Translations:Interpretive processing/2/en

—Matthew Arnold

What is petrophysics? Petrophysics (or rock physics) is the branch of geology that is concerned with the physical properties and behavior of rocks. Oil exploration requires direct and indirect measurements of the underground rock strata, the totality of which commonly is referred to as “the geology.” Well cores provide actual rock samples extracted from a well. Downhole instruments placed in oil wells provide direct measurements, or well logs, of the rocks in place. Cores and well logs are used to determine the petrophysics of the strata to help reveal potential oil-bearing reservoirs. Of interest in petrophysics are things such as rock type (e.g., sandstone, shale, limestone, etc.) and rock characteristics (e.g., porosity, permeability, fracturing, etc.).