This invention relates to methods for determining the dielectric permittivity spectrum of underground rock formations. In particular, the invention relates to methods for interpreting electromagnetic measurements of the types commonly made during logging of oil or gas wells or the like.
It has been known for some time that fluid-saturated rocks have dispersive electromagnetic properties, i.e. frequency-dependent dielectric permittivity and conductivity. Most electromagnetic measurements are designed to determine the electric conductivity of such rocks. Ampere-Maxwell's law states that the electric conductivity a and the relative dielectric permittivity ∈r are intimately tied as real and imaginary parts of a complex-valued conductivity σ*=σ−iω∈0∈r with the circular frequency ω. Frequently they are also represented as complex-valued permittivity ∈*r=∈r+i(σ/
The electric conductivity and relative dielectric permittivity have different dispersive behaviour: the electric conductivity tends to increase slightly with frequency while the dielectric permittivity decreases strongly, this behaviour is schematically shown in
The dispersion behaviour of the electromagnetic parameters of heterogeneous media has been studied throughout the twentieth century. Early work by Peter Debye in the 1920s was subsequently refined by Cole and Cole in the 1950s and others in the 1980s.
The later work clearly showed the dispersion of the dielectric permittivity. At the same time, some dielectric formation-evaluation tools were developed for the oilfield wireline logging industry, notably the EPT (Electromagnetic Propagation Tool) of Schlumberger, operating at 1.1 GHz where the dispersion is minimum. More recently, tools that would measure the dielectric permittivity at several frequencies from 100 MHz to 1 GHz have been developed. Such tools include array dielectric logging tools.
The Deep Propagation Tool, operating at 25 MHz was introduced in the 1970s to provide a dielectric measurement beyond the depth of investigation of the EPT. DPT dielectric measurements were found to be substantially different than those from the EPT, and the tool was not widely used because it was difficult to perform a consistent dielectric interpretation.
A number of techniques have been proposed which use dielectric measurements at different frequencies in the range 106-1010 Hz. Examples can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,907, U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,062, U.S. Pat. No. 7,376,514, GB2430264 and GB2430265.
This invention is based on the recognition that useful information about formation properties can be obtained from a range of dielectric measurements below 106 Hz.
A first aspect of this invention provides a method for determining the frequency-dependent dielectric permittivity spectrum of a rock sample, comprising:
The first measurement is typically made at a frequency of 108 Hz or above, and the second and third measurements are typically made a frequencies of 107 Hz or below.
The invention also broadly provides a method for determining the frequency-dependent dielectric permittivity spectrum of a rock sample, comprising:
Where the frequency-dependent part of the spectrum obeys the relationship ∈rock(f)=∈1(f)+∈∞ wherein ∈1(f) defines the frequency-dependent part of a measured value of dielectric permittivity, the method preferably comprises:
Determining ∈dc and f0 can be achieved by providing measurements of ∈rocl(f) for at least two frequencies and applying a fitting routine to the relationship
fc can be determined from the relationship
The slope is preferably the slope of the plot of log ∈1 vs
In this case, fc can also be determined from the plot.
The slope can be used to estimate the pore size distribution of the rock, and the value of fc can be used to estimate the salinity of the pore fluids in the rock.
The method can further comprise making a series of electromagnetic measurements in a borehole extending through the rock sample and using the measurement to define the data series. The first measurement can obtained in a separate operation from the second and third measurement, and the measurements can be a combination of different wireline and/or lwd measurements.
Further aspects of the invention will be apparent from the following description.
This invention is based on the identification of several distinct polarization processes at the microscopic grain structure or the even smaller molecular scale. These competing processes become active over distinct, but overlapping frequency ranges from the single-Hz through the kHz and low-MHz range up to the 100 MHz range. The term “dielectric spectroscopy” is used to refer to characterizing the frequency dependence which is the finger-print of the rock property.
With decreasing frequency several competing processes contribute to an ever-increasing relative dielectric permittivity. The availability of different tools with their widely varying operating frequencies allows measurement of the electromagnetic rock properties in a way that separates out the different microscopic processes. This multi-frequency measurement and the associated decoupling of the various processes shall be called dielectric spectroscopy.
This invention proposes the use of wireline and LWD resistivity and dielectric logging tools over a wide frequency range to determine the complex-valued rock conductivity σ*=σ−iω∈0∈r or its equivalent, ∈*r=∈r+i(σ/
Ampère-Maxwell's equation couples the displacement current {right arrow over (D)} and the galvanic current density {right arrow over (j)} into one single quantity:
{right arrow over (∇)}×{right arrow over (H)}=∂t{right arrow over (D)}+{right arrow over (j)} (1)
A universal time dependence e−iωt replaces the time derivative ∂t by the multiplicative factor ∂t→−iω. The constitutive relationships between the electric field {right arrow over (E)} and the displacement and galvanic current densities introduce and combine the dielectric permittivity ∈=∈0∈r and the electric conductivity σ into the complex-valued conductivity σ*=σ−iω∈0∈r. Ampère-Maxwell's equation becomes:
{right arrow over (∇)}×{right arrow over (H)}=σ*{right arrow over (j)}+{right arrow over (j)}0=(σ−iω∈0∈r){right arrow over (j)}+{right arrow over (j)}0 (2)
with the imposed source-current density {right arrow over (j)}0.
Hence the electric conductivity generates an in-phase signal while the dielectric permittivity will cause a signal in phase quadrature. For “dielectric spectroscopy” we will measure and characterize this in-phase and quadrature contribution over a wide frequency range.
Water-filled rocks are heterogeneous media that display several competing processes of dielectric polarization. These processes vary in magnitude over the entire frequency range so that at suitably chosen frequency bands the individual contributions dominate and thus can be extracted. For dielectric spectroscopy we start at the upper end of the frequency range, around 0.5-1 GHz. This frequency is used for the dielectric pad-logging tools, such as the EPT and similar tools.
Empirically it has been shown that above ca. 600 MHz the measured complex refractive index, namely the square root of the complex-valued dielectric constant is close to the volumetric average of the complex refractive indices of the constituent materials. This relationship is called the “Complex Refractive Index Method” (CRIM):
with the relative volume fractions αi, the rock porosity Φ and the water saturation Sw. This formula provides the volumetric contribution of the rock matrix and hydrocarbon content, as well as the volume fraction of water with its conductivity as imaginary part.
To the extent that the dispersion mechanisms spill over other frequencies, the accuracy of (3) will be affected by how close the frequency is to the lower limit of its range, and how conductive the water is. The frequency effect is easy to understand, but the effect of water conductivity will become clear below as we describe the mechanism operating in the next frequency range.
∈rock(f)=∈1(f)+∈∞ (4)
with:
From
this is different from slope of −1 in
which shows S is somewhat frequency dependent. But in the frequency range f0<<f<100 MHz, S=−1 leading to β=1. This is to say since ∈∞ in this frequency range is much smaller than ∈1, the observed slope in
Having measured fc, (7) can be used to calculate f0 which for the data of
Setting β=1, there are only three parameters in (4) to be determined. These are ∈dc, ∈∞, and f0. In addition, a graphical approach similar to what is demonstrated in
∈dc is obtained from the fit to the data. Combining equations 4 and 5, we get:
If the left hand side of this expression is known for at least two frequencies, the two unknowns (f0 and ∈dc) can be determined using a fitting routine. If it is assumed that ∈∞ is always known from high frequency measurement and ∈rock can be obtained from resistivity tool measurements, so that the left hand side is known, and if a number of resistivity measurements at different frequencies are used, the above condition is met. As data for more frequencies are included a better estimate can be made.
Once the fit is made we can calculate fc using equation 7. fc can also be determined graphically as is shown in
A special case is when there are data points available at low enough frequencies where the change of slope from 1 to ½ can be measured. As is shown here, the frequency where slope is ½ is f0. Having measurements at these particular frequencies may or may not be possible. However, if f0 is determined by this method, then fc can be determined graphically and ∈dc can be calculated using equation 7.
Using at least three frequencies from one or more resisitivity tool discussed above, it is straightforward to use a fitting or inversion routine to determine the three parameters in (4). Having these parameters one can generate the complete frequency dependence of permittivity and generate the dielectric spectrum of rock samples.
Physically, the slope in the frequency dependence of permittivity is attributed to surface-charge build-up on the rock grains exposed to conductive pore water. Hence the slope is directly related to the shape and surface area or the pore-size distribution as well as the water conductivity. For the same rock grains as the water conductivity increases, this so called geometrical effect to the permittivity dispersion becomes more significant. This is equivalent to ∈1 being shifted to higher frequencies as water salinity increases. As a result of this shift in (4), fc increases implying the product of ∈dc, and f0 increases as expected from (7).
The slope of a permittivity vs frequency plot is an estimate of the pore-size distribution and thus complements the pore-size distribution measurement from the nuclear-magnetic-resonance logging devices. A thin coat of hydrocarbon on the grain has a different effect on the pore size distribution obtained from permittivity compared with that derived from NMR. For NMR measurements, a layer of oil will only slightly change the diffusion coefficient of the bulk fluid (the effect of oil wettability is most pronounced on the bound fluid rather than on free fluid). For permittivity measurements, however, the effect of an oil layer is the same as increasing the thickness of the insulating layer in the capacitor. This difference can be the basis of a method by which pore size distribution derived from the two physical principles can be compared to determine wettability.
The large dielectric polarization at frequencies below 100 kHz is no longer attributed to geometrical effects. Rather this effect is due to the effect of time varying electric field on the double layer present in clay minerals as shown in
Overall, the use of multiple electromagnetic measurements over frequencies from a few Hz to the low GHz range permit to successively quantify and isolate different dielectric phenomena that can be directly tied to different, distinct characteristics in the rock microstructure. This integrated measurement suite and its petrophysical interpretation chain is “dielectric spectroscopy”. Determination of dielectric spectroscopy of rocks in situ is not possible with a single logging tool; rather data from multiple tools have to be combined to achieve this goal.
Changes and variations within the scope of the invention will be apparent.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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0915759.2 | Apr 2009 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2010/001898 | 3/25/2010 | WO | 00 | 3/1/2012 |