School of Engineering and Technology, (SET)
 
CE71.70 : Petrophysics  3(2-3)
 
Course objectives:

Petrophysics is one of the key courses for integrated and advanced studies in geophysical and reservoir engineering. The course is designed for geoscientists and reservoir engineers in demand throughout the petroleum industry, especially for those who work in an integrated asset teams. The aim of the course is to provide with the tools and techniques to fully characterize a geosystem in term of physical properties, in particular for a petroleum reservoir.
 
Learning Outcomes:

Introduction to geology and petrophysics. Overview of the physical properties of rocks and different methods to determine and analyze them. Density, porosity, permeability, wettability, internal surface (fractal geometry), electrical (resistivity, conductivity, dielectric constant, induced polarization, magnetic, acoustic or elastic properties (velocities, modules, stress-strain relationship), thermal properties etc. Correlation between petrophysical parameters. Well logging techniques. Near-wellbore environment. Invasion profiles and characteristics. Darcy’s law. Flow to vertical and horizontal wells. Formation waters characteristics and resistivity. Presentation of petrophysical data. Practical work with well log, core and well pressure data. Advanced/customized topics in petrophysics.
 
Pre-requisite(s):

None
 
Course Outline:
I.            Introduction
1.      General on minerals and rocks. Structural and petroleum geology.
2.      Subsurface fluids: hydrostatic pressure and geopressure
3.      Role of Petrophysics

II.         Porosity
1.      Pore space properties. Internal surface, fractal dimensions.
2.      Types of porosity. Factors governing the magnitude of porosity
3.      Porosity of carbonate rocks. Double porosity models

III.       Permeability and Poro-perm Relatinship
1.      Types of permeability. Klinkenberg effect. Kozeny-Carman relation. Factors affecting permeability. Relation to specific surface to tortuosity and permeability.
2.      Porosity-permeability relationship. Concept of flow units. Flow in porous and fractured media

IV.      Electrical Properties and Formation Water Saturation
1.      Electric resistivity. Complex electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity. Electrical properties of fluids and minerals. Frequency dependence.
2.      Archie’s laws. Formation resistivity factor.

V.         Capillary and Wettability
1.      Capillary pressure equation, capillary rise and capillary pressure J-function.
2.      Evaluation of wettability. Water-oil-rock interfacial activity. Effect of wettability on electric properties.
VI.      Density, Acoustic and Elastic properties
1.      Density of different rocks. Different kinds of density. Determination of density in laboratory, in situ and in wells.
2.      Strain-stress relation. Rock deformation. Elastic constants. Elastic properties of mineral rocks and fluids. Seismic velocities. Relation to porosity, pore filling and saturation. Seismic wave attenuation.

VII.    Magnetic properties         
Magnetic properties of minerals and rocks. Remnant magnetization. The influence of temperature and pressure. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) logging.

VIII.Thermal properties of rocks
Physical basis and units. Thermal properties of minerals, rocks and fluids. Heat transfer theory and models. Heat Flow Analysis.

IX.      Basic Well logging and Formation evaluation
Overview of logging tools and measurements; Data interpretation and quality issues; Basic formation evaluation

X.         Selected Customized Topics in Petrophysics
Some lectures on the most-up-to-date in petrophysics can be taught by the invited speakers/industrial experts.
 
 
Learning Resources:

Textbook:
Lecture notes

Djebar Tiab and Erle C. Donaldson (2004), Petrophysics: theory and practice of measuring reservoir rock and fluid transport properties. Imprint New York: Elsevier Science, 889p., ISBN: 9780750677110.
 
Reference Books:
Beardsmore G. R. and J. P. Cull (2001), Crustal heat flow. A Guide to measurement and modelling. Cambridge University Press, 323 p.
Butler, R. F. (1992), Paleomagnetism: Magnetic Domains to Geologic Terranes, Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1992, online book of paleomagnetism http://www.geo.arizona.edu/Paleomag/book/
Carmichael R. S (1991), CRC handbook of physical properties of rocks. Imprint Boca Raton, Fla : CRC Press, 741 p., Call No. QE431.6 P5 C7.
Parkhomenko, Eleonora Ivanova (1967), Electrical properties of rocks (translated from Russian and edited by George V. Keller), Imprint New York: Plenum Press, 341 p., Call No. QE431.6 E4 P313.
Pirson, Sylvain Joseph (1963), Handbook of well log analysis for oil and gas formation evaluation, Englewood Cliff: Prentice Hall, Call No. TN871.35 P5
Schoen H. (1996), Physical properties of rocks-Fundamentals and Principles of Petrophysics, 583p, Pergamon, Oxford
Serra, O. and L. Serra (2004), Well logging: data acquisition and applications, Imprint FR: Enfield Dist. Co., 647 p, ISBN: 9782951561250
 
Journals and Magazines:
Applied Geophysics, Geophysical Prospecting, Geophysics, Geophysical Surveys, Geophysical Journal, Groundwater, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Science.
 
 
Teaching and Learning Methods:

Lectures, computer lab session, homework, project work and exams
 
Evaluation Scheme:

Mid-Semester Exam (30%)
Final Exam (40%)
Homework (20%)
Project work and presentation (10%)

Closed-book exam.
 
Instructor(s):
SECTION NAME