Chapter 5

Determination of Rw

Lecture notes for PET 370

Spring 2012
Prepared by: Thomas W. Engler,
Ph.D., P.E.
 Determination of Rw
Name Five Methods to determine Rw.

1. Archies Equation
a. if water zone is present.
b. Rwa Approach
c. Resistivity - Porosity Crossplots
2. Laboratory
a. Direct measurement of representative
water sample.
b. Chemical analysis of water sample.
3. Databases
a. Published regional water catalogs
b. online:http://octane.nmt.edu/waterquality/
4. SP log
SSP

k
Rwe Rmfe *10

5. Guess?
Determination of Rw
Preliminary Concepts

Total conductivity is influenced by:

porosity
water saturation
salinity
salt composition Water
conductivity
temperature
shale content
metallic minerals; e.g., pyrite

C w Snw
Ct X sh X met
F

Which directly related to water conductivity?

Determination of Rw
Preliminary Concepts

Temperature Effects
ionic conductivity - as temp. increases the
conductivity increases. True or False?
True
Salinity Effects
As salinity increases the conductivity will
increase. True or False?

Solution ppm NaCl resistivity,-m

oil or gas - 1.0 E6
Potable water 500 10.0
Fresh mud filtrate < 5,000 1.0 - 5.0
Sea water 35,000 0.2
Salt mud filtrate 75,000 0.1
Saturated salt water 250,000 0.04
Determination of Rw
How to determine formation temperature?
The formation of interest is at 6500 ft. What is the formation
temperature?
Tf = 112 F

What is the geothermal gradient, (gG), in {deg.F/100 ft}?

gG = 0.80 F/100 ft

Lea County ,NM

Determination of Rw
How to determine formation temperature?

Near surface temperature, (To), is given regionally by:

Gulf Coast 80 deg. F
Oklahoma 60
California 60
Permian Basin 60
Rocky Mtns. 50
Alberta 35
Determination of Rw
How to determine formation temperature?
Location To, C
Ankara, Turkey 6.7
Aswan, Egypt 26.7
Aberdeen, Scotland 8.9
Bogota, Columbia 14.3
Bombay, India 27.1
Calgary, Alberta 5.4
Caracas, Venezuela 20.5
Changha, China 18.0
Gabon, Africa 26.0
Great Yarmouth, England 8.9

Location To, C
Jakarta, Indonesia 26.7
Lima, Peru 20.0
Mendoza, Argentina 16.0
Natal, Brazil 23.0
Perth, Australia 18.0
Prince George, B.C. 3.6
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 23.0
Santa Cruz, Bolivia 15.0
Siberia (west), Russia -4.0
Trinidad, W.I. 29.7
Determination of Rw
How to determine resistivity at Tf?

Courtesy of Schlumberger
Given a Resistivity = 0.1 ohmm at 75F what is
The resistivity at 125 ?
 Determination of Rw
How to determine resistivity at Tf?

Courtesy of Schlumberger

Given a mud resistivity = 1.1 ohmm at 66F

what is the resistivity at 140 ?
 Determination of Rw
Methods

1. Archies Equation
Ro
a. if water zone is present. R
w F
b. Rwa Approach
c. Resistivity - Porosity Crossplots
2. Laboratory
a. Direct measurement of representative
water sample.
b. Chemical analysis of water sample.
3. Databases
a. Published regional water catalogs
b. online:http://octane.nmt.edu/waterquality/
4. SP log
SSP

k
Rwe Rmfe *10

5. Guess?
Determination of Rw
How to determine resistivity if a chemical
composition is available?

When drilling in evaporite and carbonate formations, the

following type of problem can occur. A recovered water
sample is classified as 200,000 ppm of saturated brine;
i.e., only NaCl ions are present. At a formation
temperature of 275 F what is the Rw?

Rw = 0.013 ohmm

Using this Rw in log evaluations indicated the presence

of oil; however, numerous production tests produced
only water!
Determination of Rw
How to determine resistivity if a chemical
composition is available?
Consider the effect of Mg++ and Ca++ ions, which are common
in carbonates, on the computed values of Rw. Assuming a
concentration of 50,000 ppm of Mg++ and Ca++ ions and
100,000 ppm of Na Cl what is the Rw?
Ion Concentration Multiplier Equiv NaCl
conc.
Na+ and Cl- 100,000
Ca++ 50,000
Mg++ 50,000
Total 200,000

Ion Concentration Multiplier Equiv NaCl

conc.
Na+ and Cl- 100,000 1.00 100,000
Ca++ 50,000 0.35 17,500
Mg++ 50,000 -0.50 -25,000
Total 200,000 92,500

Rw = 0.024 ohmm

What is the increase in water saturation due to this variation in

Rw?
If n=2 in the Archie saturation equation, then

1/ 2
R
S w2 S w1 * w2
R
w1

Therefore for this example Sw2 = 1.36*Sw1 or a 36% increase in water saturation.
Determination of Rw
How to determine resistivity if a chemical
composition is available?

Empirical Ion Multiplier Chart

Schlumberger
 Determination of Rw
Methods

1. Archies Equation
Ro
a. if water zone is present. R
w F
b. Rwa Approach
c. Resistivity - Porosity Crossplots
2. Laboratory
a. Direct measurement of representative
water sample.
b. Chemical analysis of water sample.
3. Databases
a. Published regional water catalogs
b. online:http://octane.nmt.edu/waterquality/
4. SP log
SSP

k
Rwe Rmfe *10

5. Guess?
 Determination of Rw
Rwa Technique
Requirements:
1. Rw is constant
2. Lithology is constant
3. A water zone exists and is identifiable
Procedure:
Rearrange Archie' s Equation :
S2 R
Rw w t
F
If in a water zone (Sw = 100%), then
R t (orR o )
Rw
F
If in a HC zone, the F relationship is the same
but the Rt will increase; thus
Rt
R wa =
F
Calculate for a series of zones, find :
R w R wa ( minimum )
Determine water saturation by :
Rw
Sw
R wa
Determination of Rw
Rwa Technique Example

A
= 30.3%
B
Ct = 2000

Ct = 3000
C = 26.4%

D
= 28% Ct = 3800

E = 32.8% Ct = 2400

Zone F Ct,
Problem 2.13 Rt, ohm-m Rwa,ohm-m Sw, %
millimhos/m
A 30.3 8.82 2000 0.50 0.057 65
B 30.3 8.82 2000 0.50 0.057 65
C 26.4 11.62 3000 0.33 0.028 92
D 28.0 10.33 3800 0.25 0.024 100
E 32.8 7.53 2400 0.42 0.056 65
Determination of Rw
Rwa Technique Example

A
= 30.3%
B
Ct = 2000

Ct = 3000
C = 26.4%

D
= 28% Ct = 3800

E = 32.8% Ct = 2400

Zone F Ct,
Problem 2.13 Rt, ohm-m Rwa,ohm-m Sw, %
millimhos/m
A 30.3 8.82 2000 0.50 0.057 65
B 30.3 8.82 2000 0.50 0.057 65
C 26.4 11.62 3000 0.33 0.028 92
D 28.0 10.33 3800 0.25 0.024 100
E 32.8 7.53 2400 0.42 0.056 65
 Determination of Rw
Methods

1. Archies Equation
Ro
a. if water zone is present. R
w F
b. Rwa Approach
c. Resistivity - Porosity Crossplots
2. Laboratory
a. Direct measurement of representative
water sample.
b. Chemical analysis of water sample.
3. Databases
a. Published regional water catalogs
b. online:http://octane.nmt.edu/waterquality/
4. SP log
SSP

k
Rwe Rmfe *10

5. Guess?
Determination of Rw
Resistivity Porosity Crossplots

Pickett Plot
Rearrange Archies Equation:
log R t m log log(aR w ) n log Sw
Determination of Rw
Resistivity Porosity Crossplots

Pickett Plot Example

Pickett Plot
1.00

Sw=50%
aRw=0.10
Porosity

Rw=0.12
0.10
m=1/.5267=1.90

y = 0.3007x-0.5267
R2 = 0.7674

0.01
0.10 1.00 10.00 100.00
Rt,ohm-m

Results:
m = 1.90
Rw = 0.12 ohm-m
Determination of Rw
Resistivity Porosity Crossplots

Hingle Plot
Rearrange Archies Equation
1/ m
n
1 / m S w
[R t ]
aR
w

Determination of Rw
Resistivity Porosity Crossplots

Hingle Plot Example

Hingle Plot, m=1.90

0.7

0.6 y = 3.4858x
R2 = 0.9836
0.5
Rt-1/m

0.4

0.3

0.2 Sw = 50%
0.1

0.0
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20
Porosity

At= 10% y= 0.35

Ro = 7.4 ohmm
F= 64
Rw = 0.115 ohmm

OOIP = 118 Mstb

Determination of Rw
Determination of Rw References

Bassiouni, Z: Theory, Measurement, and Interpretation of

Well Logs, SPE Textbook Series, Vol. 4, (1994)
Chapter 4, Sec 4.5-4.6
Chapter 12, Sec 12.2
Chapter 13
Schlumberger, Log Interpretation Chartbook, (1995)
Determination of Rw
How to determine formation temperature?
During logging operations record the maximum temperature
(TTD) at the bottom of the well (DTD).
Assume a linear geothermal gradient, (gG), {deg.F/100 ft}
TEMPERATURE
Ta To
Region of Diurnal and
Annual Variations

100

gG
{F/100}
DEPTH

Tf, Df

Df
Tf (TTD To ) To
D TD
TTD, DTD