Evolution of research on well logging geology in terms of depth, scale, span, and dimension

Hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation have progressively shifted toward 10000-meter-deep onshore plays, 1000-meter-deep offshore plays, unconventional plays, and residual oil in mature oilfields. The emerging frontiers are characterized by diverse reservoir types, complex geological conditions, and considerable difficulties in exploration and development, posing challenges such as incompatibilities between existing methodological and technical systems and exploration and exploitation targets to research on well logging geology. This study presents a summary of the evolution of research on well logging geology in terms of depth, scale, span, and dimension for hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation. The results indicate that logging geology research is gradually advancing towards in-depth interdisciplinary integration and multidimensional development. The integration of geology, logging, seismology, engineering, and artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance the efficiency of hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation while reducing costs and risks. In the development of deep to ultra-deep onshore plays at depths of about 10000 m, the combination of logging and geology allows revealing the genetic mechanisms of reservoirs and analyzing major factors controlling reservoir quality, thereby achieving a comprehensive reservoir evaluation. For unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs, research on well logging geology enables the identification of the geological characteristics of millimeter-scale laminae, as well as analyses of subtle variations in oil-bearing properties and oil mobility within micro- to nano-scale pore throats. On the spatial scale, logging technology allows for the detection of wellbores, near-well areas, and far-well regions, achieving the characterization of point-line-plane-volume full-space geological information. On the temporal scale, logging technology enables the analysis of changes in log data before and after fracturing or water injection, thus contributing to fine-scale hydrocarbon development. Driven by AI empowerment, the future integration of multidisciplinary dimensions, that is, geology, well logging, seismology, and engineering, will further expand the application domains and scope of well logging geology, accelerating its development. This will offer robust technical support for future hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation.