Oil well and borehole logging documents information about the geologic formations penetrated by new boreholes. This process comes with many benefits, helping drillers to gather valuable data that they could not otherwise obtain without taking costly core samples.
This process has come a long way since its birth in the early 1800s, when well loggers had to scale derricks to record information by hand. Today, oil well and borehole logging uses state-of-the-art computer technology to gather robust and useful data for accurate decision making.
Frontier Technology Corporation is a leading neutron source provider within the oil well and borehole logging process. We manufacture Californium-252 neutron sources used to test the properties of geologic formations, helping to gather data about the best way to extract hydrocarbons in each location.
What is Oil Well and Borehole Logging and How Does It Work?
The oil well and borehole logging process starts with the insertion of specialized instruments into boreholes to determine the properties of the surrounding geological formations. After digging the borehole to around 100 feet, drillers lower a cable with the logging tools into the hole.
The lowered cable electronically transmits information to a central processor that collects it in a standardized log sheet. This data reveals the borehole’s lithological classifications as well as important chemical, physical, and structural properties. Geologists the use this information log to make predictions about the borehole and how to safely and efficiently proceed with drilling.
Logging tools come in many shapes and sizes. Drillers can attach special tools that assess the boreholes:
- Resistivity
- Natural gamma properties
- Electromagnetic induction
- Spontaneous potential
- Deviation
- Temperature
- Heat pulse flow meter
- Acoustic and optical properties
- Downhole seismic properties
Borehole logging also uses instruments such as video cameras, three-arm calipers, televiewers, and ground-penetrating radar to assess well conditions.
Benefits of Oil Well and Borehole Logging
Implementing a good oil well and borehole logging plan saves you time and money. Without tools that can monitor conditions directly in the hole, you can only gather information about your well by costly core examination.
Oil well and borehole logging records and examines data relating to:
- Strata types including limestone, sandstone, and shale
- Permeability, presence of liquids, and porosity
- Structural weaknesses and the risk of cave-ins
- Borehole dimensional properties including the hole’s shape, size, and trajectory
- Properties of fluids present in the borehole, such as pressure, salinity, and saturation
- The feasibility of gas and oil extraction
Using neutron emission sources including Californium-252, the oil and gas industry can learn more about the borehole’s quality and nuclear characteristics. This enables drillers to better assess the possibilities of hydrocarbon extraction.
Working with Frontier
Frontier Technology Corporation’s Cf-252 sources are manufactured and encapsulated following a strict quality assurance program, ensuring they meet or exceed industry standards. All of our sources are fully capable of withstanding the high temperatures and pressures characteristic of deep wells.
To learn more about our Cf-252 neutron emission sources and how they can benefit your well logging application, contact us and request a quote today.