Discrimination of Natural Fractures Using Well Logging Curve Unit

It is very difficult to discriminate natural fractures using conventional well log data, especially for most of the matured oilfields in China, because the raw data were acquired with relatively obsolete tools.The raw data include only GR and SP curves, indicative of lithology, AC curves, used to calculate the porosity of the formation, and a set of logging curves from various electrode length resistivity by laterolog.On the other hand, these oilfields usually have a large amount of core data which directly display the characteristics of the formation, and enough information of injection and production. This paper describes an approach through which logging curves are calibrated in terms of the raw data, and then a prototype model of natural fractures is established based on the investigation of core data from 43 wells, totaling 4000 m in length.A computer program has been developed according to this method.Through analysis and comparison of the features of logging curves, this paper proposes a new concept, the well logging curve unit.By strictly depicting its shape through mathematical methods, the natural facture can be discriminated.This work also suggests an equation to estimate the probability of fracture occurrence, and finally other fracture parameters are calculated using some experimental expressions.With this methodology, logging curves from 100 wells were interpreted, the results of which agree with core data and field information.