WellCAD 6 Updates and Build Notes

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Version 6.1 – Build 1412

February 2026

Fixes

  • ISI Workspace Rose Diagram Refresh: An issue where Rose Diagram and Stereonet plots did not consistently refresh when toggling the Corrected / Not Corrected option or when modifying related properties has been resolved.
  • Structure Log Node Display: A crash occurring when shifting a structure log while node display was enabled. The interaction is now handled safely and no longer causes WellCAD to crash.
  • Header XPlot Depth/Time Switching: Switching between depth, time, and date-time references while an XPlot item uses Depth on the X or Y axis in a header no longer causes WellCAD to crash.
  • Formula Editor Cut/Paste: A crash that could occur when exiting the Formula Editor after using cut/paste shortcuts (e.g., Ctrl+X then Ctrl+V) while editing a formula log has been fixed. Keyboard focus is now correctly constrained to the Formula Editor so shortcuts no longer act on the underlying document/log and trigger invalid formula state. Standard copy/paste/cut shortcuts remain supported within the editor.
  • 3D Log Structure Deletion: WellCAD could crash when a structure log was deleted while a 3D log was displayed and the document was subsequently saved. This scenario is now handled correctly and files save without issues.
  • NMRSA Process Exit Issue: An application exit issue following execution of the NMRSA process has been resolved. The NMRSA workflow now terminates cleanly, and processing availability is better aligned with the presence of a valid NMRSA log, avoiding unexpected behaviour with demo files.
  • Geomechanics Workspace Interval Insertion: In the Geomechanics workspace, inserting a new interval into a duplicated process log could lead to an application failure. Duplicated logs now handle interval insertion correctly without instability.
  • Flowmeter Calibration Header Corruption: An issue where selecting a flowmeter calibration header could corrupt the file if the calibration workspace was not open has been fixed. The FlowVelocity process now validates the calibration bitmap before use, preventing invalid exports and file corruption. An info note has been added to the dialog box.
  • Comment Log Edit Mode: An intermittent issue where comment log intervals did not consistently enter edit mode on hover (pencil cursor), making editing unreliable, has been resolved. The interaction is now stable and behaves consistently regardless of scrolling.
  • Multiwell Map Image Clipping: In Multiwell documents, disabling the Header could cause the map image to be clipped at the top and incorrectly positioned, particularly at 100% zoom. Map rendering now remains correctly aligned and fully visible regardless of header or zoom settings.
  • Strata Log Contact Refresh: A refresh issue with document-wide contacts in strata logs, where hiding a log could leave contact graphics visible until the view was refreshed (e.g. by scrolling), has been fixed. Contacts are now correctly updated and removed immediately when the associated log is hidden.
  • Structure Attribute Editing in Tadpole Mode: An issue where structure attributes could not be edited when the structure log was displayed in tadpole mode has been resolved. Attribute editing is now available in all display modes.
  • ISI Node Confidence Level Filtering: In the ISI Workspace, node visibility now correctly respects the selected confidence level. Nodes outside the specified confidence threshold are no longer displayed.
  • Icon Display Issues: An issue where icons were incorrectly displayed or missing in the Header Explorer Bar, the CoreCAD workspace Add/Remove buttons, and the borehole document explorer (including boxplot and spiderplot logs) has been fixed. Icon mappings have been corrected and now display consistently across the UI.
  • Projection Mode Property Display: An issue where the projection mode was not correctly reflected in the property grid, always displaying Polar regardless of the actual net projection mode, has been resolved. The property grid now shows the correct projection mode.
  • Dips Chart Overlapping Structures: The Dips chart now correctly includes all structures, even when multiple structures occur at the same depth, ensuring complete and accurate representation.
  • Log Editor Text Handling: Text handling in the Log Editor has been enhanced. Ctrl+C now correctly copies cell content, Ctrl+V pastes as expected, and standard Cut/Copy/Paste actions are supported via the context menu.
  • Script Editor Property List Stability: Following the upgrade of BCG ControlBar Pro, stability issues in the Script Editor—particularly when interacting with the property list (Property/Value pane)—have been resolved. Function parameters can now be safely viewed and edited via the property list without causing instability.
  • UCS – Chang (1) Description: Corrected the description for UCS – Chang (1). The method is based on the relationship between UCS and P-slowness, not porosity, aligning the documentation with the actual inputs and implementation.
  • Tensile Strength Parameter Label: Corrected a mislabelled parameter name: the tensile strength constant is now labelled “Tensile Strength” instead of “Static Young Modulus.”
  • Flowmeter Zone Shading Export: Flowmeter interval zone shading is now handled correctly during export. Helper workspace logs (including Flowmeter profile interval zones and similar cut-off/helper logs) are no longer exported as printable logs, ensuring consistent and expected PDF/output results.
  • Lineation Selection Behaviour: New lineations are not automatically selected after creation, unlike sinusoids. Also, double left click does not consistently deselect all picks and reselect only the clicked pick across sinusoids, lineations, and breakouts, nor reliably apply the currently selected Classification Bar attribute.
  • Aperture Display: An issue where the aperture turned white when the cursor passed over it has been fixed.
  • Geomechanics Log Export Naming: When exporting logs from the Geomechanics Workspace to the borehole document, logs with the same parameter name (e.g. Sh_Min) are now exported with distinct names so they can be differentiated.
  • Polar/Rose Log Template Attributes: When applying a template to a Polar or Rose Log diagram in a header, the “Display Attribute” setting is now correctly preserved so tadpole attributes are applied instead of defaulting to None and displaying all in black.
  • Bulk Modulus Elastic Method Inputs: In the method selection parameters list, the Bulk Modulus elastic method now correctly uses Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio as inputs instead of porosity.
  • Automation Clone Log Updates: When modifying log elements (such as lithology beds or comment boxes) via Automation, linked clone logs are now correctly updated. The necessary client updates, previously only triggered during manual interactions, are now also applied when changes are made using the Automation “Set” methods, ensuring consistent behaviour between manual edits and automated workflows.
  • TFD Import Hidden Logs: Logs that were not selected during TFD import from ABI/DDS are no longer shown in the Explorer Bar, ensuring that only imported logs appear and preventing empty, hidden logs from being created.

Improvements

  • Script Editor Font Size: The Script Editor font size has been adjusted to improve readability, addressing issues where text appeared too small.
  • Picture File List Import: The Picture File List import is now more robust and tolerant of formatting variations. Import handling has been enhanced to better manage delimiters and file paths, including cases with additional spaces or delimiter characters in file names, reducing import failures caused by strict formatting requirements.
  • BLM Text File Import: BLM text file import now handles space delimiters more reliably, with a new option to treat consecutive delimiters as one. This resolves import issues caused by multiple spaces and improves overall robustness when parsing text-based inputs.

Custom development

This release includes a customer-specific development delivering a new KS (resistivity) and GK (radiometry) processing plug-in for WellCAD. The plug-in supports end-to-end interpretation workflows for Kobra and DLL3 tools, including signal smoothing, segmentation, environmental corrections, lithology attribution, permeability (filtration coefficient) calculation, and grade-thickness (GT) computation. The processing is parameter-driven, leverages deposit- and horizon-specific abacuses, and allows manual adjustment at key stages to support operational interpretation needs. In addition, the plug-in enables automated generation of standardised well passports combining raw data, processed results, lithological interpretation, permeability indicators, and radiometric outputs (eRa, eU, accumulations). This development replaces legacy interpretation workflows and provides a consistent, auditable framework for resistivity and radiometry interpretation aligned with site-specific geological and operational constraints.

Version 6.0 – Build 1703

October 17th, 2025

  • Compatibility Issue with 5.8 File Exports: An issue that could cause file corruption when saving or exporting to WellCAD 5.8 has been resolved. Previously affected files can now be opened successfully.
  • Stability Issue When Editing Stereonet Picks: A crash could occur after changing stereonet legend categories and creating a new pick. This has been fixed, the stereonet now updates correctly, and picks can be created without issues.
  • Crash in Structure Interval Statistics: A crash could occur in the Structure Interval Statistics process when running it on a borehole document without a fracture log. The issue has been fixed and the process now correctly handles cases where no fracture log is present, preventing the application from crashing.
  • Depth Units Display in Cross-Sections (Multiwell): Depth units on borehole depth display in cross-sections were not updating when switching the vertical (Z) scale between metres and feet. This has been fixed and titles now correctly follow the selected unit system.
  • Special Character Issues: A display issue caused special characters, such as the microsecond (µs) unit, to appear incorrectly (e.g., shown as “s” in the Estimate Fluid Velocity and Calculate Caliper processes). This has been fixed, and all units now display correctly.

Version 6.0 – Build 1617

September 23rd, 2025

New Geomechanics module

The new Geomechanics add-on introduces a dedicated workspace within WellCAD, featuring specialized workflows that support calculating rock mechanical properties, estimating in-situ stress magnitudes, building mechanical earth models, and assessing formation stability. These workflows integrate seamlessly with your log data and are built upon peer-reviewed methodologies and industry-standard geomechanical practices.

The Geomechanics add-on in WellCAD focuses on the following sections:

  • Density and Sonic Velocity Estimations: Estimate missing or incomplete bulk density, compressional wave (P-wave), and shear wave (S-wave) velocities using a library of empirical equations, calibrated by lithology. These estimations are critical when direct logs are unavailable or noisy, and are often used as inputs for elastic moduli, stress models, and rock strength correlations.
  • Rock Mechanics: Estimate essential rock strength and elastic parameters using well logs and core-derived values. (e.g., UCS, tensile strength, elastic moduli) from logs and lab data.
  • Determination of Pore Pressure. Pore pressure refers to the pressure exerted by fluids within the pores of a rock formation. Understanding and accurately determining pore pressure is essential for safe and efficient well planning.
  • Determination of Stress Magnitudes: Determine in-situ vertical and horizontal stresses using integrated density logs, sonic-derived elastic properties, and user-defined parameters (e.g., Poisson’s ratio, Biot coefficient). The module supports both vertical stress from density integration, minimum and maximum horizontal stress magnitudes using poroelastic equations.
  • Fracture Stability: Evaluate the risk of rock failure using Mohr-Coulomb criteria, applied continuously along the wellbore.
  • It is also possible to access the different geomechanical parameters and methods as individual processes from the Process menu.

New Spider and Box plots

Two new chart types – Spider and Box plots (also known a Box & Whisker plots) – have been added to the Chart log. Both chart types are also supported in the borehole document header and can be added and edited using the Header Editor.

Assorted features in the Basic module

  • Status Bar: Details, such as depth, number of data or sampling rate, of the currently selected (single) log will now be shown in the status bar.
  • Formula Log: An increased font size and syntax highlighting is now supported by the formula parser. It will make the composition and edition of formulas more user friendly. The position of Syntax errors will be indicated by a tool-tip.
  • Chart Log: Pie charts will account for data gaps when calculating the proportions and a category named Emptywill show the percentage of missing data. A new Normalize option has been added to the log properties to ignore missing intervals and normalize the volumes to add up to 100% (exceptions are log types which support overlapping intervals like the CoreDesc and classified Interval logs). An option to adjust the font style for labels and legends has also been added.
  • Chart Log: Support for classified logs (Well and Interval logs) has been added for Pie charts.
  • Strata Log: A new option has been added to the log properties allowing the user to specify whether the Code, the Description or a combination of Code and Description of the selected pattern is used as label.
  • Lithology log (and log types using pattern dictionaries): When editing a pattern dictionary in-place, a change of the pattern code will automatically trigger a replacement of the old code in the log’s data table.
  • Multiple File Import: A warning message will be displayed when the user selects too many files exceeding the file name buffer (e.g. when attempting to import a large number of core images).
  • File Import: The preview display of the Text File Import dialog box has been improved to display larger quantities of data column more clearly.
  • Page Settings: The dialog box has been re-designed and new options have been added to define the depth interval (s) to be printed.
  • Annotations: An option has been added to the Bitmap Annotation properties to maintain their aspect ratio.

Assorted features for Header / Footer design

  • Labels and dynamic text fields can now be added to a header by dragging and dropping selected rows from the Metadata bar into the Header Editor window.
  • An option to maintain the aspect ratio has been added to the properties of the Bitmap item.
  • Chart items (pie, spider, box, ternary, …) support user defined depth intervals now.

Assorted features in the ISI module

  • Structure, Breakout and Lineation logs: When editing a classification dictionary in-place, a change of the code for a classification attribute will automatically trigger a replacement of the old code in the log’s data table.
  • Structure log: A new option -Display nodes – to toggle the display of nodes has been added to the default settings (Tools > Options).
  • 3D Log: When selecting the Structure – and / or Lineation Component in the log properties the user can also choose the structure types that should be displayed (e.g. only open fractures, no bedding) as an overlay to the 3D log.
  • Polar & Rose log: The structure types displayed in node and branch distribution diagrams can now be grouped. Rather than displaying an individual symbol for each fracture type, multiple types (e.g. minor, intermediate and major fractures) can be combined and displayed as a single group.
  • ISI workspace: The display of nodes has been added to the ISI workspace along with a filter to choose the structure class for which the nodes are displayed.
  • ISI workspace: The statistics displayed in the legend table of stereonet and rose diagrams can now be exported when right clicking on the table.
  • New Fracture Length process: A new process to calculate the fracture length ratio – the ratio between the length of the actual fracture trace represented by the sinusoid and the circumference of the borehole in the fracture plane – has been added to the ISI Module > Structure Logs menu.

Bug fixes

  • Median and weighted average filters work now properly when the circular data option has been selected.
  • WellCAD no longer closes unexpectedly when merging FWS logs while the Waveform viewer is open.
  • The feature depth of apparent to true corrected partial picks (tadpoles) is now correctly displayed in the ISI workspace.
  • Depth units are now correctly displayed and handled in the LAS file import dialog box.
  • All quartiles calculated using the Interval Statistics process are now output as Interval logs.
  • Engineering log: A transparency problem when displaying equipment items (e.g. casing shoe, casing centralizer) has been solved.
  • The default positions for newly inserted Polar & Rose logs are correctly applied now.