Paper: Applications Of The Foramtion Micro Scanner Imaging Tool In The Permian Basin

The Formation Micro Scanner (FMS*) tool was introduced commercially in the United States in the Permian Basin in 1985. The tool is the latest development in a four pad, eight button dipmeter type tool, with an array of twenty seven buttons on two of the pads. On pads three and four, twenty seven resistivity curves are then processed into images. Since each image covers 2.8" of the borehole wall, in an 8" borehole 22% of the borehole is imaged with each logging pass. The data is presented on a 1: 5 vertical and horizontal scale or 240" per 100" versus 5" per 100" which is a normal detail logging scale. In the Permian Basin, images have been used extensively in three major areas, High Resolution Reservoir Analysis, Stratigraphic Dip Analysis and Fracture Analysis. With High Resolution Reservoir Analysis, the type of porosity can be determined and if secondary filling of the porosity has taken place. Depositional environments and energy of environments are distinguished, stylolites are detected, and thin bed resolution is possible, all which have never before been identified with normal logging suites. When used for a Stratigraphic Dip Analysis, the data can either be used along with normal stratigraphic dipmeter computations to determine which dipmeter data should or should not be used for stratigraphic computations, or it may be used alone to compute the actual dips of the features seen on the images. Fracture Analysis with the FMS can help distinguish the difference between open and healed fractures, the number of fractures per given interval, types of fractures present (vertical or high angle) and usually if a fracture is natural or has been drilling induced.