A porosity mapping survey in Hecate Strait using a seafloor electro-magnetic profiling system

A newly developed marine electromagnetic (E-M) system was used to create apparent porosity maps of the uppermost 20 m of sediments on the seafloor. Measurements of electrical conductivity were interpreted to give the porosity of the bottom sediments and underlying units. The data were collected continuously in a surveying mode using two receivers at different spacings to improve the resolution of porosity as a function of depth. The variations in apparent porosity over the area correlate well with information obtained from cores and acoustic profiles.

Acoustic profiles indicated the presence of biogenic gas in the central region of the survey area. The absence of distinct changes in apparent porosity over regions of gas allows us to conclude that the concentration of gas trapped within the Queen Charlotte muds does not exceed about 4% of the sediment by volume if we assume that the gas displaces fluid in the sediment.

A buried, lower porosity layer was detected, its position reflecting changes in the depth to the glaciomarine layer. Mapped variations in apparent porosity are well correlated with features on the acoustic record. This illustrates the system's ability to obtain continuous profiles of apparent porosity over seafloor features. The marine E-M survey provided rapid areal coverage, and, combined with the acoustic profiles, information on the porosity of deeper units.     

Sound velocity in carbonate sediments from the Whiting Basin,Puerto Rico

A series of sediment cores were obtained from the Whiting Basin southeast of Puerto Rico to investigate the factors affecting the velocity of sound in marine carbonate deposits. The cores indicated that the deposits in the Whiting Basin are similar to abyssal-plain deposits with lenticular turbidite sequences alternating with pelagic sediments. The sediment, comprised of highly porous sands and silts, averaged 80% calcium carbonate consisting of aragonite, low-Mg calcite and high-Mg calcite.Normal methods for predicting sound velocity from the physical properties of the deposits were found to be inaccurate for these samples. The established relationships of grain size and porosity to sound velocity were invalid because the sands found in the cores consisted of hollow-foram tests, causing high porosity independent of grain size. The rigidity of the deposit was the most significant factor determining sediment sound velocity and was itself controlled by the sediment source, transportation effects and the packing of the deposit. Future work is needed to accurately measure the effect of these factors on the rigidity modulus.     

Sound velocity and related properties of seafloor sediments in the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea

The Bering Sea shelf and Chukchi Sea shelf are believed to hold enormous oil and gas reserves which have attracted a lot of geophysical surveys. For the interpretation of acoustic geophysical survey results, sediment sound velocity is one of the main parameters. On seven sediment cores collected from the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea during the 5th Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition, sound velocity measurements were made at 35, 50, 100, 135, 150, 174, 200, and 250 k Hz using eight separate pairs of ultrasonic transducers. The measured sound velocities range from 1 425.1 m/s to 1 606.4 m/s and are dispersive with the degrees of dispersion from 2.2% to 4.0% over a frequency range of 35–250 k Hz. After the sound velocity measurements, the measurements of selected geotechnical properties and the Scanning Electron Microscopic observation of microstructure were also made on the sediment cores. The results show that the seafloor sediments are composed of silty sand, sandy silt, coarse silt, clayey silt, sand-silt-clay and silty clay. Aggregate and diatom debris is found in the seafloor sediments. Through comparative analysis of microphotographs and geotechnical properties, it is assumed that the large pore spaces between aggregates and the intraparticulate porosity of diatom debris increase the porosity of the seafloor sediments, and affect other geotechnical properties. The correlation analysis of sound velocity and geotechnical properties shows that the correlation of sound velocity with porosity and wet bulk density is extreme significant, while the correlation of sound velocity with clay content, mean grain size and organic content is not significant. The regression equations between porosity, wet bulk density and sound velocity based on best-fit polynomial are given.     

Experimental evaluation of reservoir quality in Mesozoic formations of the Perth Basin (Western Australia) by using a laboratory low field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Accurate porosity and permeability evaluation of rock formations is critical to estimate the quality and resource potential of a reservoir. In addition to directly measure the porosity and pore size distribution, low field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is able to measure the effective porosity and estimate the in-situ formation permeability, though its robustness is arguable and requires calibrations on cores with specific lithologies.The Mesozoic formations of the central Perth Basin (Western Australia) host hot sedimentary aquifers and recently became key targets for geothermal heat extraction. A collection of cores was retrieved from three wells intersecting these units. The characterisation of their flow properties complements the current evaluation of the Perth Basin by adding new data on effective porosity, pore size distribution, pore geometry and calibration of predictive models for the permeability according to a comprehensive facies classification scheme.This study highlights the consistency of the NMR approach when compared to conventional helium injection method. Most favourable lithologies for well production correspond to very coarse to fine sandstones of fluvial channel fill with porosities >15% and permeabilities >>1 mD. Similarly, these facies exhibit (i) the highest effective porosities, (ii) the highest pore space to pore throat ratio, and (iii) the lowest contribution of clay bound water. These aspects confirm the importance of clay occurrence in the assessment of the flow efficiency of a formation.The Yarragadee Formation presents the best reservoir quality regarding its porosity and permeability, even though high discrepancies occur locally owing to the great variability of lithofacies encountered. The scattered values observed for the Lesueur Sandstone are likely to be due to the basin architecture and fault system which generate different mechanical compaction and secondary cementation. Given an adequate facies analysis, the NMR method represents a powerful tool to estimate the flow efficiency of a reservoir.     

北部湾南部重力柱状样的MSCL地声学性质测量及分析

利用钻孔多参数连续记录仪(multi-sensorcorelogger,MSCL),对在南海北部湾南部海区所取得的6个孔重力柱状样进行了测量,获得了连续P波波速、湿密度和孔隙度数据。在室内实验室对柱状样分样之后的沉积物样品进行了孔隙度与湿密度的测定。利用不同的统计回归方法对所获得的6个柱状样的孔隙度与P波波速进行相关分析,并对比室内测量的P波波速、湿密度、孔隙度,建立了基于孔隙度数据对沉积物P波波速进行预测的方法,对MSCL测量方法的优缺点进行了讨论。结果表明,MSCL测量结果与实验室柱状样测定结果较为吻合。样品所在深度对声速的变化影响不大。孔隙度与声速的多项式回归,样条插值回归和GAM模型回归都获得了较高的相关系数,GAM模型可以提供一个较为接近测量值的声速预测方法。MSCL用来测量海底沉积物,可以获得大量的高密度、高精度的沉积物地声学及其他参数数据,但是,如果空气混入沉积物样品中则会导致MSCL测量结果失真。该研究为使用MSCL在区域海底地声学性质、恢复区域海洋沉积历史、海底地声学模型建立等研究提供了参考。     

Quantitative analyses of porosity evolution in tight grainstones: A case study of the Triassic Feixianguan formation in the Jiannan gas field,Sichuan Basin,China

Tight grainstones, although widespread throughout the Lower Triassic Feixianguan Formation in the Sichuan Basin, have received little attention, in part, due to their lower porosity and greater heterogeneity relative to their dolostone counterparts. Based on data from cores and thin sections, as well as petrophysical properties, the Feixianguan grainstones, representing a major gas reservoir in the Jiannan gas field were systemically analysed to better understand porosity evolution in tight carbonates that have experienced original oil accumulation and subsequent thermal cracking during progressive burial. The grainstones were divided into two types according to whether pyrobitumen was present, and their porosity evolutions were quantitatively reconstructed. Taking 40% as the original porosity, the grainstones without pyrobitumen, which were ineffective palaeo-oil reservoirs, lost 21.94% and 3.13% of their porosities through marine and burial calcite cementation, respectively, and 13.34% by compaction, and have a current porosity of 1.59%, thus allowing them to serve as major present-day gas reservoirs. Comparatively, pyrobitumen-bearing grainstones, which were once palaeo-oil reservoirs, lost 23.96% and 2.36% of their porosities through marine and burial calcite cementation, respectively; 11.4% by compaction, and 1.44% by pyrobitumen and have a current porosity of 0.84%, thus making them ineffective gas reservoirs. This study provides a quantitative understanding of the close association between porosity evolution and reservoir effectiveness for the palaeo-oil charge and present-day gas accumulation with respect to diagenetic history, which is useful for the future exploration in tight gas limestone reservoirs.     

Fine-scale volume heterogeneity measurements in sand

As part of the effort to characterize the acoustic environment during the high frequency sediment acoustics experiment (SAX99), fine-scale variability of sediment density was measured by an in situ technique and by core analysis. The in situ measurement was accomplished by a newly developed instrument that measures sediment conductivity. The conductivity measurements were conducted on a three-dimensional (3-D) grid, hence providing a set of data suited for assessing sediment spatial variability. A 3-D sediment porosity matrix is obtained from the conductivity data through an empirical relationship (Archie's Law). From the porosity matrix, sediment bulk density is estimated from known average grain density. A number of cores were taken at the SAX99 site, and density variations were measured using laboratory techniques. The power spectra were estimated from both techniques and were found to be appropriately fit by a power-law. The exponents of the horizontal one-dimensional (1-D) power-law spectra have a depth-dependence and range from 1.72 to 2.41. The vertical 1-D spectra have the same form, but with an exponent of 2.2. It was found that most of the density variability is within the top 5 mm of the sediment, which suggests that sediment volume variability will not have major impact on acoustic scattering when the sound frequency is below 100 kHz. At higher frequencies, however, sediment volume variability is likely to play an important role in sound scattering.     

Physical and Acoustic Properties of Gas-bearing Sediments in Jinhae Bay,the South Sea of Korea

High-resolution seismic survey and sediment core sampling were conducted to investigate acoustic characteristics of gas-bearing sediments in Jinhae Bay, the southeast of Korea. The sediment in Jinhae Bay is mostly homogenous mud deposited after the Holocene transgression. Along with the 410 km of chirp seismic profiling, five piston core samples were collected on the track lines.

Gassy sediments are common and occur widely in the bay. Core samples were analyzed for sediment texture, physical properties (porosity, water content, bulk density, and grain density), acoustic properties (compressional wave velocity and attenuation), and electrical resistivity. X-radiograph image analysis was also performed to observe the shape of degassing cracks. There is no significant downcore variation on physical and sediment textures regardless of existence of gas bubbles. However, compressional wave velocity dramatically decreases from average 1480 to 1380～739 m/s for the cores that penetrate the gas-bearing zones. This is probably due to degassying cracks that developed by escaping gases and free gas bubbles that are still trapped in the cores. Electrical resistivity is the only geotechnical property that increases in the gas-bearing zone where compressional wave velocity abruptly decreases. This indicates the possibility of using both electrical resistivity as an index variable as well as to compressional wave velocity to identify gassy sediment microstructure because there are little changes in texture and composition of sediment.     

Geoacoustic inversion results from the ASIAEX East China Sea experiment

This work presents the results of geoacoustic inversions carried out using data from the Asian Seas International Acoustics Experiment East China Sea. Broadband data from small explosive sources were used for the inversions. Compressional wave speeds in the sediment and basement layers were estimated using a nonlinear, long-range, tomographic inversion technique based on group speed dispersion. This tomographic technique is a hybrid approach that combines a genetic algorithm for global parameter search with a Levenberg-Marquardt method for fine-scale parameter tuning. The results were compared with data from gravity and piston cores and a geophysical survey conducted at the experimental location using a watergun and towed hydrophone array.     

Changes in Geotechnical Properties of Sediments from the Central Indian Basin Induced by Disturbance Experiment

During the Indian Deep-sea Environment Experiment (INDEX) conducted in the Central Indian Basin to simulate nodule mining activity, the sediments were physically disturbed, lifted from the seafloor, and then redeposited to study the effects of sediment redistribution on geological, chemical and biological characteristics of benthic environment. The first monitoring cruise, 44 months after the experiment, was part of long-term observations for restoration of conditions. This study describes the effects of the experiment on geotechnical properties of sediments measured in predisturbance, postdisturbance and monitoring phases. To compare the effects, sediment cores were collected from the same locations during the three phases. Siliceous, fine-grained sediments from the study area showed change in geotechnical properties induced due to the disturbance. Marginal increase in natural water content and significant reduction in undrained shear strength at the 0–5 cm sediment layer of cores from the tow zone during postdisturbance was observed. However, during the monitoring phase, an increase in shear strength and reduction in water content was noticed, which might indicate that the sediments are gradually acquiring predisturbance characteristics. The study also revealed that the meiofaunal density has a positive correlation with the water content, but a negative relationship with the shear strength of these siliceous sediments. Specific gravity of solids and porosity showed marginal change, whereas wet density remained unchanged.     

Geotechnical Properties of Surface Sediments in the INDEX Area

As a part of the environmental impact assessment studies, geotechnical properties of sediments were determined in the Central Indian Basin. The undrained shear strength and index properties of the siliceous sediments were determined on 20 box cores of uniform dimension collected from various locations in five preselected sites. The maximum core length encountered was 41 cm and most of the sediments were siliceous oozes consisting of radiolarian or diatomaceous tests. The shear strength measurements revealed that surface sediments deposited in recent times (0-10 cm) have a shear strength of 0-1 kPa; this value increases with depth, reaching 10 kPa at 40 cm deep. Older sediments have greater strength because of compaction. Water content varies in the wide range of 312-577% and decreases with depth. The clay minerals such as smectite and illite are dominant and show some control over water content. Wet density, specific gravity, and porosity do not indicate any notable variation with depth, thereby indicating a uniform, slow rate of sedimentation. The average porosity of sediments is 90.2%, specific gravity 2.18, and wet bulk density 1.12 g/cm 3 . Sediments exhibit medium to high plasticity characteristics, with the average plasticity index varying between 105% and 136%. Preliminary studies on postdisturbance samples showed an increase in natural water content and a decrease in undrained shear strength of sediments in the top 10- to 15-cm layer.     

Physical characterization of core samples recovered from Gulf of Mexico

Seventy whole rounds from conventional cores obtained during drilling to 300 mbsf at Atwater Valley and Keathley Canyon in the Gulf of Mexico in April and May 2005 were tested to determine geophysical and geomechanical parameters (liquid and plastic limit, porosity, specific surface, pH, sediment electrical conductivity, P- and S-wave velocities and undrained shear strength). Available data from a pressure core are included as well. Results show that the sediments are high specific surface plastic clays, and exhibit pronounced time-dependent stiffness recovery. Strains during coring disturb specimens, yet, the water content retains the effective stress history and permits gaining stiffness and strength information from conventional cores. Remolding is exacerbated when gas expands upon decompression; the limited pressure core data available show the advantages of preserving the pore fluid pressure during core recovery and testing. Valuable parameters for sediment characterization and engineering analysis are extracted from the data using pre-existing soil models.     

Impact of grazing by benthic eukaryotic organisms on the nitrogen sediment–water exchange in the North Sea

The metabolic inhibitor cycloheximide was used to estimate the influence of primarily unicellular eukaryotes (heterotrophic protozoa) on nutrient recycling in different types of sediments in the North Sea. Fluxes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen across the sediment–water interface were measured in undisturbed sediment cores (controls) and compared to fluxes in sediment cores with cycloheximide added. If eukaryotes play an important role in nutrient recycling, one would expect to find lower nitrogen sediment–water effluxes in cores with cycloheximide due to the inactivation of eukaryotes. This important role hypothesised for eukaryotes was not generally observed: Only at four of the nineteen stations were ammonium effluxes significantly higher in controls than in cores with cycloheximide, and at five stations nitrate effluxes were significantly higher in the controls than in the cores with cycloheximide. Eukaryotic activity apparently contributed to the sediment–water exchange of ammonium through mineralisation of organic matter, nitrification and the subsequent release of ammonium and nitrate at these stations. At most other stations no differences were obtained between controls and cores with cycloheximide. This suggests that bacteria were the most important nutrient mineralisers at these stations at the time of the cruises.     

Accumulation of sediment,organic matter and trace metals with space and time,in a creek along Mumbai coast,India

Two core sediment samples; one from inner part (ManI) and the other closer to the mouth (ManII); were collected from the intertidal regions of Manori, a tidally influenced creek near Mumbai, India. Both the cores were subjected to various geochemical analyses to determine parameters such as pH, sediment components, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and selected metals viz., Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Co, Ni, Zn, Cr, Al, Ca and V. Analysis of ²¹⁰Pb activity was employed to assess the sediment deposition trend of the area. The data was further processed using factor and cluster analyses. The results indicate that the sediments from site ManI, had finer sediment composition, higher porosity, organic matter and metal contents but exhibited an erratic decline in ²¹⁰Pb activity downcore. Also ManI showed higher C:N ratio and enrichment factor values as compared to site ManII. The inner area (ManI) probably received a greater input of organic matter from the erosion of terrestrial matter as well as domestic and industrial discharge. Sediments from site ManII had typical marine organic matter composition (lower C:N ratio). The concentration of metals at this site was also low indicating the contents were getting diluted by freshwater and seawater mixing.     

Quantitative evaluation of bioturbation rates in deep ocean sediments. II. Comparison of rates determined by 210Pb and 239,240Pu

Excess ²¹⁰Pb was determined in six abyssal cores from the Eastern Atlantic, Hatteras Abyssal Plain, and Puerto Rico Trench. A bioturbation rate for each core was evaluated using the mixing model of Guinasso and Schink. The rates were compared to mixing rates evaluated for the same cores using ^239,240Pu. In all cases, the excess ²¹⁰Pb-derived mixing rates were lower than the plutonium-derived mixing rates. ^239,240Pu was also present at greater depths than excess ²¹⁰Pb. One possible explanation for these observations is the association of plutonium with particles of greater food value which are bioturbated at faster rates.     

Geotechnical Properties of Surface Sediments in the INDEX Area

Abstract

As a part of the environmental impact assessment studies, geotechnical properties of sediments were determined in the Central Indian Basin. The undrained shear strength and index properties of the siliceous sediments were determined on 20 box cores of uniform dimension collected from various locations in five preselected sites. The maximum core length encountered was 41 cm and most of the sediments were siliceous oozes consisting of radiolarian or diatomaceous tests. The shear strength measurements revealed that surface sediments deposited in recent times (0–10 cm) have a shear strength of 0–1 kPa; this value increases with depth, reaching 10 kPa at 40 cm deep. Older sediments have greater strength because of compaction. Water content varies in the wide range of 312–577% and decreases with depth. The clay minerals such as smectite and illite are dominant and show some control over water content. Wet density, specific gravity, and porosity do not indicate any notable variation with depth, thereby indicating a uniform, slow rate of sedimentation. The average porosity of sediments is 90.2%, specific gravity 2.18, and wet bulk density 1.12 g/cm³. Sediments exhibit medium to high plasticity characteristics, with the average plasticity index varying between 105% and 136%. Preliminary studies on postdisturbance samples showed an increase in natural water content and a decrease in undrained shear strength of sediments in the top 10- to 15-cm layer.     

Mississippi prodelta crusts: A clay fabric and geotechnical analysis

Abstract

"Crust”; zones, as defined by shear strength profiles, have been delineated in Mississippi prodelta sediments since the advent of the remote wire‐line probe. Attempts to map the distribution of the “crust”; on the prodelta have been hampered by sparsity of in situ measurements and its apparent lateral discontinuity. Evidence based on clay fabric, geotechnical properties, and the location of selected cores within certain geomorphic zones, suggests the “crusts”; are associated with zones of shearing during an episode of submarine sediment movement on the prodelta.

The clay fabric within the “crust”; zone differs from that found above and below in the high‐porosity sediments. A noticeable degree of clay platelet preferential alignment is characteristic of sediments within the “crust.”; This preferred orientation occurs as localizations rather than as an overall alignment of all the particles. The clay fabric of the higher‐porosity sediments above and below the “crust”; is typified by randomly arranged clay particles and domains, sharing edge‐to‐face contacts which create an open framework. Apparent increases in the coarse silt fraction in the “crust”; zone were observed initially in scanning electron and transmission electron micrographs and later confirmed by grain size analysis. The presence of this silt apparently contributes to the increase in shear strength within the “crust.”; Clay particle arrangement in close proximity to these larger grains is modified in such a manner as to reduce water contents. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy observations of the “crust”; reveal that the void ratio decreases, resulting in a concomitant reduction in the water content as reflected in the geotechnical properties profiles. The type of fabric exhibited by the “crust”; suggests a remolding and dewatering of initially porous silty clay sediments in response to shear stresses operating on the prodelta.

Core samples were recovered from sediments exhibiting a “crust”; in areas identified by other researchers as unstable, based on seismic and acoustic profiles and sidescan sonar records. The prodelta has been modified by a peripheral mudflow at the location where the cores were collected for this study.     

高孔隙多金属硫化物海水围压下切削模拟

考虑海底多金属硫化物(SMS)高孔隙率、受围压等特点,首先采用蒙特卡罗法,结合APDL语言建立了具有一定孔隙率的SMS矿体几何模型,然后基于LS-DYNA仿真平台建立了高海水围压条件下单截齿切削破碎具有一定孔隙率SMS矿体的仿真模型,并进行了相应的数值模拟。研究结果表明:在高海水围压条件下,多金属硫化物的切削难度明显增强,高围压作用使切屑更难从矿体基岩剥离,截齿受到的三向阻力明显增大;随着多金属硫化物矿体的孔隙率增大,截齿破碎矿体受到的切削阻力会减小。