Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering

sedimentological
studies by log
curve shapes
Prof. Dr./ Shohdy El Mahgraby

Ahmed Mohamed Farag

Master studies 2017/2018
What are the sedimentation cycle that can be determined from their shapes in SP?

- Regressive sand, transgressive sand, offshore sand bar, channel fill sand bar,
turbidite and constructive delta sedimentation sequence.

Discuss the interpretation of regressive sand bars and sequences and the transgressive
environment.

Regressive.

1- Basal shale unit is deposited in a low energy deepsea environment.

2- Well sorted sand units develop as the shoreline retreats in cyclic oscillating fashion.
3- The highest clean sand unit (highest SP) is produced in oxidized environment.
4- The transgressive sedimentation sequence terminates he regressive sequence and
appears like:
A- Sloping straight line in case of linear regression of constant sea withdrawal.
B- The decelerated regression of constantly decreasing sea with drawal rate
appears as a cusp (the center of curvature is toward the right or positive SP for
drilling muds fresher than formation waters).
C- An accelerated regression of constantly increasing sea withdrawal rate appears
as a cusp( the center of curvature is toward the left or negative SP).

Transgressive:

When the SP deflections are normalized to a constant mud resistivity, the shorelins will
delineate stratigraphic hydrocarbon trap prospects when found up-dip and down dip for
uranium traps.

Show by example the regressive sand example of sedimentation patterns.

 1- Accelerated regression
2- Linear regression .
3- Retarded regression.
4- Sand absent.
The horizontal distance to the pinchout of the Viking sand may be determined by
projecting the rate of regression retardation toward well No.4

Distinguish between the following patterns of SP- short normal curves.

Draw a sketch illustrating the various sedimentation environments.

Give a brief about the transgressive sedimentation patterns.

- Transgression results from an advance of the strandline overland due to a rise in sea
level.
- The base of transgression is well sorted coarse grained sediments, oscillating sea
level leads to poorly sorted fine grains.
- The associated sand bars is revesed from the regressive environments, but both
types are prominent lagoonal and tidal flat deposits which act as effective barriers to
up dip petroleum migration.
- Fast transgressive sea is indicated by envelope's cusping feature so it is possible to
calibrate the degree of transgressive acceleration.
- The transgressive actions causes only minor sedimentary volume (thin sands), the
higher the transgressive energy, the thinner the sediments.
- Example of two sand bars is shown in the following figure.
Discuss the channel fill sand bar phenomena.

- It is generated initially by the fluvial process of river channel-cut then channel-fill

and valley fill, which causes lateral migrtation of stream channels.
- There are two types of channel-fill: distriburatary channel-fills and point bar build-up
in alluvial plains or valleys.
- Distributary channel : is characterized by extreme variations in grain size between
the center of the channel and edges of the channel (high velocity vs lower
velocity)(coarse grains and fine grains) (barrel shaped SP and finger shaped SP).
- Alluvial point bar: shows nearly horizontal layering and the SP curve shape is the
same as regressive environemtn with finne sand towars the top.
- Examples of channel fill sand bars is shown in the following figure:

Give a brief about turbidities.

- Sediments that are generated by subsea lindsides under gravitationl influence, they
are readily recoginized as massive silty shales of graded vertical appearance on the
SP and resistivity curves.
- A turbidite is characterized by suspension flow featues such as sand grain sorting
and elongated grain orientation.
- Well defined turbidities are very clear on the electric log by linear transgressive
appearance on the SP curve

Give a brief about Delta Sedimentation Sequence.

- Vast quantities of sediments were derived from erosion of igneous, metamorphic

and sedimentary rocks from the continets.
- Depending on the strength of the waves, the sedimentary dispersion of the delta ––
may be cuspate (Nile river), lobate or elongated (Mississippi).
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- The sediments are transported by fluvial channels.
- As the delta builds up, the channels become superimposed due to sand sinking in
muds and the electric log will be like the following figure

-the delta palin facies is characterized by salty water deposits that give SP
deflections in the distributary channels and the typical log in shown in the following
figure
- The main delta sands are developed in the delta front facies where distriutary
mouth bars are found like the following typical figure:

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- The process by which a delta builds up over delta marine fringes is shown in the
following figure

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Talk briefly about the sedimentation environment mapping.

- Depends on the geophysicochemical differences in sediments laid in deep sea, near

shore and on shore.
- Most oil fields in stratigraphic traps are most likely associated with maximum
interfingering areas between near shore and continental sediments, which is a
favorable environment for generating oil because of rich vegetal and animal organic
life developed.
- The best possibilities of finding oil seem to be in the regressive strandline traps
because shallow lagoonal environment moves over reservoir rock.
- The redox log (measure the redox potential of the sediments) is a major step
forward in mapping the favorable environment for oil, gas and other mineral
generation.

Mapping problem

Suppose you have a prospect location like the following figure, the objective sand is
the Olmos B sand, this sand exhibits a typical regressive pattern on the SP curve, what are
steps to project laterally to a sand pinch-out using regressive curve shape patterns?

- Make a structural map on top of the Olmos B sand.

- Make an isopach map of the Olmos B sand and its lateral projection to the pinch-out
by projecting thickness laterally.
- Make a map of the reciprocal of the linear SP regression line in foot per millivolt.
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