Application of X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of Drill Cuttings for Geosteering Horizontal Wells: A Case Study of the Achimov Formation (Part 2)

This paper is dedicated to expanding the application scope of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis of drill cuttings in the Achimov deposits of the Urengoy oil and gas condensate field. The first part of the study addressed the lithogeochemical typing of the section using XRF data from drill cuttings. The second part presents a methodology for the real-time evaluation of formation reservoir properties during horizontal well drilling with a minimal logging-while-drilling (LWD) suite (gamma ray logging only, or its combination with resistivity measurements). The authors propose a simplified mathematical model for evaluating porosity based on the concentration of a single element indicator – zinc (Zn). The results of “blind testing” of the model on an exploratory well from an adjacent area confirm its reliability. The practical significance of implementing this porosity evaluation methodology for drilling horizontal wells with a minimal LWD suite is substantiated.

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