Computation of Acoustic Velocity of Natural Gases With an Alternative Heat Capacity Ratio Equation and Application to Seismic Modeling

2021 ◽  
Vol 143 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Romulo Carvalho ◽  
Fernando Moraes

Abstract We investigate three formulations for computing acoustic velocity of natural gas and derive an equation for the heat capacity ratio, which plays a central role in these formulations. The first formulation is a compilation of fundamental equations available in the engineering literature, referred to as the DASH formulation. The second formulation is a development from the first, in which we use the derived equation for the heat capacity ratio (modified DASH). The third formulation is a mainstream method implemented in Geoscience (BW formulation). All three formulations stem from virial Equations of State that take preponderance in the exploration stage, when the detailed fluid composition is unknown and compositional methods are frequently inapplicable. We test the formulations on an extensive experimental data set of acoustic velocity of natural gases and compare the resulting accuracies. Both DASH and modified DASH formulations provide significantly higher accuracy when compared to the BW formulation. Additionally, the modified DASH, as we derive in this work, has the highest accuracy at pressures above 7000 psi, a condition typically encountered in the Brazilian pre-salt reservoirs. In a final step, we investigate how these different formulations and corresponding accuracies in velocity computation may affect seismic modeling, using a single interface model between a dense gas reservoir and a sealing rock. A direct comparison of amplitude versus offset modeling using our modified DASH formulation and the BW formulation shows up to 50% difference in amplitude calculation in a sensitivity exercise, especially at the longer offsets and higher pressures.

Author(s):  
Armando Di Meglio ◽  
Elio Di Giulio ◽  
Raffaele Dragonetti ◽  
Nicola Massarotti

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Dietmaier ◽  
Thomas Baumann

<p>The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) commits EU member states to achieve a good qualitative and quantitative status of all their water bodies.  WFD provides a list of actions to be taken to achieve the goal of good status.  However, this list disregards the specific conditions under which deep (> 400 m b.g.l.) groundwater aquifers form and exist.  In particular, deep groundwater fluid composition is influenced by interaction with the rock matrix and other geofluids, and may assume a bad status without anthropogenic influences. Thus, a new concept with directions of monitoring and modelling this specific kind of aquifers is needed. Their status evaluation must be based on the effects induced by their exploitation. Here, we analyze long-term real-life production data series to detect changes in the hydrochemical deep groundwater characteristics which might be triggered by balneological and geothermal exploitation. We aim to use these insights to design a set of criteria with which the status of deep groundwater aquifers can be quantitatively and qualitatively determined. Our analysis is based on a unique long-term hydrochemical data set, taken from 8 balneological and geothermal sites in the molasse basin of Lower Bavaria, Germany, and Upper Austria. It is focused on a predefined set of annual hydrochemical concentration values. The data range dates back to 1937. Our methods include developing threshold corridors, within which a good status can be assumed, and developing cluster analyses, correlation, and piper diagram analyses. We observed strong fluctuations in the hydrochemical characteristics of the molasse basin deep groundwater during the last decades. Special interest is put on fluctuations that seem to have a clear start and end date, and to be correlated with other exploitation activities in the region. For example, during the period between 1990 and 2020, bicarbonate and sodium values displayed a clear increase, followed by a distinct dip to below-average values and a subsequent return to average values at site F. During the same time, these values showed striking irregularities at site B. Furthermore, we observed fluctuations in several locations, which come close to disqualifying quality thresholds, commonly used in German balneology. Our preliminary results prove the importance of using long-term (multiple decades) time series analysis to better inform quality and quantity assessments for deep groundwater bodies: most fluctuations would stay undetected within a < 5 year time series window, but become a distinct irregularity when viewed in the context of multiple decades. In the next steps, a quality assessment matrix and threshold corridors will be developed, which take into account methods to identify these fluctuations. This will ultimately aid in assessing the sustainability of deep groundwater exploitation and reservoir management for balneological and geothermal uses.</p>


1996 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 470-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng-Horng Lin ◽  
S. W. Roecker

Abstract Seismograms of earthquakes and explosions recorded at local, regional, and teleseismic distances by a small-aperture, dense seismic array located on Pinyon Flat, in southern California, reveal large (±15°) backazimuth anomalies. We investigate the causes and implications of these anomalies by first comparing the effectiveness of estimating backazimuth with an array using three different techniques: the broadband frequency-wavenumber (BBFK) technique, the polarization technique, and the beamforming technique. While each technique provided nearly the same direction as a most likely estimate, the beamforming estimate was associated with the smallest uncertainties. Backazimuth anomalies were then calculated for the entire data set by comparing the results from beamforming with backazimuths derived from earthquake locations reported by the Anza and Caltech seismic networks and the Preliminary Determination of Epicenters (PDE) Bulletin. These backazimuth anomalies have a simple sinelike dependence on azimuth, with the largest anomalies observed from the southeast and northwest directions. Such a trend may be explained as the effect of one or more interfaces dipping to the northeast beneath the array. A best-fit model of a single interface has a dip and strike of 20° and 315°, respectively, and a velocity contrast of 0.82 km/sec. Application of corrections computed from this simple model to ray directions significantly improves locations at all distances and directions, suggesting that this is an upper crustal feature. We confirm that knowledge of local structure can be very important for earthquake location by an array but also show that corrections computed from simple models may not only be adequate but superior to those determined by raytracing through smoothed laterally varying models.


SPE Journal ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (01) ◽  
pp. 103-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Lewis ◽  
Birol Dindoruk

Summary In terms of experimentation, acoustic velocity can be measured with a high degree of accuracy. Several thermodynamic properties related to acoustic velocity such as density, isothermal compressibility, and heat capacity can be extracted from measured data. In this study, technical improvements are implemented in an effort to develop a technique for fast and reliable determination of fluid properties on the basis of acoustic velocity measurements over an expanded range of pressures. The potential use of this device as a quality-control tool in typical pressure/volume/temperature (PVT) measurements is demonstrated. Baseline measurements matched to published literature verify the suitability of the device. Results of tests on three recombined oil samples containing dissolved gas, with prescribed gas/oil ratios (GORs), and one bitumen sample are presented. A sharp change in the acoustic velocity trend near the gas/liquid-saturation point is evidence of gas evolution during depressurization. Strong attenuation complicates measurement of acoustic velocity on the heavy fluids used in this study. Blending bitumen with a midrange-molecular-weight hydrocarbon mixture enables estimation of the undiluted-fluid acoustic velocity by extrapolation. By use of the measured acoustic velocity data available, a methodology is developed to estimate and quality check measured isothermal compressibility (κT) values. This is especially important for low-compressibility systems. Heat-capacity data for simple alkanes (CH4 to n-C10) and toluene helps to define a reasonable range of heat-capacity ratio (γ) expected for typical reservoir fluids. For the typical values of acoustic velocity encountered in the pressure and temperature range of interest, the isothermal compressibility can be calculated and/or quality checked by use of estimated values of γ. In addition, by use of various data sets and by performing graphical error analysis, we have shown the reasons that the methodology works. Available data for n-decane and n-hexadecane along with measured data for a live oil and numerical work on calibrated data sets in this study are used to develop the methodology.


Geophysics ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
pp. WC81-WC93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Malinowski ◽  
Ernst Schetselaar ◽  
Donald J. White

We applied seismic modeling for a detailed 3D geologic model of the Flin Flon mining camp (Canada) to address some imaging and interpretation issues related to a [Formula: see text] 3D survey acquired in the camp and described in a complementary paper (part 1). A 3D geologic volumetric model of the camp was created based on a compilation of geologic data constraints from drillholes, surface geologic mapping, interpretation of 2D seismic profiles, and 3D surface and grid geostatistical modeling techniques. The 3D modeling methodology was based on a hierarchical approach to account for the heterogeneous spatial distribution of geologic constraints. Elastic parameters were assigned within the model based on core sample measurements and correlation with the different lithologies. The phase-screen algorithm used for seismic modeling was validated against analytic and finite-difference solutions to ensure that it provided accurate amplitude-variation-with-offset behavior for dipping strata. Synthetic data were generated to form zero-offset (stack) volume and also a complete prestack data set using the geometry of the real 3D survey. We found that the ability to detect a clear signature of the volcanogenic massive sulfide with ore deposits is dependent on the mineralization type (pyrite versus pyrrhotite rich ore), especially when ore-host rock interaction is considered. In the presence of an increasing fraction of the host rhyolite rock within the model volume, the response from the lower impedance pyrrhotite ore is masked by that of the rhyolite. Migration tests showed that poststack migration effectively enhances noisy 3D DMO data and provides comparable results to more computationally expensive prestack time migration. Amplitude anomalies identified in the original 3D data, which were not predicted by our modeling, could represent potential exploration targets in an undeveloped part of the camp, assuming that our a priori earth model is sufficiently accurate.


Geophysics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. WA43-WA57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathilde Adelinet ◽  
Jean-François Barthélémy ◽  
Elisabeth Bemer ◽  
Youri Hamon

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.


2013 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 579-590
Author(s):  
Frits E. Uilhoorn

In this work, the GERG-2004 equation of state based on a multi-fluid approximation explicit in the reduced Helmholtz energy is compared with the predictive Soave-Redlich-Kwong group contribution method. In the analysis, both equations of state are compared by simulating a non-isothermal transient flow of natural gas and mixed hydrogen-natural gas in pipelines. Besides the flow conditions also linepack-energy and energy consumption of the compressor station are computed. The gas flow is described by a set of partial differential equations resulting from the conservation of mass, momentum and energy. A pipeline section of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline on Polish territory has been selected for the case study.


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