Formation Evaluation (PE 210)

Spontaneous Potential (SP) Log

Dr Bijaya K Behera
Professor
School of Petroleum Technology
1
SP (Spontaneous Potential)

Fig. 1. SP log: some typical responses showing

variations in natural potentials.
Rw = formation water restivity
Rmf = mud filtrate resistivity
2
 SP (Spontaneous Potential)
Principal Usage
Table 1. The principal uses of the SP log

• Calculate formation- water resistivity.

• Indicate permeability.
• Estimate shale volume.
• Indicate facies.
• Correlation.

3
 SP (Spontaneous Potential)
Principles of Measurement

Measurement of natural potential

differences or self-potentials between
an electrode in the borehole and a
reference electrode at the surface.

No artificial currents are applied

(Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Principle of SP log. Natural potential is

measured between an electrode in the well
and an earth at the surface.
4
SP (Spontaneous Potential)

Fig. 3

5
Origin of Spontaneous Potential

Note:

6
Origin of Electrokinetic (EK) Potential

Fig. 4

7
Origin of Electrokinetic (EK) Potential
Principles of Measurement Consider a porous and permeable
sand stone; mud filtrate is less
saline than formation waters (Fig. 5).
Opposite sandstone bed, less saline
mud filtrate will become –ve charged
due to diffusion potential.
Above the sand, opposite the shale,
because of shale potential less saline
solution, mud filtrate, becomes +ve
charged.
The excess charge is therefore –ve
opposite the sand and +ve opposite
the shale.
This couple works in a complementary
sense and creates a spontaneous
current flowing between the bore hole
(mud filtrate), the porous formation
and the contiguous shale (Fig. 5).
Flow of current focused at bed
boundary.
Only here there is change in potential.

Fig. 5. Sp currents in the borehole. Effects of shale potential and diffusion potential act together at bed boundaries 8
causing an SP log deflection.
Origin of Electrochemical (Ec) Potential

Fig. 6
9
 Origin of Electrochemical (Ec) Potential
Liquid Junction Potential (Elj)

Fig. 7
10
 Origin of Electrochemical (Ec) Potential
Liquid Junction Potential (Elj) : Continued

11
 Origin of Electrochemical (Ec) Potential
Membrane Potential (Em)

Fig. 8

12
 SP : Log Representation
Log Presentation: units and scales

Fig.9. SP log presentation. The SP is in track 1. There is no absolute scale, only relative
deflection – negative or positive. 1 division equals 10 millivolts.

• SP currents are measured in millivolts (1x103 volts).

• Scale is in + or – millivolts.

• Negative deflection to the left, positive to the right (Fig. 9).

13
• Log usually run in track 1 with gamma ray or caliper log.
SP : Log Interpretation
Qualitative Interpretation
Qualitatively, the greater the SP deflection, the
greater the salinity contrast between mud
filtrate and formation water.
Deflections to positive values occur with fresh
formation waters (Fig. 10).
Typically a positive SP deflection is much less
marked than a negative one: the positive potential
difference is much smaller.

Permeability recognition
If there is even a slight deflection on the SP, bed
opposite deflection is permeable.
Amount of deflection does not indicate amount of
permeability.
Note not all permeable beds give an SP deflection
although these cases are rare (Fig. 10),
Fig. 10. Behaviour of the SP in a sand shale sequence with varying formation-water
salinity. A zone of fresh formation water occurs between about 1680m and
1775m. Mud filtrate resistivity is constant.
14
 SP : Log Interpretation
Qualitative Interpretation

Mineral identification
Rare exceptions when SP will deflect
and the formation is not permeable are
due to mineralizations.

Pyrite is an example (Fig. 11).

It is also possible that SP reacts to

excessively reduced and excessively
oxidized beds (shales or sandstone),
which are not in subsurface electrical
equilibrium.

Fig. 11. Identification of some minerals and lithologies using the SP

curve. 15
SP : Log Interpretation
Qualitative Interpretation
Facies
The shape in sand-shale sequences
is related to shale abundance – full
SP over clean intervals; diminished
SP over shaly zones.
In so far as shaliness is related to
grain size, SP is good facies
indicator (Fig. 12).
Example shows a well-marked
channel sand with a clean coarse-
grained base, while the finer grained
top is shaly.
SP is therefore following grain-size
change.
SP has now been largely replaced
by the gamma ray log for facies
identification.

Fig. 12. Facies identification using the SP log. A typical fining-upwards, channel
sandstone giving a bell-shaped SP curve.
16
SP : Log Interpretation
Qualitative Interpretation
Correlation
Previously SP log was one of those
used for correlation.
For reasons mentioned under facies,
it has now been replaced especially by
the gamma ray log.
SP still used for correlation in areas
of varied water salinities.
If wells are quite close (and drilling
mud fluids are similar), correlation
should only be made between sands
with similar salinity values (Fig.13).
For this the SP is the only log that can
be used as a guide.
Fig. 13. Correlation using the SP log. Changes in
water salinity indicate which sand bodies
can be correlated. Drilling-mud filtrate is17
similar in all wells.
SP : Log Interpretation
Qualitative Interpretation

18
SP : Log Interpretation

Coming soon:

Quantitative Interpretation of SP log

19
THANK YOU