Theoretical investigation of Stoneley-wave attenuation and dispersion in a fluid filled fracture in transversely isotropic formation

Abstract

The wave motion in a fluid-filled fracture embedded in an anisotropic medium is investigated using the technique of partial waves. A model is derived to calculate the complex dispersion relation of the Stoneley-wave mode in a fluid layer between two infinite transversely isotropic half-spaces. The effect of the anisotropic parameters on the Stoneley-wave in the fracture is investigated. The numerical results indicate that the velocity of the Stoneley-wave mode has significant dependence on the transversely isotropic constants. For a weakly anisotropic medium, the Stoneley-wave dispersion is almost the same as in an isotropic medium.