Formation Evaluation (PE 210)

Neutron Log

Dr Bijaya K Behera
Professor
School of Petroleum Technology

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Neutron Log

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 Neutron
The neutron log provides a continuous record of a formation’s reaction to fast
neutron bombardment.

It is quoted in terms of neutron porosity units, which are related to a formation’s

hydrogen index, an indication of its richness in hydrogen.

Formations modify neutrons rapidly when they contain abundant hydrogen nuclei,
which in the geological context are supplied by water (H2O).

The log is therefore principally a measure of a formation’s water content, be it

bound water, water of crystallization or free pore-water.

The hydrogen richness is called the hydrogen index (HI) which is defined as the
weight % hydrogen in the formation /wt % hydrogen in water, where HI water = 1.

However, the oilfield interest in water is as a pore fluid filler and porosity indicator
so that the neutron log response is given directly in neutron porosity units.

Neutron porosity is real porosity in clean limestones, but other lithologies require
conversion factors. Since it is calibrated to limestones, the log is sometimes called
the Limestone curve (Fig. 1).
 Neutron

Fig. 1. The neutron log: some typical responses. The neutron log shows hydrogen index which is converted to
neutron porosity units. *Porosity with fresh water and the Schlumberger CNL tool (cf. Fig. 1 of the Density
lecture, which is on a comparable scale of porosity).
 Neutron: Principal Usage
Quantitatively, the neutron log is used to measure porosity.
Qualitatively, it is an excellent discriminator between gas and oil.
It can be used geologically to identify gross lithology, evaporites, hydrated
minerals and volcanic rocks.
When combined with the density log on compatible scales, it is one of the best
subsurface lithology indicators available (Table 1).

Table 1. The principal uses of the neutron log.

Neutron: Principles of Measurement
• Neutrons are emitted from chemical source (generally Am and Be) which
continuously emits neutrons.

• Neutrons collide with nuclei of formation atoms and lose energy; with enough
collisions neutron is absorbed by nucleus and GR is emitted.

•Because H atom is almost same mass as neutron, collision of neutron with H

atom results in maximum energy loss.

• Energy loss thus dominated by H concentration in formation--HCs and Water.

• HCs and Water are fluids which fill pore spaces, thus energy loss, and log
measurement, relates to porosity.

• First neutron logs detected emitted GRs from neutron capture.

 Neutron: Tool

The neutron tool today generally consists of a

fast neutron source and two detectors (Fig. 4).

A compensated neutron tool – schematic. The source and detectors are held
pressed against the borehole wall.
 Neutron: Log Format
The neutron log is generally plotted across tracks 2 and 3.

The units are neutron porosity units from empirical calibration. That is , neutron
porosity units represent real porosity in clean limestones but only in clean limestones.

The common scales are;

60% to 0% (or 0.6 to 0)
54% to -6% (0.54 to -0.06)
45% to -15% (0.45 to -0.15)

Since the neutron is generally run combined with the density in one tool, a combined
neutron-density log heading has become standard.

This generally shows the scales for both the neutron and the density standardized for
clean limestone matrix. On this format the density log is a solid line, the neutron log a
dashed line.
 Neutron: Log Format

Typical log heading for a neutron-density tool combination. This heading is of the type produced by the
Schlumberger CSU unit. The neutron and density log scales are compatible for a clean limestone N, 0% =
2.70g/cm3.
Neutron: Porosity measurement

The neutron log is used to derive porosity.

The tool measures hydrogen abundance or hydrogen index.
In clean water bearing formations, the only hydrogen present is in the formation
water (H2O).
The neutron tool therefore responds to the volume of water-filled pore space, and
gives a measure of the porosity.
Expressed mathematically,

where is the true porosity, a, B are constants, and N is the neutron-tool reading.
Calibration is necessary for the above calculation as matrix materials have differing
effects on the neutron log which change with porosity.
Hydrocarbon Effects on Neutron Porosity
The rules governing the relationship between neutron log porosity and the true
porosity in clean formations are valid when either water or oil fill the pores (the two
fluids have essentially the same hydrogen index).
However, gas having a very low density, has a very low hydrogen index compared to
water.
The presence of gas makes the neutron log give too low a porosity (Fig. 10).
Corrections for gas content can be made but the best use of this phenomenon is
qualitative.
 Neutron: Interpretation

Changes in the neutron log correlatable with changes in quartz admixture. The higher the
quartz content, the lower the neutron value.
Log Behaviour in Hydrocarbon Zone
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