BUOG

Earth’s Field Measurements

Magnetic and Gravitational Forces

Prepared by
Najah Saeed Abdulridha [Link]@[Link]
 Objectives
 Explain magnetic field in terms of direction and intensity (Mdec, Mdip, Horiz Intensity, TMF)
 Explain the use of the geomagnetic models to determine Earth’s Magnetic Field
 Explain Earth’s Gravitational Force (TGF)
 Identify the reference for inclination and azimuth measurements
 Explain the theory of Gravitational and Magnetic fields of the Earth
 Explain the basics of the inclination and azimuth calculations
 Explain what Gtool, Btool, DIPtool and Magnetic Declinations.
Introduction
Earth’s Magnetic Field Force
The earth can be imagined as having a large bar magnet
almost along the north-south spin axis.
The normal lines of this magnetic field will emanate from
the bar magnet such that at the magnetic north and south
poles, the lines of force (flux lines) will lie vertically (90o)
while at the magnetic equator, the flux lines will be
horizontal (0o).

 Always in motion
 Varies by location and time
 Compensated with Magnetic Declination
 The SI unit of the earth’s magnetic field is Tesla

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Earth’s Magnetic Field Force
 The observed magnetic field will have a strength and
direction (vector).
 The strength is called magnitude and is measured in
units of tesla.
 The direction is always called magnetic north.
 Usual measurements are about:
 60,000 nanotesla near the magnetic poles
 30,000 nanotesla near the magnetic equator.
 It is called Total Field Strength and is referred to as
BTotal or H .
 The BTotal is used as a survey quality check and
sometimes to calculate hole direction

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 Components of Earth’s Magnetic Field
There are three components that are responsible for the magnitude as well as the direction
of the earth’s magnetic field:
 Magnetic declination
 Magnetic inclination or the angle of dip
 Horizontal component of the earth’s magnetic field
Components of Earth’s Magnetic Field
Magnetic Declination
The magnetic declination is defined as the angle between the true north and the magnetic north. On the horizontal
plane, the true north is never at a constant position and keeps varying depending upon the position on the earth’s
surface and time.  Corrects movement of Earth’s magnetic field to True North
 True North is the North Pole
 Calculated from charts or computer programs

Magnetic Inclination or Dip Angle

The magnetic inclination is also known as the angle of dip. It is the angle made by the
horizontal plane on the earth’s surface.
 At the magnetic equator, the angle of dip is 0°
 at the magnetic poles , the angle of dip is 90°.
Horizontal Component of the Earth’s Magnetic Field
There are two components to explain the intensity of the earth’s magnetic field:
 Horizontal component (H) = Magnetic Field Strength x cos (DIP).
 Vertical component (v) = Magnetic Field Strength x sin (DIP).
 At the pole, the horizontal component is 0 nanotesla because the dip angle is 90°
Magnetic Components
• The Earth’s magnetic field is a vector quantity; at each point in space it has a strength and a direction.
To completely describe it we need three quantities. These may be:
 three orthogonal strength components (X, Y, and Z);
 the total field strength and two angles (F or B , D, and I)
 two strength components and an angle (H, Z, and D)
 The relationship between these 7 elements is shown in the diagram
 Component Definition Description
B Total Magnetic-field Strength vector B=(√X2 + Y2 + Z2)

X Magnetic field component along Geographic North direction X = H cos α

Y Magnetic field component along Geographic East direction Y = H sin α

Z Magnetic field component pointing vertically downwards

Magnetic field component parallel to the earth’s surface (Points

H H = (√X2 + Y2)
towards the magnetic south pole)
Magnetic declination: Angle between true north and magnetic
α α = tan−1(Y/X)
north
Magnetic Inclination: Angle measured from horizontal to
θ θ = tan−1(Z/H)
magnetic field vector. It is 90 deg at magnetic poles.

D and I are measured in degrees. All other elements are measured in nanotesla
(nT; 1 nT = 10-9 Tesla).
Magnetometers in D&I package
Exercise 1: Vertical and Horizontal Components of B
Calculate vertical and horizontal components of
vector B for B=50,000 nT and magnetic
DIP=71ᵒ?
Exercise 2:
A single axis magnetometer is position along the wellbore and reads Bx = 10,000 nT
Calculate magnetic azimuth of the wellbore if location vector is defined by the following parameter
 B = 50,000 Nt
 DIP = 65º
 Remember the azimuth is a measurement in horizontal plane. It is an angle measured from the
horizontal component of the B vector (Bhor)
Magnetometers Sensors
 The magnetometer consists of two primary coils and a
secondary (pick-up) coil “PICK UP” COILS ARE WOUND
AROUND THE CUBE ON THREE
 An AC current is applied to the primary coils. ORTHOGONAL AXIS.

Z
 Voltage induced in the pick-up coil is affected by Earth’s
Magnetic Field. Y X
 Bucking current applied to remove the distortion. Z
Y
 Magnitude of the bucking current corresponds to the Earth’s
Magnetic Field Strength along the reference axis. X

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Tri-Axial Magnetometers
 Each of the 3 magnetometer sensors reads some value of the Vector B.
 Together, they are called the orthogonal set.
 The sum of the 3 measurements equals total Vector B (Btool).

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Magnetic Field Models
 The earth’s magnetic field is constantly changing in time.
 Magnetic field data is analyzed to produce a magnetic field "model“
 The model allows spot values of the magnetic field to be calculated anywhere on Earth at a given time
 Ex of magnetic models: IGRF, BGGM, …….

IGRF
International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) Model
 The IGRF is a global model of the geomagnetic field.
 The latest IGRF was produced in 2015, and is valid until 2020.
 IGRF can be used to calculate the following:
 Magnetic Declination (MDC)
 Magnetic Dip Angle (MDip)
 Total Magnetic Field (TMF)
 Horizontal Intensity (TMF-xy)
Magnetometer reference
Magnetometer reference comes from the GeoMagnetic Model (BGGM, HDGM or any other)
 Each Geomagnetic Model provides:
 Location B, Location DIP and Magnetic
Declination
 To calculate the reference for
magnetometers you require:
 Location data (Latitude, Longitude and
Coordinate System)
 Geomagnetic model name and its revision
(BGGM2016 or HDGM2016)
 Date of drilling (Magnetic declination
calculation date)
 Elevation/TVD
 (BGGM):British Geological
Survey Global Geo-Magnetic
 Geomagnetic Field Models
There is more than one geomagnetic model with different degree of accuracy:
 IGRF (International Geomagnetic Reference Field)
 Updated every 5 years
 BGGM (BGS Global Geomagnetic Model )
 Updated every year
 HDGM (High Definition Geomagnetic Model)
 Updated every year

SLB usually obtain the geomagnetic reference value from the BGGM (British Geological Survey Global Geomagnetic
Model)
• The BGGM model is updated every year
• BGGM gives the main field reference data:
– Magnetic Declination
– Field Strength
– FAC:
Earth’s Gravity Field Force: Gravity Field Vector
 The gravity of the earth refers to the acceleration of any object falling to the surface of the earth. The
mean acceleration at the earth’s surface is approximately 9.81 m/s2 (32.2 ft/s2) and it is described as
1.0 g.
 Vector g points towards the center of the Earth.
 The vertical reference is the Earth’s Gravitational Field.
 An inclination of 0 is a vertical hole.
 An inclination of 90 is a horizontal hole.

 Gravity at 0° Latitude: 0.9980 g

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 Gravity at 90° Latitude: 1.0033 g
Accelerometers Sensors
A device used to measure the intensity and direction of the earth’s gravitational field. Determines position
of tool relative to earth’s gravitational field.
 We have 3 of these devices in Measuring tool
 They are arranged at 90 degrees to each other in a mutually orthogonal set

Direction of Gravitational Field

MASS
MASS
=0G = 1G
REFERENCE
AXiS

REFERENCE
AXIS

stationary
Accelerometers Sensor
A hinged pendulum suspended inside a case attempts to continue to hang in alignment with
the Gravity vector even if the case is tilted

Inclination

Gtool  G  G  G
2
x
2
y
2
z

Gravity Vector
Gx
Cos( Inc) 
Gtool
TG
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Inclination Calculation
The Calculation of Inclination
 Angle between the X axis of the tool and the Gravity vector

 Gx 
1
Inc  Cos 
 GFH

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Accelerometers Output
 The measurement for each accelerometer ranges from 1.0g to -1.0g.
 The accelerometer reads 1g when its reference axis is aligned with the gravitational force in the same
direction and is not moving.
 It reads 0g when its reference axis is perpendicular to the force.
 the accelerometer's measurement is negative when its in oppsit direction to gravity direction
 These measurements are converted to Tool G by the software, Tool G is a measure of g in counts. For
example, 1g = 1000 counts.
 1gamma = 1 Nano Tesla = 10-9 = 10-5 gauss
Accelerometers Output
– An accelerometer lined up with the Gravity Vector gives +/- 1000 counts or +/- 1 volt
– An accelerometer perpendicular to the Gravity Vector gives zero counts
WHAT IS THE RESPONSE OF A, B & C?
Gravity Top of tool
Inc = 0, tool is vertical

Top of the DAS

Note: Yellow cap in C pointing towards center

Yellow cap in A,B pointing outwards (opposite direction)
Accelerometer Output vs. Orientation
0 deg 45 deg 90 deg 135 deg 180 deg 225 deg 270 deg 315 deg 360 deg

AS THE SENSOR IS OUTPUT VALUES ARE NOT

+1G= +1 V ROTATED, THE OUTPUT UNIQUE. ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT
DESCRIBES A COSINE WAVE. CANNOT BE MEASURED
WITH ONE SENSOR.

-1G=-1 V

GRAVITY
MWD TOOL INCLINATION AND GRAVITY
TOOL IS VERTICAL Inc = 180
TOOL IS HORIZONTAL
G
Inc = 90

Inc = 45

Inc = 135
Inc = 0
Azimuth – need Accelerometers
We need Accelerometers as well as
Magnetometers to calculate the Azimuth
 If we simply measure from Survey Point to
North – we get an incorrect measurement
(see length of blue arrow)
 We must project the Survey Point onto the
Horizontal Plane
 Accelerometers give us a reference to
Horizontal

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Field Acceptance Criteria (FAC)
Reference Values - based on latest BGGM (or HDGM) data and computed with
COMPUSS- MGUTM or DOX software:
 Obtain from Wall Plot / Drilling Program / signed Survey Sheet from FSM or DEC
Field Acceptance Criteria (FAC)
 Total [G] = Reference +/- 2.5mg
 Total [H] = Reference +/- 300nT (6cts)
 Dip angle = Reference +/- 0.45°
MAGUTM
A Sperry-Sun computer program used to determine magnetic declination provides the survey operator
with the means to determine declination quickly, efficiently, and more accurately
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Field Acceptance Criteria (FAC)
 FAC = Reference - Measurements
– If FAC fails, it can be related to either reference or the measurements.
Geomag Results Acceptance Criteria

Location B 48236.84 Override 48236.84 +/- 300.00 Override 300.00 nT

Location G 1000.43 Override 1000.43 +/- 2.5 Override 2.5 mgn
DIP 65.32 Override 65.32 +/- 0.45 Override 0.45 deg
Magnetic Dec -0.7942 Override -0.7942

Usually provided within the wall plot or survey program Driven by software

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