Direct laboratory observation of patchy saturation and its effects on ultrasonic velocities

• Published in: Leading edge (Tulsa, Okla.) Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 24 - 27
• Main Authors: Lebedev, Maxim, Toms-Stewart, Julianna, Clennell, Ben, Pervukhina, Marina, Shulakova, Valeriya, Paterson, Lincoln, Müller, Tobias M, Gurevich, Boris, Wenzlau, Fabian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Society of Exploration Geophysicists 01-01-2009
• Subjects: acoustical properties; Australasia; Australia; bulk modulus; Casino Sandstone; clastic rocks; Economic geology; elastic constants; energy sources; experimental studies; Gassman's theory; geophysical methods; hydrocarbons; laboratory studies; organic compounds; Otway Basin; patchy saturation problem; petroleum; physical properties; reserves; sandstone; saturated materials; sedimentary rocks; seismic methods; time-lapse methods; ultrasonic methods; velocity
• ISSN: 1070-485X; 1938-3789
• DOI: 10.1190/1.3064142

Maximizing the recovery of known hydrocarbon reserves is one of the biggest challenges facing the petroleum industry today. Optimal production strategies require accurate monitoring of production-induced changes of reservoir saturation and pressure over the life of the field. Time-lapse seismic technology is increasingly used to map these changes in space and time. However, until now, interpretation of time-lapse seismic data has been mostly qualitative. In order to allow accurate estimation of the saturation, it is necessary to know the quantitative relationship between fluid saturation and seismic characteristics (elastic moduli, velocity dispersion, and attenuation). The problem of calculating acoustic properties of rocks saturated with a mixture of two fluids has attracted considerable interest (Gist, 1994; Mavko and Nolen-Hoeksema, 1994; Knight et al., 1998. For a comprehensive review of theoretical and experimental studies of the patchy saturation problem see Toms et al., 2006).