Nuclear logging – gamma logging

Groups :- 3
 Outline
Basic principle

Gamma tools

Log characteristics

Geological behaviour

Quantitative application

Qualitative application
What are Gamma Ray Logs?

 Radioactivity :- Uranium, Thorium

and Potassium.
 Most rocks are radioactive to some
degree, igneous and metamorphic
more so than sedimentary.
 Strongest radiation :- Shale.

NOT ALL SHALES ARE

RADIOACTIVE, AND ALL THAT IS
RADIOACTIVE IS NOT SHALE.
 What we get ?

 Geology :- Shaliness, lithology and mineral

 Sedimentology :- Facies.
 Stratigraphy :- Parasequence and condensed sequence.
 Petro physics :- Shale volume & radioactive mineral volume.
 TOOL USED IN GAMMA RAY LOGGING
photo-multiplier.
Scintillation counter :- Simple Spectral tool
sodium iodide crystal, D = 2
cm , L= 5 cm.
The tool literally ‘counts’
the gamma rays.

Gamma ray pass through crystal

Flash

Photo multiplier

Attached condenser
 TYPICAL GAMMA RAY AND SPECTRAL
Spectral gamma ray tool
GAMMA RAY LOG HEADINGS

Using the known abundance of the radio-isotope in normal elemental

When the gamma rays passes through a scintillation crystal, it not
mixtures, the actual abundances of each element can be derived. Thus,
only causes a flash, but the intensity of that flash depends on the
the log results from the spectral tool are quantitative, elemental
energy of the incident gamma ray.
abundances of thorium, uranium and potassium.
 Logging Characteristics
Simple Gamma
Ray Calibration
&
Presentation

Depth of
Investigation

Gamma
Ray Log
Logging
Speed

Unwanted
Borehole
Effects Spectral
Gamma Ray
 Calibration & Presentation

Two curves represented i.e. Track 2 & Track 3 records

Track 1 recorded along with SGR and CGR
caliper Elemental Abundance
SGR is Standard Gamma Ray, 1. Thorium in ppm
Scales: 0-100 Or 0-150 API same as simple gamma ray. 2. Uranium in ppm
But recalculated from 3. Potassium in %
elemental values.
API unit is defined
in a reference well Multipliers used:
in the grounds of
CGR (computed Gamma ray)
University of
 1ppm U = 8.09 API represents the contribution of
Houston, Texas.  1ppm Th = 3.93 API only thorium and potassium in
 1% K = 16.32 API API
 Depth of Investigation
1. As a rough guide the volume of investigation can be considered to
be approximately 20 cm vertically above and below the detector
and 10 cm radially.
2. Moreover, readings will be commonly smeared, since the
presented gamma ray log value is generally an average of three
contiguous raw values.

The simple gamma

ray sonde can be
combined in many
Because of Compton
tools;
• it is run
scattering volume will
centered in the vary with formation
borehole density
• or against the
borehole wall,
that is
eccentered.
 Unwanted Borehole effects

The potassium radioactivity of

the KCl is detected by the
Charts and gamma ray tool and the usual
computer methods result is a marked increase in
are available but the absolute values.
they are non-linear
 Geological behaviour of Potassium
Ex. In these salts there is between 10%-50% potassium by  Potassium is both chemically active and
weight. volumetrically common in naturally
occurring rocks.
 In clay minerals - in the clay silicate
Species Formula % K by Gamm structure.
weight a Ray  In evaporates - as a salt
* value  In rock-forming minerals like feldspars -
API chemically combined inn the silicate
Sylvite 52.5 500 structure.
 The average shale has a potassium content
Carnallite 14.1 200 about 2% - 3.5%
Polyhalid 12.9 190  Feldspathic sediments may therefore be
Polyhalid 12.9 190
e detected by their radioactivity
e
 Geological behaviour of Uranium
 Acid igneous rocks on average contain
 The abundance of the radioactive elements 4.65ppm of uranium
and their relative contributions to the overall  Uranium content
radioactivity of the black shale – Suspended river sediment ~ 3ppm
– Bedload sediments ~ very less
– Sea water ~ 3ppm (dissolved)
 The Acid reducing conditions required for
Element Content Gamma % the direct chemical precipitation of uranium
89.0 API ray API gamma (pH 2.5-4.0) are found where relatively slow
equivalent ray value rate of sediment deposition, which typically
produce black shales.
Uranium 11 ppm 89.0 API 41.0%  The high gamma radiation values of the
North Sea Jurassic ‘hot shales’, typically black
Thorium 18 ppm 70.7API 32.6% shales come from a high uranium content.
Potassium 3.5% 57.1API 26.4%
 Geological behaviour of Uranium
 Organic-rich shales often contain large amounts of syngenetic uranium which is an important
contributor of shale radioactivity. So, it results in high gamma ray log values.
 Average weight(%) of organic matter in sediments

Sediment Average weight

(%)
Shales 2.90
Carbonates 0.29
Sandstones 0.05

 Typically, on the logs, uranium is shown by irregular high peaks corresponding to its unusual
environmental deposition.
 Geological behaviour of Thorium
 Thorium has also its origin in acid and
intermediate igneous rocks.
Thorium abundance in clay minerals.  It is extremely stable and not gone into solution
so that it is found in bauxites (residual soils).
 It is generally transported to sites of sediment
Mineral Thorium deposition as clay fraction.
ppm  These are of heavy minerals such as zircon,
thorite, monazite, epidote and sphene which are
Bauxite 8-132 More all very stable.
Kaolinite 12-26 continental  Thorium shows higher concentrations in
kaolinite(of terrestrial origin) than in glauconites
Illite-muscovite 6-22 (of marine origin).
Smectite 10-24
More
Glauconite 2-8 marine
 Geological behaviour of Thorium
‘Black shale’ radioactivity. A spectral gamma ray log over the Upper Jurassic black shales
of the North Sea showing the U,K,Th contribution.
 Quantitative

•
Where,
GR (Max) = 100 %
GR (min) = 0 % ( clean formation)

Empirical correlation (dresser altas, 1982)

Pre tertiary consolidated rocks Pre tertiary un-consolidated rocks

Fig :- sand line and shale base line

defined on gamma log
 Qualitative use

Radioactivity in sst.

Radioactivity in carbonate

Radioactivity in evaporates

Coal and organic reach sand

Igneous and volcanic rock radioactivity

Facies and grain size

Radioactivity in sandstone

 Feldspar, mica, heavy minerals and lithic

fragments.
 Marine :- glauconite (high concentration)
 Heavy mineral :- placer silts (produce
spiky aspects in log)
 Thorium :- heavy mineral suits.
 In any sandstone clay and mica contain can
mislead us with shale.
Radioactivity in carbonate

Natural carbonate have no radioactivity present

carbonate

Organic mater Shaly carbonate

Thorium and
Uranium radioactivity
Potassium radioactivity
Radioactivity in evaporates

 Salt and anhydrite

gives low
radioactivity.
 But evaporates
contain potassium
will show the high
radioactivity (rare).
 Volumetrically,
potassium reach
evaporates are rare.
Coal and organic reach sand

 O.M. lead to uranium radioactivity.

 No radioactivity in coal.
 Pure coals have the typical low gamma
ray response while shaly coals have a
gamma ray value which depends on the
shale(or ash) content (Kayal and
Chistoffel 1989)
Igneous and volcanic rock radioactivity

 Uranium and thorium originated

in the acid intermediate igneous
rocks.
 Potassium is present especially in
the acid igneous rocks, in alkali
feldspars.
 Basic igneous rock has low
radioactivity, acidic igneous rock
has progressively higher values
(keys, 1979; Sanyal et al., 1980)
 Facies and grain size

 Coarse grained sand :- very low shale

content.
 Medium grained sand some shale,
and fine grained :- very shaly.
 So the change in grain size will be
followed by change in gamma ray
vallues.

Fig :- Facies from gamma ray log, changes in sandstone

grain size are reflected in gamma ray value. This allowed
the facies to be suggested.
Thank you