Velocity-porosity Relationships Research Articles

Velocity-porosity relationships in hydrate-bearing sediments measured from pressure cores, Shenhu Area, South China Sea

Evaluating velocity-porosity relationships of hydrate-bearing marine sediments is essential for characterizing natural gas hydrates below seafloor as either a potential energy resource or geohazards risks. Four sites had cored using pressure and non-pressure methods during the gas hydrates drilling project (GMGS4) expedition at Shenhu Area, north slope of the South China Sea. Sediments were cored above, below, and through the gas-hydrate-bearing zone guided with logging-while-drilling analysis results. Gamma density and <i>P</i>-wave velocity were measured in each pressure core before subsampling. Methane hydrates volumes in total 62 samples were calculated from the moles of excess methane collected during depressurization experiments. The concentration of methane hydrates ranged from 0.3% to 32.3%. The concentrations of pore fluid (25.44% to 68.82%) and sediments (23.63% to 54.28%) were calculated from the gamma density. The regression models of <i>P</i>-wave velocity were derived and compared with a global empirical equation derived from shallow, unconsolidated sediments data. The results were close to the global trend when the fluid concentration is larger than the critical porosity. It is concluded that the dominant factor of <i>P</i>-wave velocity in hydrate-bearing marine sediments is the presence of the hydrate. Methane hydrates can reduce the fluid concentration by discharging the pore fluid and occupying the original pore space of sediments after its formation.

Prediction of porosity of pervious concrete based on its dynamic elastic modulus

In this research, we put forward a simple physical model of pervious concrete (PC) consisting of pore, aggregate and cement paste to evaluate theoretically the elastic modulus–porosity relationship. Also, the validity of the physical model was confirmed by conducting experiments on the elastic properties–porosity relationships (dynamic elastic modulus, natural frequency, and ultrasonic wave velocity–porosity relationships) of PC specimens with widely changed porosity. As a result, it was found that the dynamic elastic modulus–porosity relationship of PC can be represented by a linear function based on the simple physical models. Moreover, it was confirmed that the natural frequency–porosity relationship and ultrasonic wave velocity–porosity relationship can be expressed by a quadratic function based on the theory of elasticity and experimental evidence.

Numerical Investigation of the Effect of Heterogeneous Pore Structures on Elastic Properties of Tight Gas Sandstones

Strong heterogeneity of pore microstructures leads to complicated velocity-porosity relationships in tight sandstone that cannot be well explained by conventional empirical formulas. To better understand the effect of complex pore structures on elastic properties of tight gas sandstone, we compared three rock physics models. In the first model, we used a single aspect ratio value to quantify varied pore geometry in the tight sands. In the second model, complex pore space was equivalent to the combination of high-aspect-ratio round pores (stiff pores) and low-aspect-ratio compliant microcracks (soft pores). In the third multiple pore-aspect-ratio model, pore spaces are represented using a set of pores with varied values of aspect ratio following statistical normal distribution. Modeling results showed that complex velocity-porosity relationships could be interpreted by the variations in pore aspect ratio in the first model, by the fraction of soft pores in the second model, and by the mean value and variance in the third statistical model. For a given mean value in the third model, higher variance of the multiple pore-aspect-ratio indicated stronger heterogeneity of pore spaces. Further studies on rock physical inversion showed that, compared with the first single pore-aspect-ratio model, the second dual-pore model gave better prediction in shear wave velocity by regarding the soft pore fraction as a fitting parameter. This finding revealed that the dual-pore model could be a more realistic representation of tight sandstone. The third statistical model showed comparable precision in the prediction of shear wave velocity compared with the dual-pore model; however, uncertainty existed for simultaneously determining mean value and variance of pore aspect ratio. On the basis of the dual-pore model, we evaluated the elastic modulus of dry frames of the tight sandstone using logging data in a borehole. Compared with empirical formulas, such as the Krief methods, the method in this paper provided a more rigorous way to determine elastic properties of dry frames for the tight sandstone. Comparisons of rock physical modeling methods offer a better understanding of the microstructures controlling the elastic behaviors of tight gas sandstone.

Effective medium modeling of diagenesis impact on the petroacoustic properties of carbonate rocks

Carbonate formations are highly heterogeneous, and the velocity-porosity relationships are controlled by various microstructural parameters, such as the types of pores and their distribution. Because diagenesis is responsible for important changes in the microstructure of carbonate rocks, we have extended the standard effective medium approach to model the impact of diagenesis on the carbonate elastic properties through a step-by-step effective medium modeling. Two different carbonate rocks deposited, respectively, in lacustrine and marine environments are considered in this study. The first key step is the characterization of the diagenesis, which affected the two studied carbonate sample sets. Effective medium models integrating all of the geologic information accessible from petrographic analysis are then built. The evolution of the microstructural parameters during diagenesis is thoroughly constrained based on an extensive experimental data set, including X-ray diffraction analysis, different porosimetry methods, and ultrasonic velocity measurements. A new theoretical approach including two sources of compliance is developed to model the specific behavior of carbonates. A compliant interface is introduced around the main carbonate grains to represent grain contacts and the different pore scales are taken into account through multiscale modeling. Finally, direct calculations with the model provide elastic wave velocities representative of the different diagenetic stages. An extrapolation to permeability evolution is also introduced. This approach allows the identification of the acoustic signature of specific diagenetic events, such as dolomitization, dissolution, or cementation, and the assessment of their impact on the elastic properties of carbonates.

Grid-search inversion based on rock physics model for estimation of pore geometry and grain elastic moduli: application to hydrothermal ore deposits and basalt

ABSTRACTThe seismic velocity of rock material is sensitively affected by the pore geometry, and pore geometry is a key parameter related to the hydraulic properties of the rock. In this study, we propose a grid-search inversion method to estimate pore geometry and grain elastic moduli from observed velocity–porosity relationships. In our inversion, we compare laboratory-derived velocity–porosity relationships with the theoretical relationship calculated via the differential effective medium (DEM) model, assuming rock samples of the same lithology have the same crack aspect ratio. Compared with existing approaches to estimate elastic moduli and pore geometry, our approach is easy to apply because it can be applied to physical properties measured at atmospheric pressure without changing pressure. We tested our proposed inversion method using synthetic data, and successfully estimated the grain elastic moduli and crack aspect ratio. We also applied our inversion method to P-wave velocity and porosity measured in the laboratory on various rock samples acquired at the hydrothermal field and plate spreading centre, and found that the velocity–porosity relationship derived from DEM theory for the inverted model parameters agreed with the laboratory data. Using our proposed method, we estimate the average pore aspect ratio and grain bulk moduli for basaltic and hydrothermal ore deposit samples. Furthermore, the root mean square error (RMSE) distribution obtained in the grid-search inversion enables us to evaluate the uncertainty of the estimated values.

Physical and hydraulic properties of modern sinter deposits: El Tatio, Atacama

Sinters are siliceous, sedimentary deposits that form in geothermal areas. Formation occurs in two steps. Hot water circulates in the subsurface and dissolves silica from the host rock, usually rhyolites. Silica then precipitates after hot water is discharged and cools. Extensive sinter formations are linked to up-flow areas of fluids originating from high temperature (>175°C) deep reservoirs. Fluid geochemistry, microbial communities, and environmental conditions of deposition determine the texture of sinter and pore framework. Porosity strongly influences physical and hydraulic properties of rocks. To better understand the properties controlling the transport of fluids, and interpret geophysical observations in geothermal systems, we studied 17 samples of modern geyserite sinter deposits (<10ka) from the active El Tatio geothermal field in northern Chile. We measured the physical properties (hydraulic, seismic, and electrical), and internal microstructure (using μX-Ray computed tomography). We find that the pore structure, and thus hydraulic and physical properties, is controlled by the distribution of microbial matter. Based on velocity-porosity relationships, permeability-porosity scaling, and image analysis of the 3D pore structure; we find that the physical and hydraulic properties of sinter more closely resemble those of vesicular volcanic rocks and other material formed by precipitation in geothermal settings (i.e., travertine) than clastic sedimentary rocks.

Experiment study of pore structure effects on velocities in synthetic carbonate rocks

Carbonate rocks have a complex pore structure, show strong heterogeneity, and have a wide range of velocities that lead to more complicated velocity-porosity relationships compared with sandstones. We designed and prepared 72 carbonate synthetic cores with known pore structures according to the control variate principle. We measured the P- and S-wave velocities of these cores by an ultrasonic pulse transmission method, analyzed the effects of the pore aspect ratio (AR) and pore size [Formula: see text] on velocities, and compared the experimental results with predictions of effective medium theories (EMTs). The matrix of our synthetic cores was consolidated mixture of carbonate cuttings and epoxy. We randomly imbedded predesigned penny-shaped silicone disks or expandable polystyrene balls into the matrix during the core preparation process to simulate secondary pores. The experimental results indicated that Han’s empirical linear velocity-porosity relation was a good prediction for cores with only interparticle pores. Secondary pores played an important role in the velocity variation of carbonates. Cores with a larger AR had faster velocities. Different ARs could lead to velocity variations as high as [Formula: see text] at a given porosity. When the wavelengths [Formula: see text] were larger than the pore size, cores with larger secondary pores found higher velocities under the same pore shape, pore fluid, and porosity condition. Different pore sizes could contribute to nearly 15% velocity variation at a given porosity. The comparison between our measurements and EMT predictions indicated that for carbonate rocks with a complicated pore structure, the self-consistent model gave more reliable predictions when the secondary pore size was relatively small ([Formula: see text]) and Kuster and Toksoz formulations as well as the differential effective medium model gave more satisfactory results when the secondary pore size was relatively large ([Formula: see text], or even smaller).

Critical porosity and elastic properties of microporous mixed carbonate-siliciclastic rocks

By integrating elastic-property measurements and quantitative mineralogic and petrographic analyses of 45 mixed carbonate-siliciclastic samples from two wells drilled in Late Cretaceous rock of the South Provence Basin (southeast France), we can (1) identify and quantify the parameters controlling elastic properties; (2) demonstrate that micrite can be considered as a porous medium with a low critical porosity, averaging 18%; and (3) relate diagenetic transformations, pore-structure modifications, and elastic-property changes. Microporous carbonates with compact anhedral and euhedral microrhombic micrites display a steeper decrease in compressional and shear velocities with increasing porosity than do carbonate rocks with moldic, intergranular, or intercrystalline macroporosity. The low value of critical porosity estimated in micrites (18%), as well as the steep slopes of velocity-porosity relationships at low porosity, is believed to result from a pore-network geometry characterized by very flat, thin pores bounded by planar faces of micrite crystals. Cementation of microrhombic micrite steeply increases elastic moduli, whereas dissolution processes significantly increase porosity with low variations of elastic moduli. Thus, critical-porosity concepts can help describe and model elastic properties of micritic microporous carbonate.

Velocity-porosity relationships in oceanic basalt from eastern flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge: The effect of crack closure on seismic velocity

To construct in situ velocity-porosity relationships for oceanic basalt, considering crack features, P- and S-wave velocity measurements on basaltic samples obtained from the eastern flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge were carried out under confining pressures up to 40 MPa. Assuming that the changes in velocities with confining pressures are originated by micro-crack closure, we estimated micro-crack aspect ratio spectra using the Kuster-Toksöz theory. The result demonstrates that the normalised aspect ratio spectra of the different samples have similar characteristics. From the normalised aspect ratio spectrum, we then constructed theoretical velocity-porosity relationships by calculating an aspect ratio spectrum for each porosity. In addition, by considering micro-crack closure due to confining pressure, a velocity-porosity relationship as a function of confining pressure could be obtained. The theoretical relationships that take into account the aspect ratio spectra are consistent with the observed relationships for over 100 discrete samples measured at atmospheric pressure, and the commonly observed pressure dependent relationships for a wide porosity range. The agreement between the laboratory-derived data and theoretically estimated values demonstrates that the velocity-porosity relationships of the basaltic samples obtained from the eastern flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, and their pressure dependence, can be described by the crack features (i.e. normalised aspect ratio spectra) and crack closure.

Velocity-Porosity relationship in clastic formations – a case study from some parts of Niger Delta, Nigeria

Velocity-Porosity relationship in some parts of Niger Delta was studiesd with a view to establish the velocity-porosity relationship and the generalized equation(s) that best describe this relationship in clastic formations. Five wireline logs were acquired for the study. Neutron porosity log data was converted to synthetic velocity (VTA) using time-average equation of Wyllie (1956), and the sonic porosity log was converted to sonic velocity (Vsonic). The results were presented as velocity-porosity crossplots with the trend line equations and the coefficient of correlation. The results give a distinct inverse velocity-porosity relationship; i.e. velocity decreasing with increasing porosity. The velocity-porosity relationships established from both sonic log (Vsonic) and time-average formulation are best described by polynomial fitting of 2nd order. Two generalized equations of high coefficient of correlation, which can be used to calculate compressional velocity (Vp) from porosity values in clastic formations, were established from these relationship. Keywords: porosity, velocity, compressional, polynomial and clastic Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 12(1) 2006: 125-128

Velocity-porosity relationships, 1: Accurate velocity model for clean consolidated sandstones, GEOPHYSICS, 68, 1822–1834.

The empirical equation of Arns et al., 2002a, is reproduced incorrectly in this paper as equation 22. The correct nonlinear empirical equation for the Poisson's ratio of a dry porous rock should read

Velocity–porosity relationships: Predictive velocity model for cemented sands composed of multiple mineral phases

ABSTRACTComputer simulations are used to calculate the elastic properties of model cemented sandstones composed of two or more mineral phases. Two idealized models are considered – a grain‐overlap clay/quartz mix and a pore‐lining clay/quartz mix. Unlike experimental data, the numerical data exhibit little noise yet cover a wide range of quartz/cement ratios and porosities. The results of the computations are in good agreement with experimental data for clay‐bearing consolidated sandstones.The effective modulus of solid mineral mixtures is found to be relatively insensitive to microstructural detail. It is shown that the Hashin–Shtrikman average is a good estimate for the modulus of the solid mineral mixtures. The distribution of the cement phase is found to have little effect on the computed modulus–porosity relationships. Numerical data for dry and saturated states confirm that Gassmann's equations remain valid for porous materials composed of multiple solid constituents. As noted previously, the Krief relationship successfully describes the porosity dependence of the dry shear modulus, and a recent empirical relationship provides a good estimate for the dry‐rock Poisson's ratio.From the numerical computations, a new empirical model, which requires only a knowledge of system mineralogy, is proposed for the modulus–porosity relationship of isotropic dry or fluid‐saturated porous materials composed of multiple solid constituents. Comparisons with experimental data for clean and shaly sandstones and computations for more complex, three‐mineral (quartz/dolomite/clay) systems show good agreement with the proposed model over a very wide range of porosities.

Sneak Previews

PreviousNext You have accessThe Leading EdgeVolume 22, Issue 12Sneak Previewshttps://doi.org/10.1190/tle22121183.1 SectionsAboutPDF/ePub ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail This month, the case histories include “Efficient acquisition, processing, and interpretation strategy for shallow 3D seismic surveying: A case study” by Spitzer et al., who map the shallow subsurface beneath a key area of the Swiss Rhine Valley. In the Amplitude Variation with Offset category, Grechka and Dewangan (“Generation and processing of pseudo-shear-wave data: Theory and case study”) convolve PP and PS traces so that the output possesses the kinematics of pure shear-wave primaries, allowing the use of conventional tools for S-wave velocity analysis. Borehole Geophysics and Rock Properties contains three papers, including “Velocity-porosity relationships, 1: Accurate velocity model for clean consolidated sandstones” by Knackstedt et al., who use numerical simulations to analyze quantitatively the effects of porosity and mineralogy on the elastic properties of rocks. Lee et al. (“Determination of thermal properties and formation temperature from borehole thermal recovery data”) develop an inverse modeling method to determine these properties from borehole thermal recovery data.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 22Issue 12Dec 2003Pages: 1169–1264ISSN (print):1070-485X ISSN (online):1938-3789 publication data© 2003 © 2003 by The Society of Exploration GeophysicistsPublisher:Society of Exploration Geophysicists HistoryPublished: 17 Aug 2012Published in print: 01 Dec 2003 CITATION INFORMATION (2003), "Sneak Previews," The Leading Edge 22: 1183-1183. https://doi.org/10.1190/tle22121183.1 Plain-Language Summary PDF Download Metrics Loading ...

Shear-wave Logs and Velocity-Porosity Relationships in Gas Hydrates : ABSTRACTS

Shear-wave Logs and Velocity-Porosity Relationships in Gas Hydrates : ABSTRACTS