
proportional to porosity, and useful crossplots of this data transformation
can be made.
6. The length of the transition zone, if it can be identified, is an indicator of
permeability. The longer the transition, the lower the permeability.
 PERMEABILITY FROM WELL LOGS o Whether or not a formation is at irreducible water
saturation depends upon bulk volume water (BVW)
values.
o Log-derived permeability formulas are only valid  The bulk volume of water (BVW) is the product of a
for estimating permeability in formations at formation 's water saturation (Sw) and its porosity (Ø)
irreducible water saturation (Swirr). When a BVW = Sw x Ø
geologist evaluates a formation by using log,
geologist must first determine whether or not a Where :
formation is at irreducible water saturation. BVW = bulk volume water
Sw = water saturation of uninvaded zone (Archie equation)
 Irreducible water saturation or (Sw irr) is a term Ø = porosity
used to describe the water saturation at which all
the water is adsorbed on the grains in a rock or is If values for bulk volume water, calculated at several depths
held in the capillaries by capillary pressure (i.e . in a formation, are constant or very close to constant,
bound within pore network by capillary pressure) they indicate that the zone is homogeneous (constant
lithology or a single rock type) and at irreducible water
 If a reservoir is at Swirr, water present will be saturation (Sw irr)·
immovable and production will be water free
hydrocarbons o When a zone is at irreducible water saturation, water calculated in
the uninvaded zone (Sw) will not move because it is held on grains
by capillary pressure. Therefore, hydrocarbon production from a
zone at irreducible water saturation should be water-free

o A formation not at irreducible water saturation (Sw irr) will exhibit

wide variations in bulk volume water values.
 Rw/ Rtmin Multiplier
PERMEABILITY FROM WELL LOGS
Less than 0.0001 6
 Another test for irreducible water saturation (Sw irr) has 0.0001 to 0.001 4
been proposed by Coates and Dumanoir, which the
reservoir must be homogeneous and contain the same type 0.001 to 0.003 3.5
of hydrocarbon and have a fairly constant gran size and 0.003 to 0.007 3
porosity. Zone with varying lithology or vugular (secondary)
0.007 to 0.012 2.5
porosity could fail the test.
 The test is as follows: 0.012 to 0.02 1.75
1- Over the zone of interest, list the ratios of Rw/Rt. This must be 0.02 to 0.03 1.3
done for a large portion of the zone (i.e., every two feet). Find and
Greater than 0.03 1.1
mark the lowest ratio and lable it Rw/Rtmin.
2- Find a multiplier from table 1 which corresponds to the Rw/Rt
min value
3- Calculate Rw/Rt max as follows Rw/Rt max = multiplier *
Rw/Rt min
4- Take the average of all of the Rw/ Rt values (step 1) and label
it Rw/Rt avg.
5- If Rw/Rt avg ≤ Rw/Rt max, then the zone is at irreducible water
saturation.

Note: Irreducible water saturation is best obtained through core

samples.
o By assuming a zone is at irreducible water saturation by the
relation BVW = C= ØSw.
We can obtain the permeability from the chart (perm-1 or K-2)
 PERMEABILITY FROM WELL LOGS
 In many cases, there are many exist relationships between
the values of porosity and permeability, but such
correlations usually are empirically derived for a given
formation in a given area. They do not exhibit general
application or validity. A more general empirical relationship,
proposed by:

o Tixier:
𝟐𝟓𝟎 ∅𝟑
𝑲𝟏/𝟐 =
𝑺𝒘𝒊

𝟏𝟎𝟎 ∅𝟐.𝟐𝟓
o Timur : 𝑲𝟏/𝟐 =
𝑺𝒘𝒊
o Coates:
𝟕𝟎 ∅𝒆𝟐 (𝟏 − 𝑺𝒘𝒊 )
𝟏/𝟐
𝑲 =
𝑺𝒘𝒊
o Coates and Dumanoir

Where:
C and W = constants in Coates and Dumanoir permeability
formula, which calculated from

ρh = hydrocarbon density in gm/cc

Ø = porosity
Rw= formation water resistivity at formation temperature
Rt irr = deep resistivity from a zone at irreducible water
 𝟕𝟎 ∅𝒆𝟐 (𝟏 − 𝑺𝒘𝒊 )
𝑲𝟏/𝟐 =
𝑺𝒘𝒊
 PERMEABILITY FROM RESISTIVITY GRADIENT
o To estimate the permeability from resistivity gradient we
can used chart K-1 relates resistivity gradient in ohm.m
per foot of depth (ΔR/ ΔD) to permeability as a function of
oil gravity, water density, and Ro. The chart uses the
equation:
2
2.3
𝐾=𝐶 𝑎∗
𝜌𝑤 − 𝜌ℎ
∆𝑅 1
𝑎= ∗
∆𝐷 𝑅𝑜
Where:
C is constant , normally about 20
ΔR is the change in resistivity, ohm.m
ΔD is the change in depth corresponding to ΔR, ft
Ro is the 100% water saturated formation resistivity , ohm.m
𝜌𝑤 is formation water density, gm/cc
𝜌ℎ is hydrocarbon density, gm/cc. [API = (141.5/𝜌ℎ )- 131.5]

To calculate 𝜌ℎ we can use the

following equation:
EXAMPLE
 PERMEABILITY FROM NMR
Several decades of methods using the nuclear magnetic logging data for permeability are given by the works of
many petrophysicists, the famous ones are from Schlumberger and Coates. All of the methods are concluded into
two types.

(1) K from NMR and distribution of T2 (mean – (2) K from NMR; FFI& BVI (free fluid model or
T2 or SDR model) Coates model)

where:
where: k = NMR-derived permeability
k = NMR-derived permeability ØNMR = NMR-derived effective porosity
a = a constant, depending on formation C = constant, depending on formation
ØNMR = NMR-derived effective porosity FFI = proportion of moveable fluids occupying effective porosity
T2gm = geometric mean of the T2 distribution BVI = proportion of capillary-bound fluids occupying effective
* T2 relaxation time porosity

C and a in the above Eqs. are affected by the surface relaxation ability of rock, and so, for same region, different
zone, these coefficient are different, and determined by core analysis experiments
 Experience has shown that the Coates model is more flexible than the Mean T2 model. Through careful core calibration, the Coates model has
been customized for successful use in different formations and reservoirs
 Experience has shown that the Mean T2 model works very well in zones containing only water
 Because hydrocarbon effects on T2gm are not correctable, the Mean T2 model fails for hydrocarbon-bearing formations.
 In fractured formations, permeability estimates from both the Coates and SDR models are too low because these models can only represent
matrix permeability
 NOTE: the two technique to
estimate permeability from log
data, the permeability can be
predicted only in hydrocarbon
bearing formation.
The Nuclear magnetism log
provides a way to measure the
irreducible water saturation of all
formations, water bearing as well
as hydrocarbon bearing and
another technique to estimate
permeability
In Fig. T2 distributions illustrating the free-fluid (Coates) and mean-T2 (SDR) methods of
permeability estimation from NMR logs. The free-fluid (Coates) permeability model uses the ratio
of moveable fluid (FFI) to irreducible fluid (BVI) to estimate permeability. With information from
core and/or conventional logs, a T2 cutoff may be established. The pore space beneath the curve
and to the right of the T2 cutoff is assumed to contain free, or moveable, fluids (FFI). The pore
space beneath the curve and to the left of the T2 cutoff is assumed to contain irreducible fluids
(BVI). The mean-T2 (SDR) permeability model uses the geometric mean of the T2 distribution to
differentiate between moveable fluid and irreducible fluid. Pore space beneath the curve and to the
right of the mean-T2 is assumed to contain moveable fluid (FFI). The pore space beneath the
curve and to the left of the mean-T2 is assumed to contain irreducible fluid (BVI).