Simulation study on the radioactive logging responses in the spiral borehole

Abstract

The spiral borehole, primarily attributed to uneven force on the drill bit, poses a unique drilling and well logging challenge. In certain logging applications, this phenomenon can disrupt logging responses, introducing periodic fluctuations in the logging curve and complicating the interpretation process. To elucidate the impact of the spiral-borehole phenomenon on conventional radioactive logging methods, we conducted a simulation study examining its effects on traditional density tool (GGD), thermal-neutron porosity tool (TNP), and natural gamma tool (GR). Our findings reveal significant influences on density and porosity tool responses, with the amplitude of periodic fluctuations in logging curves closely linked to the groove depth of the spiral borehole. Conversely, the natural gamma tool exhibits minimal impact, with noticeable spiral-borehole effects causing limited fluctuations. Additionally, when the groove depth of the spiral borehole is fixed, the smaller the distance between the logging tool and the well wall, the closer the value obtained by the logging tool is to the true value of the formation parameter, and vice versa. This research offers theoretical insights for effectively correcting spiral-borehole effects in radioactive logging methods.