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What is Petrophysical Analysis?

Petrophysical analysis is an essential process in the oil and gas industry that involves the integration and analysis of various data types, including well logs, core samples and fluid samples, to understand the characteristics of a subsurface reservoir. This data is used to determine the amount and distribution of hydrocarbons in the reservoir and the reservoir's properties, such as lithology, porosity, permeability, fluid content and saturation. Efficient and accurate petrophysical analysis is crucial for informed decisions regarding exploration, development and production strategies. Equally critical is managing subsurface exploration and production data.

The data used for petrophysical analysis usually comes from a variety of sources:

• Wireline logs are typically used to measure the properties of the subsurface formations. The logs record measurements of different physical properties, including electrical resistivity, gamma rays and acoustic properties. These measurements are then analyzed to determine the properties of the reservoir.

• Core samples are taken from the reservoir during drilling operations. The samples are analyzed using subsurface interpretation and visualization to determine the properties of the rock and fluid content of the reservoir. The data obtained from the core analysis is used to calibrate the wireline logs and seismic data.
• Fluid analysis are collected from the reservoir and analyzed to determine the composition, density and viscosity.

Why is Petrophysical Analysis Important?

Petrophysical analysis is essential to making informed decisions throughout the life cycle of an oil or gas field, from exploration and appraisal to development and production. The analysis helps to determine the amount and distribution of hydrocarbons in the reservoir, as well as its properties.The data obtained from petrophysical analysis is used in reservoir modeling.

Reservoir modeling involves the creation of a 3D model of the reservoir that combines data obtained from petrophysical analysis and geophysical analysis. Reservoir models are used to estimate the reserves of hydrocarbons in a reservoir and understand fluid flow behavior through numerical simulation of the reservoir. The simulation is used to determine the potential production rates, the most effective methods for extracting the hydrocarbons, and the long-term behavior of the reservoir.

Petrophysical analysis is also used in well planning. The data obtained from the analysis is used to determine the best location for the well and the best production strategy. In addition, petrophysical analysis assists in evaluating the stability of wellbores during drilling operations. By assessing rock strength, pore pressure and fluid types encountered, it helps identify potential drilling hazards such as unstable formations, lost circulation zones or kick zones. This knowledge helps in designing appropriate drilling and mud programs.

How is Petrophysical Analysis Conducted?

Petrophysical analysis is conducted using a combination of wireline logs and core samples. The analysis typically involves the following steps:

• Data interpretation: The data obtained from the wireline logs, core samples and fluid samples are interpreted to determine the lithology, porosity, permeability, fluid content and saturation of the reservoir.
• Data acquisition: Wireline logs, core samples and fluid samples are collected from the reservoir during drilling operations.
• Quality control: The acquired data is reviewed to identify anomalies, removing obvious artifacts or outliers, and logs are calibrated.

Increased Openness and Connectivity in Petrophysical Analysis

Aspen Geolog^™, the industry standard for advanced petrophysical analysis and formation evaluation, combines technological superiority with a modern, user-friendly interface that is consistent across multiple platforms.  Aspen Geolog applications are able to work directly not only on data stored in the Aspen Epos^™ well data repository, but also on third-party databases, without the need for time-consuming data reformatting.

AspenTech is fully committed to supporting the Open Group’s OSDU^® (Open Subsurface Data Universe) Forum, which provides the oil and gas industry with secure and reliable global access to all subsurface and well data in the cloud. Aspen Geolog can seamlessly incorporate well data from OSDU, visualize, edit and analyze it, and write it back to the OSDU instance, enabling access to all other relevant applications or users with the appropriate permissions.

FAQs

What is the purpose of petrophysical analysis?

The primary goal of petrophysical analysis is to obtain a better understanding of the subsurface and its potential for oil and gas production, carbon storage, and geothermal energy production.

How is petrophysical data used in reservoir analysis?

Petrophysical data is the primary player in a reservoir analysis or reservoir study. It provides the foundation of data necessary to evaluate the viability and resources contained within a subsurface reservoir.