Henderson   Petrophysics

Virtual Petrophysics

I would define Virtual Petrophysics as the use of global communications resources to enable a Petrophysicist to receive and analyse data and to communicate analysis results and recommendations to the data owners/managers. The Petrophysicist, the data sources and the data owners/managers can be located anywhere.

Using Internet resources, Virtual Petrophysics is now a very cost effective formation evaluation tool.

If you do not need to have a Petrophysicist at the wellsite to make real-time operational decisions, then it may be very efficient and cost-effective to have the Petrophysicst work offsite and to communicate using e-mail, facsimile and telephone.

Nowadays e-mail facilities are universally available at the wellsite and almost all reports are distributed as e-mail attachements. There is virtually no cost to add the Petrophysicist to the distribution list.

Mudlogging and wireline logging companies can now provide digital plot files. This allows for real-time distribution and viewing/plotting of perfect digital copies of the logs. Schlumberger freely distributes a viewer for their proprietary PDS format plot files.

To reduce file size and data transmission times we recommend the use of file compression programs (such as WinZip).

Here is how your "virtual Petrophysicist" can contribute to your formation evaluation program;

• Before drilling starts have the Petrophysicis recommend appropriate and cost effective formation evaluation options,
• During drilling have the Petrophysicist on the e-mail distribution list for;
      Daily drilling and geological reports, and,
      Digital Mudlog data and plot files.
  The Petrophysicist is thus kept fully informed of the well progress and can make recommendations at every stage of the formation evaluation program,
• After each logging run, e-mail the digital log data and plot files to the Petrophysicist,
• The Petrophysicist will perform a detailed log analysis and e-mail the results and plots to your wellsite and operations office.
  
• The Petrophysicist can help with the forward program - such as picking RFT and sidewall core sample locations. Typically, the Petrophysicst will make these recommendations to the Operations Geologist and/or the Petroleum Engineer,
• When most of the data has been collected and examined, the Operator should organise a telephone conference call for a "round-table" discussion to decide the forward well plan. Included in the conference call will be rig personnel, formation evaluation specialists, Operator management and joint venture partner representatives. Among the discussion topics will be completion or abandonment options and any requirements for more data collection.