TY - JOUR

T1 - Experimental study on frequency-dependent elastic properties of weakly consolidated marine sandstone

T2 - effects of partial saturation

AU - Li, Hui

AU - Zhao, Luanxiao

AU - Han, De hua

AU - Gao, Jinghuai

AU - Yuan, Hemin

AU - Wang, Yirong

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020 European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Investigating seismic dispersion and attenuation characteristics of loosely compacted marine sandstone is essential in reconciling different geophysical measurements (surface seismic, well logging and ultrasonic) for better characterization of a shallow marine sandstone reservoir. We have experimented with a typical high-porosity and high-permeability sandstone sample, extracted from the Paleogene marine depositional setting in the Gulf of Mexico, at the low-frequency band (2–500 Hz) as well as ultrasonic point (106 Hz), to investigate the effects of varying saturation levels on a rock's elasticity. The results suggest that the Young's modulus of the measured sample with adsorbed moisture at laboratory conditions (room temperature, 60%–90% humidity) exhibits dispersive behaviours. The extensional attenuation can be as high as 0.038, and the peak frequency occurs around 60 Hz. The extensional attenuation due to moisture adsorption can be dramatically mitigated with the increase of confining pressure. For partial saturation status, extensional attenuation increases as increasing water saturation by 79% with respect to the measured frequencies. Additionally, the results show that extensional attenuation at the fully water-saturated situation is even smaller than that at adsorbed moisture conditions. The Gassmann–Wood model can overall capture the P-wave velocity-saturation trend of measured data at seismic frequencies, demonstrating that the partially saturated unconsolidated sandstone at the measured seismic frequency range is prone to be in the relaxed status. Nevertheless, the ultrasonic velocities are significantly higher than the Gassmann–Wood predictions, suggesting that the rocks are in the unrelaxed status at the ultrasonic frequency range. The poroelastic modelling results based on the patchy saturation model also indicate that the characteristic frequency of the partially saturated sample is likely beyond the measured seismic frequency range.

AB - Investigating seismic dispersion and attenuation characteristics of loosely compacted marine sandstone is essential in reconciling different geophysical measurements (surface seismic, well logging and ultrasonic) for better characterization of a shallow marine sandstone reservoir. We have experimented with a typical high-porosity and high-permeability sandstone sample, extracted from the Paleogene marine depositional setting in the Gulf of Mexico, at the low-frequency band (2–500 Hz) as well as ultrasonic point (106 Hz), to investigate the effects of varying saturation levels on a rock's elasticity. The results suggest that the Young's modulus of the measured sample with adsorbed moisture at laboratory conditions (room temperature, 60%–90% humidity) exhibits dispersive behaviours. The extensional attenuation can be as high as 0.038, and the peak frequency occurs around 60 Hz. The extensional attenuation due to moisture adsorption can be dramatically mitigated with the increase of confining pressure. For partial saturation status, extensional attenuation increases as increasing water saturation by 79% with respect to the measured frequencies. Additionally, the results show that extensional attenuation at the fully water-saturated situation is even smaller than that at adsorbed moisture conditions. The Gassmann–Wood model can overall capture the P-wave velocity-saturation trend of measured data at seismic frequencies, demonstrating that the partially saturated unconsolidated sandstone at the measured seismic frequency range is prone to be in the relaxed status. Nevertheless, the ultrasonic velocities are significantly higher than the Gassmann–Wood predictions, suggesting that the rocks are in the unrelaxed status at the ultrasonic frequency range. The poroelastic modelling results based on the patchy saturation model also indicate that the characteristic frequency of the partially saturated sample is likely beyond the measured seismic frequency range.

KW - Elastic dispersion

KW - Extensional attenuation

KW - Forced-oscillation measurement

KW - Partially saturated marine sandstone

U2 - 10.1111/1365-2478.13031

DO - 10.1111/1365-2478.13031

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85092107185

VL - 68

SP - 2808

EP - 2824

JO - Geophysical Prospecting

JF - Geophysical Prospecting

SN - 0016-8025

IS - 9

ER -