ULTRASONIC ANGLE-DEPENDENT REFLECTIVITY IN COMPLEX ROCKS FOR IMPROVED INTERPRETATION OF SONIC AND ULTRASONIC LOGS

Abstract

Porous rocks are rarely homogeneous. Significant spatial variations in elastic properties are often observed in rocks due to depositional, diagenetic, and structural processes. In laminated sandstones, complex carbonates, or unconventional formations, elastic properties can vary on scales from millimeters to tens of meters. Detection of inhomogeneities and their size in rocks is crucial for fracture propagation design, height containment assessment, and for improving well/reservoir productivity. Most laboratory techniques used to measure rock elastic properties fail to distinguish mid-scale anisotropy; results are subject to spatial averaging effects. We introduce a new experimental method to measure continuous compressional- and shear-wave logs of core samples based on measurements of angle-dependent ultrasonic reflection coefficients. Simultaneously with reflected waves, we detect and interpret refracted waves as an independent way to estimate acoustic wave velocities to support the analysis. Our laboratory system is equipped with an array of receivers to continuously collect measurements. At each core location, we acquire acoustic waveforms at multiple transmitter-receiver angles using a pitch-catch acquisition mode (similar to standard sonic tools). This acquisition mode uses multiple receivers, allowing us to obtain measurements at different incidence angles without moving the sample and keeping the distance traveled by reflected waves constant, thereby eliminating the need for geometrical spreading corrections in reflection-coefficient calculations. Reflectivity-vs.-angle measurements are then matched with numerical simulations to estimate rock elastic properties. Ultrasonic reflection-coefficient measurements are successfully used to estimate dynamic elastic rock properties of homogeneous and layered rock samples. For homogenous samples, values are within a 5% range when compared to those obtained with the standard acoustic transmission method. Measurements acquired on natural and artificially constructed samples show significant departures from homogeneous behavior caused by layering. Laboratory reflection-coefficient measurements enable detection of inch-scale anisotropy within the rock, leading to improved assessment of formation elastic properties. Furthermore, continuous core measurements provide high-resolution reflection-coefficient information which is complementary to open-hole ultrasonic logs.