About This Item

Share This Item

The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

AAPG Bulletin

Abstract


Volume: 77 (1993)

Issue: 10. (October)

First Page: 1781

Last Page: 1791

Title: Numerical Zonation of Log Suites and Logfacies Recognition by Multivariate Clustering

Author(s): D. Gill (2), A. Shomrony (3), H. Fligelman (3)

Abstract:

Zonation of well logs and the correlation of zones between wells are routine fundamental tasks in subsurface geological analysis. Objective numerical multivariate clustering is an effective procedure to simultaneously comprehend a suite of well logs and partition it into geologically meaningful zones and for identifying zone-specific logfacies. Discrimination of zones and logfacies from log suites was established by a hierarchical clustering algorithm that defines clusters so that their within-cluster dispersion is minimal. Logfacies are defined by an unconstrained analysis of unzoned data, whereas the special requirements of the stratigraphic context of the zonation are observed by an adjacency constraint which prohibits merging individual depth levels or lower order clu ters if their members are not vertically contiguous. Two test cases, one involving a succession composed of several alternating lithologies and the other entailing a uniform carbonate sequence with only subtle changes, demonstrate the applicability and efficacy of the method. In both cases, the numerical zonation matched the manual lithostratigraphic division extremely well. The geological validity of the numerically defined zones was also borne out by density-neutron crossplots. The unconstrained analysis successfully identified logfacies which are zone-specific, indicating that logfacies can serve as important leads for the recognition of reverse faults in boreholes and for interwell correlations.

Pay-Per-View Purchase Options

The article is available through a document delivery service. Explain these Purchase Options.

Watermarked PDF Document: $14
Open PDF Document: $24

AAPG Member?

Please login with your Member username and password.

Members of AAPG receive access to the full AAPG Bulletin Archives as part of their membership. For more information, contact the AAPG Membership Department at [email protected].