Seismic and Rockphysics Diagnostics of Multiscale Reservoir Textures

Abstract

As part of our study on ''Relationships between seismic properties and rock microstructure'', we have studied (1) Kerogen-rich shales using Scanning Acoustic Microscopy and ultrasonic wave propagation. We find that an increase in elastic modulus with increasing kerogen maturity can be directly related to the microstructural acoustic impedance changes. A positive relation is established between microstructural changes and velocity variations as functions of kerogen maturity. (2) Elastic properties of clay minerals using Atomic Force Acoustic Microscopy and Scanning Acoustic Microscopy. We show the effect of clay minerals in contact zones as load-bearing constituents of rocks (3) Elastic properties of unconsolidated sediments in an effort to quantify attributes for detection of overpressures from seismic and for effects of stress-induced velocity anisotropy in sediments (4) We have initiated efforts for velocity upscaling to quantify long-wavelength and short-wavelength velocity behavior and the scale-dependent dispersion caused by sediment variability in different depositional environments.