scholarly journals An Experimental and Modeling Study on the Response to Varying Pore Pressure and Reservoir Fluids in the Morrow A Sandstone

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron V. Wandler ◽  
Thomas L. Davis ◽  
Paritosh K. Singh

In mature oil fields undergoing enhanced oil recovery methods, such as CO2injection, monitoring the reservoir changes becomes important. To understand how reservoir changes influence compressional wave (P) and shear wave (S) velocities, we conducted laboratory core experiments on five core samples taken from the Morrow A sandstone at Postle Field, Oklahoma. The laboratory experiments measured P- and S-wave velocities as a function of confining pressure, pore pressure, and fluid type (which included CO2in the gas and supercritical phase). P-wave velocity shows a response that is sensitive to both pore pressure and fluid saturation. However, S-wave velocity is primarily sensitive to changes in pore pressure. We use the fluid and pore pressure response measured from the core samples to modify velocity well logs through a log facies model correlation. The modified well logs simulate the brine- and CO2-saturated cases at minimum and maximum reservoir pressure and are inputs for full waveform seismic modeling. Modeling shows how P- and S-waves have a different time-lapse amplitude response with offset. The results from the laboratory experiments and modeling show the advantages of combining P- and S-wave attributes in recognizing the mechanism responsible for time-lapse changes due to CO2injection.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanneke Paulssen ◽  
Wen Zhou

<p>Between 2013 and 2017, the Groningen gas field was monitored by several deployments of an array of geophones in a deep borehole at reservoir level (3 km). Zhou & Paulssen (2017) showed that the P- and S-velocity structure of the reservoir could be retrieved from noise interferometry by cross-correlation. Here we show that deconvolution interferometry of high-frequency train signals from a nearby railroad not only allows determination of the velocity structure with higher accuracy, but also enables time-lapse measurements. We found that the travel times within the reservoir decrease by a few tens of microseconds for two 5-month periods. The observed travel time decreases are associated to velocity increases caused by compaction of the reservoir. However, the uncertainties are relatively large. <br>Striking is the large P-wave travel time anomaly (-0.8 ms) during a distinct period of time (17 Jul - 2 Sep 2015). It is only observed for inter-geophone paths that cross the gas-water contact (GWC) of the reservoir. The anomaly started 4 days after drilling into the reservoir of a new well at 4.5 km distance and ended 4 days after the drilling operations stopped. We did not find an associated S-wave travel time anomaly. This suggests that the anomaly is caused by a temporary elevation of the GWC (water replacing gas) of approximately 20 m. We suggest that the GWC is elevated due to pore-pressure variations during drilling. The 4-day delay corresponds to a pore-pressure diffusivity of ~5m<sup>2</sup>/s, which is in good agreement with the value found from material parameters and the diffusivity of (induced) seismicity for various regions in the world. </p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Qahtan Abdul Aziz ◽  
Hassan Abdul Hussein

The Compressional-wave (Vp) data are useful for reservoir exploration, drilling operations, stimulation, hydraulic fracturing employment, and development plans for a specific reservoir. Due to the different nature and behavior of the influencing parameters, more complex nonlinearity exists for Vp modeling purposes. In this study, a statistical relationship between compressional wave velocity and petrophysical parameters was developed from wireline log data for Jeribe formation in Fauqi oil field south Est Iraq, which is studied using single and multiple linear regressions. The model concentrated on predicting compressional wave velocity from petrophysical parameters and any pair of shear waves velocity, porosity, density, and fluid saturation in carbonate rocks. A strong linear correlation between P-wave velocity and S-wave velocity and between P-wave velocity and density rock was found. The resulting linear equations can be used to estimate P-wave velocity from the S-wave velocity in the case of both. The results of multiple regression analysis indicated that the density, porosity, water-saturated, and shear wave velocity (VS) are strongly related to Vp.


Geophysics ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. C81-C94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Duffaut ◽  
Martin Landrø

The compressional to shear wave velocity ratio [Formula: see text] is an important parameter in seismic amplitude versus offset (AVO) analysis, and this parameter plays a key role especially for lithology and fluid prediction methods. The P-wave velocity is a key parameter in traditional pressure prediction methods, because overpressure often results in a velocity reduction. However, for AVO-based pore pressure prediction methods, one expects that the [Formula: see text] ratio also is a key parameter. The Hertz-Mindlin geomechanical model predicts a constant [Formula: see text] ratio as the differential stress changes in a dry package of identical spheres. Ultrasonic core measurements show increased [Formula: see text] ratios as the differential stress decreases, especially for unconsolidated wet sands. Thus, one is likely to assume that the [Formula: see text] ratio is dependent on rock consolidation. By combining the Hertz-Mindlin model with the Gassmann model, we show how to obtain a sim-ple rock-physics framework including both the differential stress and the degree of rock consolidation. We use the number of grain-to-grain contacts (coordination number) to represent the rock consolidation. For two field examples, we calibrate this consolidation parameter to in-situ stress conditions, then compare the predicted [Formula: see text] ratios for the overpressured reservoir conditions with observed time-lapse AVO changes. The correspondence between modeled and AVO-estimated [Formula: see text] ratios is good within the assumed accuracy of the real time-lapse AVO changes. In both cases, we observe an increase in the [Formula: see text] ratio as the differential stress decreases. In the first case, a pore pressure increase of [Formula: see text] is measured, whereas the other case shows a pressure increase of approximately [Formula: see text]. The first reservoir represents a low-to-medium-consolidated sandstone reservoir of 33% porosity on average, whereas the second reservoir is a more consolidated sand with similar porosities (30%).


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanbo Xiao ◽  
Siqi Lu ◽  
Yanbin Wang

<p>Despite the popularity of the horizontal to vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) method in site effect studies, the origin of the H/V peaks has been controversial since this method was proposed. Many previous studies mainly focused on the explanation of the first or single peak of the H/V ratio, trying to distinguish between the two hypotheses — the S-wave resonance and ellipticity of Rayleigh wave. However, it is common both in numerical simulations and practical experiments that the H/V ratio exhibits multiple peaks, which is essential to explore the origin of the H/V peaks.</p><p>The cause for the multiple H/V peaks has not been clearly figured out, and once was simply explained as the result of multi subsurface layers. Therefore, we adopted numerical method to simulate the ambient noise in various layered half-space models and calculated the H/V ratio curves for further comparisons. The peak frequencies of the H/V curves accord well with the theoretical frequencies of S-wave resonance in two-layer models, whose frequencies only depend on the S wave velocity and the thickness of the subsurface layer. The same is true for models with varying model parameters. Besides, the theoretical formula of the S-wave resonance in multiple-layer models is proposed and then supported by numerical investigations as in the cases of two-layer models. We also extended the S-wave resonance to P-wave resonance and found that its theoretical frequencies fit well with the V/H peaks, which could be an evidence to support the S-wave resonance theory from a new perspective. By contrast, there are obvious differences between the higher orders of the H/V ratio peaks and the higher orders of Rayleigh wave ellipticity curves both in two-layer and multiple-layer models. The Rayleigh wave ellipticity curves are found to be sensitive to the Poisson’s ratio and the thickness of the subsurface layer, so the variation of the P wave velocity can affect the peak frequencies of the Rayleigh wave ellipticity curves while the H/V peaks show slight change. The Rayleigh wave ellipticity theory is thus proved to be inappropriate for the explanation of the multiple H/V peaks, while the possible effects of the Rayleigh wave on the fundamental H/V peak still cannot be excluded.</p><p>Based on the analyses above, we proposed a new evidence to support the claim that the peak frequencies of the H/V ratio curve, except the fundamental peaks, are caused by S-wave resonance. The relationship between the P-wave resonance and the V/H peaks may also find further application.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yair Gordin ◽  
Thomas Bradley ◽  
Yoav O. Rosenberg ◽  
Anat Canning ◽  
Yossef H. Hatzor ◽  
...  

Abstract The mechanical and petrophysical behavior of organic-rich carbonates (ORC) is affected significantly by burial diagenesis and the thermal maturation of their organic matter. Therefore, establishing Rock Physics (RP) relations and appropriate models can be valuable in delineating the spatial distribution of key rock properties such as the total organic carbon (TOC), porosity, water saturation, and thermal maturity in the petroleum system. These key rock properties are of most importance to evaluate during hydrocarbon exploration and production operations when establishing a detailed subsurface model is critical. High-resolution reservoir models are typically based on the inversion of seismic data to calculate the seismic layer properties such as P- and S-wave impedances (or velocities), density, Poisson's ratio, Vp/Vs ratio, etc. If velocity anisotropy data are also available, then another layer of data can be used as input for the subsurface model leading to a better understanding of the geological section. The challenge is to establish reliable geostatistical relations between these seismic layer measurements and petrophysical/geomechanical properties using well logs and laboratory measurements. In this study, we developed RP models to predict the organic richness (TOC of 1-15 wt%), porosity (7-35 %), water saturation, and thermal maturity (Tmax of 420-435⁰C) of the organic-rich carbonate sections using well logs and laboratory core measurements derived from the Ness 5 well drilled in the Golan Basin (950-1350 m). The RP models are based primarily on the modified lower Hashin-Shtrikman bounds (MLHS) and Gassmann's fluid substitution equations. These organic-rich carbonate sections are unique in their relatively low burial diagenetic stage characterized by a wide range of porosity which decreases with depth, and thermal maturation which increases with depth (from immature up to the oil window). As confirmation of the method, the levels of organic content and maturity were confirmed using Rock-Eval pyrolysis data. Following the RP analysis, horizontal (HTI) and vertical (VTI) S-wave velocity anisotropy were analyzed using cross-dipole shear well logs (based on Stoneley waves response). It was found that anisotropy, in addition to the RP analysis, can assist in delineating the organic-rich sections, microfractures, and changes in gas saturation due to thermal maturation. Specifically, increasing thermal maturation enhances VTI and azimuthal HTI S-wave velocity anisotropies, in the ductile and brittle sections, respectively. The observed relationships are quite robust based on the high-quality laboratory and log data. However, our conclusions may be limited to the early stages of maturation and burial diagenesis, as at higher maturation and diagenesis the changes in physical properties can vary significantly.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng Chen ◽  
Qingcai Zeng ◽  
Xiujiao Wang ◽  
Qing Yang ◽  
Chunmeng Dai ◽  
...  

Abstract Practices of marine shale gas exploration and development in south China have proved that formation overpressure is the main controlling factor of shale gas enrichment and an indicator of good preservation condition. Accurate prediction of formation pressure before drilling is necessary for drilling safety and important for sweet spots predicting and horizontal wells deploying. However, the existing prediction methods of formation pore pressures all have defects, the prediction accuracy unsatisfactory for shale gas development. By means of rock mechanics analysis and related formulas, we derived a formula for calculating formation pore pressures. Through regional rock physical analysis, we determined and optimized the relevant parameters in the formula, and established a new formation pressure prediction model considering P-wave velocity, S-wave velocity and density. Based on regional exploration wells and 3D seismic data, we carried out pre-stack seismic inversion to obtain high-precision P-wave velocity, S-wave velocity and density data volumes. We utilized the new formation pressure prediction model to predict the pressure and the spatial distribution of overpressure sweet spots. Then, we applied the measured pressure data of three new wells to verify the predicted formation pressure by seismic data. The result shows that the new method has a higher accuracy. This method is qualified for safe drilling and prediction of overpressure sweet spots for shale gas development, so it is worthy of promotion.


2005 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 1205-1222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela Fernández-Viejo ◽  
Ron M Clowes ◽  
J Kim Welford

Shear-wave seismic data recorded along four profiles during the SNoRE 97 (1997 Slave – Northern Cordillera Refraction Experiment) refraction – wide-angle reflection experiment in northwestern Canada are analyzed to provide S-wave velocity (Vs) models. These are combined with previous P-wave velocity (Vp) models to produce cross sections of the ratio Vp/Vs for the crust and upper mantle. The Vp/Vs values are related to rock types through comparisons with published laboratory data. The Slave craton has low Vp/Vs values of 1.68–1.72, indicating a predominantly silicic crustal composition. Higher values (1.78) for the Great Bear and eastern Hottah domains of the Wopmay orogen imply a more mafic than average crustal composition. In the western Hottah and Fort Simpson arc, values of Vp/Vs drop to ∼1.69. These low values continue westward for 700 km into the Foreland and Omineca belts of the Cordillera, providing support for the interpretation from coincident seismic reflection studies that much of the crust from east of the Cordilleran deformation front to the Stikinia terrane of the Intermontane Belt consists of quartzose metasedimentary rocks. Stikinia shows values of 1.78–1.73, consistent with its derivation as a volcanic arc terrane. Upper mantle velocity and ratio values beneath the Slave craton indicate an ultramafic peridotitic composition. In the Wopmay orogen, the presence of low Vp/Vs ratios beneath the Hottah – Fort Simpson transition indicates the presence of pyroxenite in the upper mantle. Across the northern Cordillera, low Vp values and a moderate-to-high ratio in the uppermost mantle are consistent with the region's high heat flow and the possible presence of partial melt.


Geophysics ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 52 (9) ◽  
pp. 1211-1228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Mora

The treatment of multioffset seismic data as an acoustic wave field is becoming increasingly disturbing to many geophysicists who see a multitude of wave phenomena, such as amplitude‐offset variations and shearwave events, which can only be explained by using the more correct elastic wave equation. Not only are such phenomena ignored by acoustic theory, but they are also treated as undesirable noise when they should be used to provide extra information, such as S‐wave velocity, about the subsurface. The problems of using the conventional acoustic wave equation approach can be eliminated via an elastic approach. In this paper, equations have been derived to perform an inversion for P‐wave velocity, S‐wave velocity, and density as well as the P‐wave impedance, S‐wave impedance, and density. These are better resolved than the Lamé parameters. The inversion is based on nonlinear least squares and proceeds by iteratively updating the earth parameters until a good fit is achieved between the observed data and the modeled data corresponding to these earth parameters. The iterations are based on the preconditioned conjugate gradient algorithm. The fundamental requirement of such a least‐squares algorithm is the gradient direction which tells how to update the model parameters. The gradient direction can be derived directly from the wave equation and it may be computed by several wave propagations. Although in principle any scheme could be chosen to perform the wave propagations, the elastic finite‐ difference method is used because it directly simulates the elastic wave equation and can handle complex, and thus realistic, distributions of elastic parameters. This method of inversion is costly since it is similar to an iterative prestack shot‐profile migration. However, it has greater power than any migration since it solves for the P‐wave velocity, S‐wave velocity, and density and can handle very general situations including transmission problems. Three main weaknesses of this technique are that it requires fairly accurate a priori knowledge of the low‐ wavenumber velocity model, it assumes Gaussian model statistics, and it is very computer‐intensive. All these problems seem surmountable. The low‐wavenumber information can be obtained either by a prior tomographic step, by the conventional normal‐moveout method, by a priori knowledge and empirical relationships, or by adding an additional inversion step for low wavenumbers to each iteration. The Gaussian statistics can be altered by preconditioning the gradient direction, perhaps to make the solution blocky in appearance like well logs, or by using large model variances in the inversion to reduce the effect of the Gaussian model constraints. Moreover, with some improvements to the algorithm and more parallel computers, it is hoped the technique will soon become routinely feasible.


Geophysics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 1446-1454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Side Jin ◽  
G. Cambois ◽  
C. Vuillermoz

S-wave velocity and density information is crucial for hydrocarbon detection, because they help in the discrimination of pore filling fluids. Unfortunately, these two parameters cannot be accurately resolved from conventional P-wave marine data. Recent developments in ocean‐bottom seismic (OBS) technology make it possible to acquire high quality S-wave data in marine environments. The use of (S)-waves for amplitude variation with offset (AVO) analysis can give better estimates of S-wave velocity and density contrasts. Like P-wave AVO, S-wave AVO is sensitive to various types of noise. We investigate numerically and analytically the sensitivity of AVO inversion to random noise and errors in angles of incidence. Synthetic examples show that random noise and angle errors can strongly bias the parameter estimation. The use of singular value decomposition offers a simple stabilization scheme to solve for the elastic parameters. The AVO inversion is applied to an OBS data set from the North Sea. Special prestack processing techniques are required for the success of S-wave AVO inversion. The derived S-wave velocity and density contrasts help in detecting the fluid contacts and delineating the extent of the reservoir sand.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Qing Dong ◽  
Zheng-hua Zhou ◽  
Su Jie ◽  
Bing Hao ◽  
Yuan-dong Li

At engineering practice, the theoretical basis for the cross-over method, used to obtain shear wave arrival time in the downhole method of the wave velocity test by surface forward and backward strike, is that the polarity of P-wave keeps the same, while the polarity of S-wave transforms when the direction of strike inverted. However, the characteristics of signals recorded in tests are often found to conflict with this theoretical basis for the cross-over method, namely, the polarity of the P-wave also transforms under the action of surface forward and backward strike. Therefore, 3D finite element numerical simulations were conducted to study the validity of the theoretical basis for the cross-over method. The results show that both shear and compression waves are observed to be in 180° phase difference between horizontal signal traces, consistent with the direction of excitation generated by reversed impulse. Furthermore, numerical simulation results prove to be reliable by the analytic solution; it shows that the theoretical basis for the cross-over method applied to the downhole wave velocity test is improper. In meanwhile, numerical simulations reveal the factors (inclining excitation, geophone deflection, inclination, and background noise) that may cause the polarity of the P-wave not to reverse under surface forward and backward strike. Then, as to reduce the influence factors, we propose a method for the downhole wave velocity test under surface strike, the time difference of arrival is based between source peak and response peak, and numerical simulation results show that the S-wave velocity by this method is close to the theoretical S-wave velocity of soil.


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