Evaluation of irreducible water saturation by electrical imaging logging based on capillary pressure approximation theory

Abstract

One of the most important metrics for evaluating oil and gas reservoirs is irreducible water saturation (Swir). The completion of oil and gas reservoir development tasks, such as fluid identification, productivity prediction, and water-flooded reservoir discrimination, requires the accurate evaluation of Swir. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging can reflect the intricate pore structure of reservoirs, so it offers a natural advantage in the evaluation of Swir, but its high measurement cost leads to infrequent use. In geophysical logging, electrical imaging logging can obtain pore size distribution information at a lower cost. Hence, a method based on electrical imaging logging data is proposed to predict Swir. This method not only has a high degree of accuracy but is also cost-effective. First, the pore characteristics of the bound fluid were analyzed with the mercury injection capillary pressure curve. Based on the capillary pressure approximation theory, the reverse cumulative curve of the porosity spectrum was derived. And the physical meaning of its “inflection point” was clarified. Then, the resistivity of the formation containing just irreducible water was computed using the conversion between the core displacement pressure and resistivity. Finally, based on Archie's formula, the Swir at each depth of the reservoir was predicted. By using ultradeep carbonate reservoir logging data from the Yuanba gas field, the model was validated. The results demonstrated that the calculated values using this method agreed with the measured values from the cores. Compared with the core fitting method, the average absolute error is reduced by 2.61%, and the average relative error decreases by 12.0%. If NMR logging information is not present, this method serves as an effective supplement to accurately predict Swir.