Basic Petrophysics · Module B1
Foundations of Petrophysics
The opening module sets out what petrophysics is for: characterising rock and fluid properties from well data in support of a specific decision. It introduces the properties that enter an in-place volume, the main log measurements and what each physically responds to, and the habit of stating every assumption with its source and range.
- Level
- Beginner
- Position
- Module 1 of 7
- Video
- About 17 minutes, narrated
- Format
- Narrated video lesson with chapters; with the certified option, a graded module quiz.
What the module covers
- The decision a petrophysical interpretation supports
- Porosity, water saturation and net-to-gross in the STOIIP equation
- What gamma ray, resistivity, density, neutron and sonic logs respond to
- Porosity and permeability: related, but not interchangeable
- What makes an assumption defensible: stated, sourced and ranged
Learning outcomes
After the module you should be able to:
- Explain how porosity, water saturation and net-to-gross combine with rock volume into STOIIP
- Say what each standard log physically measures
- Write an assumption down so that a reviewer can check it
A short preview
A density log does not measure porosity. It measures electron density, which tracks bulk density, and porosity follows only once you assume a matrix density and a fluid density. That distinction runs through the whole track: every number on a petrophysical summary is a measurement passed through an assumption. The course starts there because the habit it builds, separating what the tool read from what you assumed, is what lets a reviewer check the work, and what lets you find the assumption that matters most when the answer has to change.
Who it is for
Geoscientists, reservoir and production engineers, and graduates who need to read a standard log suite and build a first-pass interpretation they can defend.
Prerequisites: None beyond basic geology and algebra.
Take the module in the Learning Hub
Basic Petrophysics: Seven foundational modules with narrated lessons and chapter-based navigation. The lesson opens in the Learning Hub once the track is purchased; graded quizzes and the certificate come with the certified option.