Common Evolution of Mechanical and Transport Properties in Thermally Cracked Westerly Granite at Elevated Hydrostatic Pressure

Increasing the damage and crack porosity in crustal rocks can result in significant changes to various key physical properties, including mechanical strength, elastic and mechanical anisotropy, and the enhancement of transport properties. Using a Non-Interactive Crack Effective Medium (NIC) theory as a fundamental tool, we show that elastic wave dispersion can be inverted to evaluate crack density as a function of temperature and is compared with optically determined crack density. Further, we show how the existence of embedded microcrack fabrics in rocks also significantly influences the fracture toughness (K_IC) of rocks as measured via a suite of tensile failure experiments (chevron cracked notch Brazilian disk). Finally, we include fluid flow in our analysis via the Guéguen and Dienes crack porosity-permeability model. Using the crack density and aspect ratio recovered from the elastic-wave velocity inversion, we successfully compare permeability evolution with pressure with the laboratory measurements of permeability.     

The influence of local fluid flow and the microstructure on elastic and anelastic rock properties

The frequency dependent mechanism of local fluid flow was found to be the decisive absorption and dispersion mechanism in fluid containing sandstones. In the ultrasonic frequency range local fluid flow and grain surface effects control the behaviour of highly porous and highly permeable rock if a pore fluid is present. Both mechanisms depend less on macroscopic rock parameters like porosity and permeability than essentially on microscopic parameters like crack size, crack density and grain contact properties. To demonstrate directly the important influence of the microstructure on the rock elastic and anelastic properties the microstructure of a sandstone was artificially changed by thermal cracking. The cracked rock exhibits a clearly changed behaviour at low uniaxial as well as at high hydrostatic pressure despite small changes of porosity and permeability. Fluid effects increase due to cracking. The experimental results are explained by means of a rock, model and local fluid flow. These results emphasize that it is the microstructure which controls the elastic and anelastic rock behaviour, even at high hydrostatic pressure.     

孔隙、裂隙介质弹性波理论的实验研究

近年来发展起来的“孔隙、裂隙介质弹性波理论”提高了人们对实际岩石声学性质的模拟和预测的能力.作为对这一理论的实验验证和重要应用,我们将它用来模拟和解释岩石超声实验中测得的干燥和饱和岩石弹性波速度随压力的变化曲线.理论模拟的重要参数,如岩石的裂隙密度等是从实验数据反演得到的.结果表明：无论是孔隙度较高的砂岩,还是孔隙度很小的致密岩石,如花岗岩,该理论都能很好地描述岩石在干燥和饱和状态下纵、横波速度随压力的变化.造成波速变化的原因是岩石中裂隙在压力作用下的闭合和裂隙密度的减少.本文的结果还指出了将岩石裂隙密度作为描述岩石的重要物性参数,并给出了从实验室超声测量中确定这一参数的方法.     

A Poroelastic Description of Permeability Evolution

Pore pressure changes in a geothermal reservoir, as a result of injection and/or production of water, result in changes of stress acting on the reservoir rock and, consequently, changes in the mechanical and transport properties of the rock. Bulk modulus and permeability were measured at different pressures and temperatures. An outcropping equivalent of Rotliegend reservoir rock in the North German Basin (Flechtinger sandstone) was used to perform hydrostatic tests and steady state fluid flow tests. Permeability measurements were conducted while cycling confining pressure; the dependence of permeability on stress was determined at a constant downstream pressure of 1 MPa. Also, temperature was increased stepwise from 30 to 140 °C and crack porosity was calculated at different temperatures. Although changes in the volumes of cracks are not significant, the cracks control fluid flow pathways and, consequently, the permeability of the rock. A new model was derived which relates microstructure of porosity, the stress–strain curve, and permeability. Porosity change was described by the first derivative of the stress–strain curve. Permeability evolution was ascribed to crack closure and was related to the second derivative of the stress–strain curve. The porosity and permeability of Flechtinger sandstone were reduced by increasing the effective pressure and decreased after each pressure cycle.     

Comparison of stress-dependent geophysical,hydraulic and mechanical properties of synthetic and natural sandstones for reservoir characterization and monitoring studies

Synthetic rock samples can offer advantages over natural rock samples when used for laboratory rock physical properties studies, provided their success as natural analogues is well understood. The ability of synthetic rocks to mimic the natural stress dependency of elastic wave, electrical and fluid transport properties is of primary interest. Hence, we compare a consistent set of laboratory multi-physics measurements obtained on four quartz sandstone samples (porosity range 20–25%) comprising two synthetic and two natural (Berea and Corvio) samples, the latter used extensively as standards in rock physics research. We measured simultaneously ultrasonic (P- and S-wave) velocity and attenuation, electrical resistivity, permeability and axial and radial strains over a wide range of differential pressure (confining stress 15–50 MPa; pore pressure 5–10 MPa) on the four brine saturated samples. Despite some obvious physical discrepancies caused by the synthetic manufacturing process, such as silica cementation and anisotropy, the results show only small differences in stress dependency between the synthetic and natural sandstones for all measured parameters. Stress dependency analysis of the dry samples using an isotropic effective medium model of spheroidal pores and penny-shaped cracks, together with a granular cohesion model, provide evidence of crack closure mechanisms in the natural sandstones, seen to a much lesser extent in the synthetic sandstones. The smaller grain size, greater cement content, and cementation under oedometric conditions particularly affect the fluid transport properties of the synthetic sandstones, resulting in lower permeability and higher electrical resistivity for a similar porosity. The effective stress coefficients, determined for each parameter, are in agreement with data reported in the literature. Our results for the particular synthetic materials that were tested suggest that synthetic sandstones can serve as good proxies for natural sandstones for studies of elastic and mechanical properties, but should be used with care for transport properties studies.     

Changes in geophysical properties caused by fluid injection into porous rocks: analytical models

Analytical models are provided that describe how the elastic compliance, electrical conductivity, and fluid‐flow permeability of rocks depend on stress and fluid pressure. In order to explain published laboratory data on how seismic velocities and electrical conductivity vary in sandstones and granites, the models require a population of cracks to be present in a possibly porous host phase. The central objective is to obtain a consistent mean‐field analytical model that shows how each modeled rock property depends on the nature of the crack population. The crack populations are described by a crack density, a probability distribution for the crack apertures and radii, and the averaged orientation of the cracks. The possibly anisotropic nature of the elasticity, conductivity, and permeability tensors is allowed for; however, only the isotropic limit is used when comparing to laboratory data. For the transport properties of conductivity and permeability, the percolation effect of the crack population linking up to form a connected path across a sample is modeled. However, this effect is important only in crystalline rock where the host phase has very small conductivity and permeability. In general, the importance of the crack population to the transport properties increases as the host phase becomes less conductive and less permeable.     

利用含可控裂缝人工岩样研究裂缝密度对各向异性的影响

利用新方法制作出含可控裂缝的双孔隙人工砂岩物理模型,具有与天然岩石更为接近的矿物成分、孔隙结构和胶结方式,其中裂缝密度、裂缝尺寸和裂缝张开度等裂缝参数可以控制以得到实验所需要的裂缝参数,岩样具有真实的孔隙和裂缝空间并可以在不同饱和流体状态下研究流体性质对于裂缝介质性质的影响.本次实验制作出一组具有不同裂缝密度的含裂缝人工岩样,对岩样利用SEM扫描电镜分析可以看到真实的孔隙结构和符合我们要求的裂缝参数,岩样被加工成八面棱柱以测量不同方向上弹性波传播的速度,用0.5 MHz的换能器使用透射法测量在饱和空气和饱和水条件下各个样品不同方向上的纵横波速度,并得出纵横波速度、横波分裂系数和纵横波各向异性强度受裂缝密度和饱和流体的影响.研究发现流体对于纵波速度和纵波各向异性强度的影响较强,而横波速度、横波分裂系数和横波各向异性强度受饱和流体的影响不大,但是对裂缝密度的变化更敏感.     

裂隙土等效连续介质的渗透张量及表征单元体积

裂隙土的渗透特性是裂隙土边坡稳定性分析中重要的参数。文中通过分别考虑随机裂隙网络和土体本身的渗透性,推导裂隙土的渗透系数,并用张量的形式表示渗透系数的各向异性。同时建立了确定裂隙土表征单元体积的准则,为应用等效连续介质模型提供了基础。结果表明裂隙土的渗透系数大于裂隙网络和土体的渗透系数,其渗透方向取决于裂隙网络的渗透方向。算例中裂隙土的表征单元体积大约是裂隙长度平均值的5倍。     

压力及流体对岩石孔隙结构与黏弹性的影响规律研究:理论模型及实验观测

地质成因和构造/热应力导致地壳岩石中的孔隙结构（裂隙和粒间孔）的变化.影响岩石黏弹性的因素包括压力、孔隙度、孔隙中包含的流体和孔隙几何形状等.相对于岩石中的硬孔隙,岩石黏弹性（衰减和频散）受软孔隙（裂隙）的影响更大.本文选取三块白云岩样本,进行了不同围压和流体条件下的超声波实验测量.利用CPEM（Cracks and Pores Effective Medium,裂隙和孔隙有效介质）模型获得了岩石高、低频极限的弹性模量,并通过Zener体（标准线性体）模型将CPEM模型拓展到全频带而得到CPEM-Zener模型,用该模型拟合岩石松弛和非松弛状态下的实验数据,本文得到平均裂隙纵横比和裂隙孔隙度以及纵波速度和品质因子随频率的变化关系.结果表明,饱水岩石的平均裂隙纵横比和裂隙孔隙度均高于饱油岩石,随着压差（围压和孔隙压力的差值）的增加,饱油岩石中的裂隙首先闭合.并且压差在70 MPa以内时,随着压差增大,岩石的平均裂隙纵横比和裂隙孔隙度在饱水和饱油时的差值增大,此时流体类型对于岩石裂隙的影响越来越显著,此外,对饱水岩石,平均裂隙纵横比随压差增加而增大,这可能是由于岩石中纵横比较小的裂隙会随压差增大而逐渐趋于闭合.在饱水和饱油岩石中,裂隙孔隙度和裂隙密度都随着压差增加而减小.通过对裂隙密度和压差的关系进行指数拟合,本文获得压差趋于0时的裂隙密度,且裂隙密度随孔隙度增大而增大,增大速率随压差增加而降低.针对饱水和饱油的白云岩样本,CPEM-Zener模型预测的纵波频散随压差增大而减小,此变化趋势和实验测得的逆品质因子随压差的变化关系基本一致,由此进一步验证了模型的实用性.本研究对岩石的孔隙结构和黏弹性分析以及声波测井、地震勘探的现场应用有指导意义.     

孔、裂隙并存地层中的声波测井理论及多极子声场特征

在油、气储层的勘探和开发中观察到的一个现象是储层岩石中普遍存在孔隙和裂隙.随着近年来孔、裂隙介质弹性波动理论的进展,我们可以将此理论应用于测井技术,以此来指导从声波测井中测量孔、裂隙地层的声学参数.本文计算了孔、裂隙地层里充流体井眼中的多极子声场,分析了声场随裂隙介质的两个主要参数(即裂隙密度和裂隙纵横比)的变化特征.井孔声场的数值计算表明裂隙密度可以大幅度地降低井中声波纵、横波的波速和振幅.随着裂隙密度的增加,在测井频段内也可以看到纵、横波速的频散现象(这种频散在孔隙地层中一般是观察不到的).本文还研究了多极子模式波 (即单极的Stoneley波、伪瑞利波以及偶极的弯曲波)随裂隙参数的变化特征.结果表明,这些模式波的振幅激发和速度频散都受裂隙密度的影响.裂隙密度越高影响越大.此外,裂隙还对模式波的传播造成较大的衰减.相对裂隙密度而言,裂隙纵横比是一个频率控制参数,它控制裂隙对声场影响的频率区间.本文的分析结果对裂缝、孔隙型地层的声波测井具有指导意义.     

Electrical Properties of Crustal and Mantle Rocks – A Review of Laboratory Measurements and their Explanation

The electrical properties of rocks and minerals are controlled by thermodynamic parameters like pressure and temperature and by the chemistry of the medium in which the charge carriers move. Four different charge transport processes can be distinguished. Electrolytic conduction in fluid saturated porous rocks depends on petrophysical properties, such as porosity, permeability and connectivity of the pore system, and on chemical parameters of the pore fluid like ion species, its concentration in the pore fluid and temperature. Additionally, electrochemical interactions between water dipoles or ions and the negatively charged mineral surface must be considered. In special geological settings electronic conduction can increase rock conductivities by several orders of magnitude if the highly conducting phases (graphite or ores) form an interconnected network. Electronic and electrolytic conduction depend moderately on pressure and temperature changes, while semiconduction in mineral phases forming the Earth’s mantle strongly depends on temperature and responds less significantly to pressure changes. Olivine exhibits thermally induced semiconduction under upper mantle conditions; if pressure and temperature exceed ~ 14 GPa and 1400 °C, the phase transition olivine into spinel will further enhance the conductivity due to structural changes from orthorhombic into cubic symmetry. The thermodynamic parameters (temperature, pressure) and oxygen fugacity control the formation, number and mobility of charge carriers. The conductivity temperature relation follows an Arrhenius behaviour, while oxygen fugacity controls the oxidation state of iron and thus the number of electrons acting as additional charge carriers. In volcanic areas rock conductivities may be enhanced by the formation of partial melts under the restriction that the molten phase is interconnected. These four charge transport mechanisms must be considered for the interpretation of geophysical field and borehole data. Laboratory data provide a reproducible and reliable database of electrical properties of homogenous mineral phases and heterogenous rock samples. The outcome of geoelectric models can thus be enhanced significantly. This review focuses on a compilation of fairly new advances in experimental laboratory work together with their explanation.     

Simulation of full-waveform log in saturated cracked formations using Hudson's approach

We study the propagation of elastic waves that are generated in a fluid‐filled borehole surrounded by a cracked transversely isotropic medium. In the model studied the anisotropy and borehole axes coincide. To obtain the effective elastic moduli of a cracked medium we have applied Hudson's theory that enables the determination of the overall properties as a function of the crack orientation in relation to the symmetry axis of the anisotropic medium. This theory takes into account the hydrodynamic mechanism of the elastic‐wave attenuation caused by fluid filtration from the cracks into a porous matrix. We have simulated the full waveforms generated by an impulse source of finite length placed on the borehole axis. The kinematic and dynamic parameters of the compressional, shear and Stoneley waves as functions of the matrix permeability, crack orientation and porosity were studied. The modelling results demonstrated the influence of the crack‐system parameters (orientation and porosity) on the velocities and amplitudes of all wave types. The horizontally orientated cracks result in maximal decrease of the elastic‐wave parameters (velocities and amplitudes). Based on the fact that the shear‐ and Stoneley‐wave velocities in a transversely isotropic medium are determined by different shear moduli, we demonstrate the feasibility of the acoustic log to identify formations with close to horizontal crack orientations.     

饱和多孔岩石弛豫衰减对时间和温度的依赖性

通过饱和多孔岩石的低频亚共振试验 ,得到了饱和多孔岩石的内耗峰是典型的弛豫峰的结论 .不同的饱和液体、不同的岩石导致不同的弛豫峰特征 ,饱和岩石的弛豫特性 ,是寻找油田、地热田和预测储层的物性基础 .试验结果表明 ,饱和多孔岩石都具有一个共同的特性---时间和温度的等效性 ,即降低温度与增加振动频率是等效的 ,这就是饱和多孔岩石的弛豫共性 .     

裂缝型HTI介质的纵波弹性阻抗

裂缝发育导致的地震波场各向异性,是裂缝型油气藏的一个重要特征.然而针对该类油气藏的叠前弹性阻抗技术,一直没有通过各向异性弹性阻抗公式建立与裂缝参数的直接关系.本文在回顾封闭平行硬币状裂缝模型和线性滑动模型的基础上,将裂缝填充物性质、分布密度与围岩的横纵波速度比,引入裂缝型HTI介质弹性阻抗公式,并对相应的归一化弹性阻抗响应特征进行模拟分析.分析表明,弹性阻抗受以上三参数的影响规律存在明显差异,其中含气裂隙介质随裂缝密度的变化要明显高于对应的流体裂隙介质,流体填充裂隙介质随横、纵波速度比的变化幅度要高于对应的含气裂隙介.该结论初步为裂缝型油气藏流体识别工作提供了依据.     

不同温压条件下弹性波在岩石中传播速度的实验研究

对以岩浆岩为主的岩石类型进行了不同温压条件下弹性波传播速度的实验研究，结果表明：（１）岩石的物质组成是决定弹性波传播速度的主要因素。以岩浆岩为例，由酸性到基性波速呈增加趋势；（２）岩石中弹性波的传播速度随环境条件改变而变化。一般说来，随温压条件的升高而升高     

Seismic-frequency Laboratory Measurements of Shear Mode Viscoelasticity in Crustal Rocks II: Thermally Stressed Quartzite and Granite

—Forced torsional oscillation techniques have been used to explore the seismic-frequency shear mode viscoelasticity of specimens of two crustal rocks (Cape Sorell quartzite and Delegate aplite), cycled between room temperature and 700°C under conditions of moderate confining pressure. The anisotropy and intergranular inhomogeneity of thermal expansivity in these materials give rise to large deviatoric stresses, resulting in thermal cracking at temperatures above a pressure-dependent threshold temperature, associated with the onset of very pronounced temperature sensitivity of the shear modulus, in general accord with the predictions of fracture mechanics models. For Delegate aplite in particular, the shear modulus behaves reproducibly during multiple thermal cycles at different confining pressures, consistent with the notion that the thermal cracks are of low aspect ratio (minimum/maximum dimension), and are therefore readily closed by the prevailing confining pressure once the thermal stresses are removed. Marked frequency-dependent dissipation of shear strain energy is observed on heating each rock to temperatures ≥ 500°C, although the attenuation varies significantly with prior thermal history, probably as a result of progressive dehydration and relaxation of deviatoric stresses. Temperature and pressure dependent crack densities for Delegate aplite have been estimated by comparison of the observed shear moduli with those expected for a crack-free aggregate. In parallel with the forced oscillation tests, measurements have been made of the rate at which (argon) pore pressure equilibrium is re-established following a perturbation. Combination of these results, which provide a proxy for permeability, with the inferred crack densities indicates that the variation of permeability with crack density is well described by a percolation model with a threshold crack density of ～0.2.     

New methods for measuring the permeability of rock samples for a single-phase fluid

A complex of methodology, instrumentation, and software tools is worked out, which makes it possible to accomplish high-precision measurements of permeability for a single-phase fluid and its anisotropy within a wide range of values both under the normal conditions and high temperature and pressure.The transient method, modified with allowance for the dependence of the properties of a percolating gas on the parameters of its state, enables one to simultaneously determine, from the data of a single experiment, the permeability values for a sample of condensed fluid and the Klinkenberg constant, which characterizes the pore space of rock. This approach made it possible to substantially increase the accuracy of measurements, reducing their labor-intensiveness.The method of varying the flow shape makes it possible to simultaneously determine, in the course of a single experiment, the axial and radial components of the permeability tensor of anisotropic rocks with layered structure. The instrumentation and software implementing these new methodologies are developed and thoroughly tested.     

The effect of cracks on the thermal expansion of rocks

Thermal expansion during the first heating cycle at atmospheric pressure was measured in several directions in seven igneous rocks between 25° and 400°C at slow heating rates. The coefficient of thermal expansion measured under these conditions increases more rapidly as temperature is increased than the average thermal expansion coefficient of the constituent minerals. The “extra” expansion is attributed to the formation of cracks by differential expansion of mineral grains. The presence of such cracks in the rocks during the cooling part of the cycle and during any subsequent heating and cooling cycles will result in a substantial decrease in the coefficient of thermal expansion as compared to that measured during the first heating cycles. The effect of cracks initially present in a rock was studied by measuring the full tensor of the coefficient of thermal expansion on two rocks with anisotropic crack distributions. In these two rocks the coefficient of thermal expansion is least in the direction perpendicular to the plane of greatest crack concentration. The implication of our data is that thermal expansion depends greatly on the fracture state of the rock. Both the fractures in the rock and the boundary conditions on the rock are significant for the interpretation of thermal expansion measurements and for their application to other problems.     

流体替换方法研究及应用分析

流体替换即为从一种孔隙流体状态下的岩石物理参数计算出另一种流体状态下的岩石物理参数.流体替换对于地震属性分析具有重要作用,其为解释人员进行AVO(振幅随偏移距变化)及四维地震研究提供了正演模拟及定量分析的工具.通常流体替换都是采用基于wood方程的Gassmann流体替换方法.本文借鉴Patchy saturation模型,及Brie经验模型分别提出了针对流体不均匀分布的Patchy saturation模型流体替换方法,及基于经验关系的Brie经验模型流体替换方法.并基于岩石物理实验比较分析了以上三种流体替换方法.通过目标区岩石物理分析,可以从中优选出更合适的流体替换方法,从而为流体的地震响应分析提供正确的指导.     

甘肃北山花岗岩裂隙几何学特征研究及岩石质量初探

文中以甘肃北山花岗岩中发育的构造裂隙(主要指节理)为研究对象,通过野外裂隙调查,应用传统的概率统计方法与分形几何学理论,利用Mapinfo,ArcGIS平台进行裂隙几何学参数(方位、长度、密度等)的统计、计算和裂隙网络的空间结构分析,研究花岗岩岩体中裂隙的几何学特征。并以此为基础,对甘肃北山花岗岩岩体质量优劣进行初步评价。结果表明:在10～200cm范围内,裂隙网络是分形的;5个测点裂隙网络的分维值分别是1.636,1.548,1.596,1.724,1.604。分维数D不仅能刻画岩体中结构面发育的数量,而且能反映结构面在岩体中分布的均匀程度和交切方式。因此,可以表征岩体的质量优劣,对岩体质量进行分级。按照分维所划分的岩体质量分级,北山花岗岩属于裂隙较发育、岩体质量等级一般的岩体