APS Accelerator Porosity Sonde

Epithermal and thermal pulsed neutron solution

applications
Formation evaluation in open
hole and behind casing
Accurate neutron porosity
measurement in environments
with thermal neutron absorbers
Accurate hydrogen index (HI)
measurement
Clay analysis
Gas detection
Identification of thin pay zones

Obtain both epithermal and thermal neutron mea-

surements using a high-energy electronic source
for improved measurements and wellsite safety.
Minitron*
neutron source
The APS* accelerator porosity sonde delivers both epithermal and
Near epithermal thermal neutron measurements by using an electronic pulsed neutron
detector
generator (PNG) instead of a conventional radioactive chemical source.
Epithermal array
The combination of the large neutron yield from the PNG and detector
detectors shielding incorporated in the tool results in measurements that are
relatively insensitive to the borehole environment and formation
Thermal array characteristics, such as lithology and salinity.
detector
Five detectors provide accurate information for conducting porosity
Far epithermal evaluation, gas detection, shale evaluation with greater vertical resolution,
detector and borehole correction. APS measurements can be performed in both
open and cased holes.

The APS sonde incorporates

an electronic PNG and five detectors.
The lack of contrast in the gamma ray measurement, shown in the depth track, indicates a shaly sand. Despite this challenging formation,
the crossover profiles of both the APS neutron with density (Track 2) and with sonic (Track 1) logs identify all the gas zones in the interval.
thin beds
The greater vertical resolution and lower sensitivity to clay of the APS
porosity measurement improves the identification and evaluation of thin
beds. Run in combination with Rt Scanner* triaxial induction service or
the AIT* array induction imager tool, the APS sonde provides a vertical
resolution of approximately 1 ft [0.3 m]. The thermal neutron formation
capture cross section (sigma) measurement can be used to focus the
vertical resolution of shale evaluation, which is usually obtained from
gamma ray measurements.
SHALY SANDS
Because clay has little effect on the APS HI measurement, any gas
effect in shaly sands is more visible. The greater visibility reduces the
chance of missing a pay zone.
MIXED-LITHOLOGY CARBONATES
The degree of dolomitization in a formation has little influence on the
APS carbonate response. As a result, the APS HI measurement in
carbonates with unknown or variable dolomitization is representative
of true formation porosity.
HIGH-SALINITY FLUIDS
The integration of APS epithermal neutron detection and borehole
shielding minimizes the effects of formation and borehole fluids with
high salinity. For conventional neutron porosity tools, these effects are
much greater and depend on lithology, invasion characteristics, and
hydrocarbon saturation.
ROUGH HOLE CONDITIONS
In rugose hole sections, tool standoff can be corrected using the mea-
surements from the APS epithermal array detectors.
DIFFICULT HOLE CONDITIONS
Because the APS sonde does not use a chemical radioactive source,
the tool can be deployed in wells with difficult conditions and a greater
likelihood of sticking. This eliminates the additional concerns of retriev-
ing the chemical source.
 Laterolog 1
0.2 ohm.m 2,000

Laterolog 2
0.2 ohm.m 2,000
Bit Size Laterolog 3
Gas Gas
6 in 16 0.2 ohm.m 2,000
Caliper Laterolog 4 Bulk Density Bulk Density
6 in 16 0.2 ohm.m 2,000 1.95 g/cm3 2.95 1.95 g/cm3 2.95
Measured Gamma Ray Laterolog 5 Compensated Thermal Neutron Porosity APS TNPH
Depth,
ft 0 gAPI 3,000 0.2 ohm.m 2,000 0.45 ft3/ft3 0.15 0.45 ft3/ft3 0.1
X,X00

Bulk density from

Platform Express*
three-detector
lithology density tool

X,X50

TNPH from APS sonde

TNPH from
Platform Express
highly integrated
gamma ray
neutron sonde

X,Y00

X,Y50

The PNG-derived thermal neutron porosity (TNPH) from the APS sonde in Track 4 is an excellent match to the conventional americium-beryllium (AmBe) TNPH in Track 3.

The APS thermal neutron porosity measurement provides

continuity for comparison with conventional logs while
reducing security and environmental concerns associated
with conventional chemical radioactive neutron sources.
 100 100
AmBe AmBe
120 Pulsed neutron
Pulsed neutron
120
140
160
Measured depth, ft

140

Measured depth, ft
180
160 200
Anhydrite
220
180
240
200 260
280
220 300
320
0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0
Thermal neutron porosity, V/V Thermal neutron porosity, V/V

The APS thermal neutron porosity agrees well with the measured AmBe porosity The APS thermal neutron porosity is also available as a high-resolution output. In
over a range of approximately 0 to 30 pu in a Middle East limestone formation. Also this example of a North American carbonate containing very low-porosity limestone
note that the APS thermal neutron porosity produces the expected response in the with some sand and shale, the high-resolution APS thermal neutron porosity agrees
anhydrite beds. well with the conventional AmBe logs.

100 EQUIVALENT THERMAL NEUTRON POROSITY

AmBe
110 Pulsed neutron A proprietary algorithm computes an equivalent thermal neutron poros-
120 ity from the APS hydrogen index and sigma measurements. Because the
calculation is derived using physics and modeling, it is also free of the
130
Measured depth, ft

biases typically introduced by empirical techniques. The APS equivalent

140
thermal neutron porosity represents the measurement that would be
150
obtained by a traditional thermal neutron tool using an AmBe source.
160
The APS thermal neutron porosity measurement provides continuity
170
for comparison with conventional logs while reducing security and
180
environmental concerns associated with chemical radioactive neutron
190 sources. In the three log examples shown, the APS thermal neutron
200 porosity (red dash-dot pattern) compares well with the values derived
0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 from a conventional AmBe radioactive sourcebased tool (black curve).
Thermal neutron porosity, V/V Both curves use Schlumberger standard corrections for matrix type,
hole size, standoff, mud type and weight, borehole salinity, pressure,
In a shaly sand from South America the APS thermal neutron porosity tracks the
measured AmBe porosity for a mixed environment with values spanning a range and temperature; no correction is made for formation salinity.
of approximately 5 pu to 45 pu.
Measurement Specifications
Output
Logging speed
Range of measurement
Vertical resolution
Accuracy
Depth of investigation
Mud type or weight limitations
Combinability
Mechanical Specifications
Temperature rating
Pressure rating
Borehole sizemin.
Borehole sizemax.
Outside diameter
Length
Weight
Tension
Compression
Hydrogen index, thermal neutron porosity,
formation sigma
Standard: 1,800 ft/h [549 m/h]
High resolution: 900 ft/h [274 m/h]
High speed: 3,600 ft/h [1,097 m/h]
Porosity: 0 to 60 pu [0 to 60% uncorrected porosity]
14 in [35.56 cm]
<7 pu: 0.5 pu
7 to 30 pu: 7%
30 to 60 pu: 10%
Sigma: 1 cu [0.1/m]
7 in [17.78 cm]
None
Combinable with most services
If combined with ECS* elemental capture
spectroscopy sonde, the APS sonde must
be run below it
350 degF [177 degC]
20,000 psi [138 MPa]
4.625 in [11.75 cm]
21 in [53.34 cm]
3.625 in [9.21 cm]
13 ft [3.96 m]
222 lbm [101 kg]
50,000 lbf [22,410 N]
23,000 lbf [102,310 N]
 www.slb.com/wireline

*Mark of Schlumberger
Copyright 2009 Schlumberger. All rights reserved. 09-FE-0007