Application of Geophysical Logs to Estimate the Source Rock Quantity of Ratawi Formation, Southern Iraq: A Comparison Study

Abstract

Quantitative detection of the parameters of source rock that targeted Ratawi Formation in the south of Iraq is achieved via the Geophysical log data, precisely the resistivity, porosity, and gamma-ray log of the well X in the northern part of Mesopotamian basin, which is so called Euphrates subzone. Total organic carbon and source rock productivity is detected by mathematically interpreting of the log parameters and that lead to assigning and identification of the content of organic matter and source rock intervals. The responses of log curvatures are relevant to the rise of total organic carbon, which can be identified via logs indicators. Thereby, the organic carbon can be expected with a surge in values of sonic log, gamma-ray values, neutron or total porosity log, and resistivity as well as a decrease in the density log. The adoption of sonic/resistivity overlay technique for the determination of total organic carbon content has indicated the likely lithology of the intervals of interest where the logs initially could indicate the lithology. As such, high organic carbon content is significant to environments that have relatively low energy.