High-definition reservoir evaluation using LWD NMR service with cloud-enabled integrated workflows

地点

Mexico, North America, 海上

总结

Offshore, Mexico, SLB introduced the MagniSphere™ high-definition NMR logging-while-drilling service—the first LWD NMR service capable of acquiring T₁ and T₂ data simultaneously in 8.5-in holes. By combining Stream™ high-speed intelligent telemetry with the GeoSphere 360™ 3D reservoir mapping-while-drilling service, triple-combo, and sonic measurements, the team delivered complete real-time reservoir characterization without compromising the ROP.

目标

The MagniSphere service was deployed in a horizontal section of an offshore shallow-water development well. The field had limited magnetic resonance data, and the client did not want to risk a wireline run or use another LWD that would require multiple passes to acquire the same information. PEMEX Litoral Tabasco required a solution capable of delivering complete LWD NMR measurements in a single drilling pass while minimizing operational risk and cost. To meet these objectives, PEMEX selected the MagniSphere service for its sourceless, real-time NMR fluid characterization.

结果

The MagniSphere service was deployed in the horizontal section, transmitting data in real time as drilling progressed. The customer compared thermal neutron porosity (TNPH) with magnetic resonance porosity (MRP) in clean reservoir intervals and found the MRP to be more accurate, remaining unaffected by the 10 to 20% shale content and closely matching porosity estimates from conventional neutron and density-based petrophysical models. Real-time T₁ versus T₂ plotting enabled rapid hydrocarbon and fluid identification, a capability that had previously been limited to postjob analysis. Incorporating outputs such as free-fluid volume (FFV) and MRP into existing workflows reduced uncertainty and simplified water saturation estimation.

Throughout the operation, the Subsurface Advisor (SSA) cloud platform was used to support real-time operations and enable seamless integration with the geosteering and reservoir mapping (GRM) service. The MagniSphere service HD NMR measurements, together with the GeoSphere 360, service triple-combo, and sonic data were streamed to the SSA, allowing multidisciplinary teams to access, visualize, and simultaneously leverage automatically interpreted and integrated data. This solution achieved a consistent ROP of 90 ft/h (27.5 m/h) while acquiring high-quality NMR and complementary data. It delivered high-resolution T₁ and T₂ distributions, revealing reservoir features not identified by previous competitor NMR logs. In addition, it enabled real-time updates to petrophysical models and quick net pay estimates for the customer’s upper management review.

This solution facilitated impactful daily collaboration among petrophysics, drilling, and operations teams using visual MagniSphere service data outputs. It also delivered field copies of recorded mode data less than six hours after tool dump, eliminating conventional processing delays. SSA enabled real-time collaboration and decision making by integrating the MagniSphere service LWD NMR data with petrophysical interpretation and the GRM service, supporting optimized well placement and a consistent, shared reservoir understanding across disciplines.

“The integration of MagniSphere service data into the geosteering workflow enables the dynamic calibration of effective porosity and permeability models in real time. This provides a continuous understanding of rock quality, facilitating trajectory adjustments to keep the wellbore within the reservoir for as many meters as possible and increasing confidence in well production.”

Paulina Flores Lalo, Petrophysicist, PEMEX Litoral Tabasco

Graph showing integration of MagniSphere service measurements with petrophysical interpretation and GRM service.

Subsurface Advisor interface illustrating real-time integration of MagniSphere service measurements with petrophysical interpretation and the GRM service. The display combines QELAN-PHIT and MRP T₁ and T₂ relaxation time distributions, and derived petrophysical properties with a 3D reservoir view, enabling synchronized interpretation, geosteering decisions, and reservoir mapping within a unified cloud-based workflow.

Conventional LWD logs, borehole image, MRP, free fluid volume and T1 and T2 distributions from MagniSphere service.

Integrated MagniSphere service interpretation in an offshore Mexico horizontal well, shows conventional LWD logs, borehole image, MRP, FFV, and high-definition T₁ and T₂ distributions. The T₁ and T₂ maps on the right illustrate clear fluid separation, highlighting bound-fluid volume (BFV) and oil-bearing intervals, and demonstrating the value of real-time NMR measurements for fluid typing and reservoir characterization while drilling.