Ultrasonic wave propagation in dry and brine‐saturated sandstones as a function of effective stress: laboratory measurements and modelling1

Abstract

AbstractCompressional and shear‐wave velocities have been measured and a novel approach using digital processing employed to study wave attenuation for brine‐ and gas‐ saturated sandstones, over a range of effective stresses from 5 to 60 MPa. Also measured were the complex conductivity in the brine‐saturated state and permeability in the gas‐saturated state over the same range of stresses as for the velocity measurements. Broadband ultrasonic pulses of P‐ and orthogonally polarized S‐waves in the frequency range 0.3–0.8 MHz are transmitted through the specimen to be characterized for comparison with a reference (aluminium) having low attenuation. The attenuation is calculated in terms of the quality factor Q from the Fourier spectral ratios, using the frequency spectral ratios technique. The corrections necessary for the effects of diffraction due to the finite size of the ultrasonic transducers have been carried out for the case of measurements under lower confining stress. To interpret the laboratory measured velocity and attenuation data under the physical conditions of this study and to estimate the effects of pore structure, numerical modelling of velocities and attenuation as functions of the confining stress have been performed, based on the MIT model. Theoretical models based on several hypothesized attenuation mechanisms are considered in relation to laboratory data of the effects of confining pressure, fluid saturation and pore structure on attenuation. Numerical calculations using these models with the experimental data indicate that friction on thin cracks and grain boundaries is the dominant attenuation mechanism for dry and brine‐saturated sandstones at low effective stresses for the frequencies tested. However, for brine‐saturated sandstones at moderately high effective stresses, fluid flow could play a more important role in ultrasonic S‐wave attenuation, depending on the pore structure of the sample.