Evaluation of Source Rock Using Well Logs

Hoda Tahani, Research and Development Directorate of NIOC(National Iranian Oil Company), Research and Development Directorate of NIOC(National Iranian Oil Company), Unit 5, No.4, Laleh St, Ashrafi Esfehani Ave, Tehran, 3rd floor- No. 27- Research and Development Directorate- Keshavarz Boulvard- Tehran, Tehran, Iran, phone: (+)98 912 5103602, hodatahani@yahoo.com and Siavash Tarkhan, R&D department in KEPCO (Khazar Exploration and Production Company), NIOC, Tehran, Iran.

The use of petrophysical techniques arises out of the need to assess source ‎rocks basin ‎studies in various geological settings, where the database is ‎restricted to basic log data ‎and little or no geochemical information.‎ ‎ Using deterministic formation analysis techniques, it is possible to quantify the ‎volumes ‎of OM, shale, matrix and porosity that would be required to give the ‎recorded log ‎responses.‎ ‎

A practical method, the Δlog R technique, for identifying and calculating total ‎organic ‎carbon in organic-rich rocks has been developed using well logs. This ‎method, allows ‎organic richness to be accurately assessed in a wide variety of ‎lithologies and maturities ‎using common well logs.‎ ‎

The Δlog R technique uses common, widely available well logs to identify organic ‎rich ‎source rocks and to calculate their TOC content.‎ ‎

The Δlog R separation will display by properly scaled transit-time and resistivity ‎curves, can be used to determine accurately organic richness with a vertical ‎resolution of about 1 m. for rocks of low thermal maturity, the relationship ‎between Δlog R and TOC exists primarily, because of the porosity curve ‎component of Δlog R. ‎

Δlog R separation not associated with organic-rich source rocks can occur, but in ‎most cases, such anomalous Δlog R intervals can be easily recognized.‎

In this paper, we show how standard petrophysical processing using Δlog R ‎method, can ‎be applied for quantitative and semi-quantitative evaluation of ‎organic content and ‎therefore source rock potential.‎ ‎