Logging Trucks for Sale: Where They're Used

If you're looking at logging trucks for sale, you're probably getting into the well logging business, or expanding an existing fleet. Well logging trucks — also called wireline trucks or logging units — are the specialized vehicles that carry logging equipment down oil and gas wells. They're used everywhere there's well logging work. Let's look at where they're used, and what they do.

Where Logging Trucks Are Used

Logging trucks are used everywhere there's oil and gas activity. You'll find them:

- On every new well: When a well is first drilled, you need to log it. That's how you know what kind of rock you're in, how deep the reservoir is, and whether it's worth completing. Logging trucks show up right after drilling, before the well is cased.
- On every cased hole well: After the well is cased, you log it again. Cased hole logging tells you about the cement bond, the casing condition, and the reservoir properties behind the casing.
- On every workover: When you do a workover on a well, you log it again. That tells you what condition the well is in, and what needs to be fixed.
- On every production well: Even after a well is on production, you log it regularly. That tells you how the reservoir is changing, and whether the well needs workover or stimulation.

What Do Logging Trucks Do?

Logging trucks carry logging equipment down the well. The logging tools are run on a wireline — a steel cable that has electrical conductors inside. The tools measure all kinds of downhole properties:

- Natural gamma ray: Measures the natural radioactivity of the rock. That tells you if you're in shale or sandstone.
- Resistivity: Measures how resistive the rock is. That tells you if the rock has oil or water in it.
- Density: Measures the density of the rock. That tells you how porous the rock is.
- Sonic: Measures how fast sound travels through the rock. That tells you about the rock's mechanical properties.
- Caliper: Measures the diameter of the wellbore. That tells you if the hole is washed out or in gauge.
- Cement bond log (CBL): Measures how well the cement is bonded to the casing. That tells you if the cement job was successful.

All this data is sent up the wireline to the logging truck, where it's recorded and analyzed. The logging truck has a big computer system that records and processes the data, and the logging engineer creates a log — a graph that shows all the measurements vs. depth.

Who Uses Logging Trucks?

Logging trucks are used by:

- Wireline service companies: Companies like Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes, and others. They own fleets of logging trucks, and they provide logging services to oil companies. Most small oil companies don't own their own logging trucks — they hire a service company to do it.
- Specialized logging companies: There are smaller companies that specialize in well logging. They're cheaper than the big service companies, and they focus on logging specifically.
- Oil companies: Some big oil companies own their own logging trucks, especially in remote areas where service companies are scarce.

FAQ

Q: How much does a logging truck cost?
A: A new logging truck costs $500,000 to $2 million, depending on the size and the logging equipment. The logging equipment itself is expensive — the tools cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Used logging trucks are 40-60% cheaper, depending on the age and condition.