Permeability logging evaluation: Current status and development directions

Permeability is one of the important and difficult to accurately calculate reservoir parameters. At present, the evaluation of permeability logging mainly has four types of methods, namely: permeability evaluation based on porosity-permeability relationship, permeability evaluation based on nuclear magnetic resonance logging, permeability evaluation based on Stoneley wave measurement, and permeability evaluation based on big data and artificial intelligence. Through the analysis of the applicability of the above methods, it was found that the wellbore Stoneley wave is closely related to the fluidity of fluid in the reservoir pore space and has a significant advantage in permeability evaluation. However, at present the permeability logging evaluation faces great challenges due to three reasons: the theoretical and experimental difficulty of determining permeability parameters themselves, the increasing complexity of evaluation objects, and the lack of equipment that can be used for continuous permeability measurement underground. This article points out that promoting the research on the theory, methods, and techniques of Stoneley wave permeability evaluation and constructing a new permeability evaluation technology system centered on Stoneley wave measurement is the development direction of the new generation logging technology.