Practical approach for sand-shale mixtures classification based on rocks multi-physical properties

Abstract

Sandstones are the most common reservoir rocks, providing reservoirs for oil and gas and serving as reservoirs for groundwater. The Gulf of Mexico is known for its sand-shale mixtures and potential for its oil and hydrate gas resources in sandstone units. Understanding these variations is essential for assessing hydrocarbon potential and unconventional prospectivity. In this study, we utilized the Elastic, Electrical, and Radioactive (EER) properties of rocks for lithological categorization of well logging data, leading to the development of a novel rock physics template. The electrical and radioactive properties of the rocks facilitated a broad lithological classification, while their elastic characteristics helped distinguish between porous and low-porosity zones. Electrical and radioactive properties are utilized for well data classification because in sandstone formations, there is a decrease in log gamma and an increase in log resistivity. As a result, these opposing shifts in the two geophysical logs enhance the spread of data points on the lithological resistivity-gamma ray scatter plot, thereby simplifying the process of lithological categorization. Ultimately, the well logging data was sorted into three distinct categories: low shale sands (shale volume < 30 %), sand-shale mixtures (shale volume = 30 to 80 %), and shale-dominated areas. Subsequently, the Thomas Stieber model was employed to identify the types of clay minerals present in both sandstones and sand-shale mixtures. The model's findings revealed that dispersed type clay minerals are predominantly found in sandstones, with laminar and structured types being relatively rare. However, in sand-shale mixtures, both dispersed and laminar clays observed.