Microfabric and rock properties of experimentally compressed silt-clay mixtures

Oedometric mechanical compaction tests were performed on brine-saturated synthetic samples consisting of silt-clay mixtures to study changes in microfabric and rock properties as a function of effective stress. The silt consisted of crushed quartz (∼100%) with grain size range between 4 and 40 μm, whereas the clay consisted of 81% kaolinite, 14% mica/illite and 5% microcline of grain size between 0.4 and 30 μm. Five sample pairs ranging in composition from pure silt to pure clay were compacted to 5 and 50 MPa effective stress respectively. SEM studies were carried out to investigate microfabric changes in the mechanically compacted silt-clay mixtures. The degree of alignment of the different minerals present (quartz, mica/illite and kaolinite) were computed by using an image analysis software. Experimental compaction have measured the changes in the rock properties such as porosity and velocity as a function of effective stress for different mixtures of clay and silt. Clay-rich samples showed a higher degree of mineral orientation and lower porosity compared to silt-dominated samples as a function of effective stress. Pure clay sample had 11% porosity at 50 MPa effective stress whereas the pure silt sample retained about 29% porosity at the same effective stress. The experiments showed that low porosity down to 11% is possible by mechanical compaction only. A systematic increase in strain was observed in the silt-clay mixtures with increasing clay content but the porosity values found for the 50:50 silt-clay mixture were lower than that of 25:75 silt-clay mixture. No preferential mineral orientation is expected before compaction owing to the high initial porosity suggesting that the final fabric is a direct result of the effective stress. Both P- and S-wave velocities increased in all silt-clay mixtures with increasing effective stress. The maximum P- and S-wave velocities were observed in the 25:75 silt-clay mixture whereas the minimum Vp and Vs were recorded in the pure silt mixture. At 50 MPa effective stress P- wave velocities as high as 3 km/s resulted from experimental mechanical compaction alone. The results show that fine-grained sediment porosity and velocity are dependent on microfabric, which in turn is a function of grain size distribution, particle shape, sediment composition and stress. At 5 MPa effective stress, quartz orientation increased as a function of the amount of clay indicating that clay facilitate rotation of angular quartz grains. Adding clay from 25% to 75% in the silt-clay mixtures at 50 MPa effective stress decreased the quartz alignment. The clay mineral orientation increased by increasing both the amount of clay and the effective stress, the mica/illite fabric alignment being systematically higher than that of kaolinite. Even small amount of silt (25%) added to pure clay reduced the degree of clay alignment significantly. This study demonstrates that experimental compaction of well characterized synthetic mudstones can be a useful tool to understand microfabric and rock properties of shallow natural mudstones where mechanical compaction is the dominant process.     

Investigation of the morphology of pore space in mudstones—first results

A suite of selected Tertiary mudstones was studied to improve the knowledge about microstructure and related transport processes in mudstones. Samples were investigated by mercury- and Wood's metal injection, SEM, XRD, and grain size analysis. Wood's metal injection has the advantage of visualising the ‘frozen’ injection process. The smallest pore casts observed were down to 40 nm in diameter, while the largest, bottle-shaped pores were up to 5 μm in diameter. Bottle-shaped pores occurred in all the samples, usually around silt or sand grains. One sample, which had a porosity of 28.5% according to mercury injection data, had not been impregnated by the molten alloy. We suggest this to reflect a strong deformation of the clay fabric by the high pressure without intrusion into the matrix. This raises questions about the reliability of mercury injection data for very fine-grained, highly porous sediments.After excluding these very fine-grained samples and one very calcareous sample regressions were found which relate porosity (φ), clay content (C), and sand content (S) to capillary displacement pressure (P_d(Hg)): P_d(Hg)=−25.05+0.63 C+0.29S (R²=0.92), and P_d(Hg)=−10.24+0.47 C−0.15φ (R²=0.88).     

Composition and properties of glacigenic sediments in the southwestern Barents Sea

Abstract

The composition and properties of glacigenic sediments in the southwestern Barents Sea are described based on data from 33 shallow boreholes (< 143 m below seabed) and 11 seabed cores (<4.2m below seabed). The cores are tied into a regional seismostratigraphic framework, illustrating the relationships between different boreholes.

A massive, muddy diamicton (silty, sandy clay with scattered gravel) is found in nearly all cores. Average clay content (<2 pm) of this lithology is about 38%, but varies between about 25% and 50%. Short intervals of finely laminated, waterlain sediments or gravelly sand are cored in a few occasions. A high content of sand and gravel in the cores from near the Norwegian coast shows an influence of sediment input from the mainland, while material eroded from sedimentary rocks dominates farther offshore.

The data presented on physical properties include undisturbed and remolded undrained shear strength, natural water content, bulk density, compressional sound velocity (P waves), Atterberg consistency limits, effective preconsolidation pressure, and consolidation coefficient.

Prediction of overconsolidation from seismic mapping of erosional surfaces is confirmed by the borehole cores. High compaction is found both in Weichselian and older deposits, with a general increase in compaction toward the east as well as toward shallower water. Cores that are “underconsolidated” at their present burial depth are also reported.

The average compressional sound velocity is about 1780 m/s for the borehole cores, 1550 m/s for the seabed cores, and increases with increasing shear strength and consolidation. Both horizontal and vertical sound velocities are measured in several cores, and although the data have a considerable scatter, a slightly aniso‐tropic sound velocity is indicated.     

近代黄河水下三角洲底坡土体的差异侵蚀及土工特性

近代黄河水下三角洲海底声波探测资料和土工资料揭示 :波浪、潮流在所研究区域海底沉积物中产生的差异侵蚀和不同的破坏行为受沉积物土工特性的控制。研究表明 ,粘粒含量低于10 % ,含水量在 30 %～ 4 5% ,孔隙比在 0 .8～ 1.2之间的土体抵抗破坏的能力较差 ,土体破坏形成塌陷凹坑 ;粘粒含量在 10 %～ 2 0 % ,含水量在 2 0 %～ 30 % ,孔隙比小于 0 .8的土体抵抗破坏的能力相对较强 ,被保留下来形成蚀余高地     

日照近岸海域晚更新世以来地层结构及沉积环境演化

根据在日照近岸海域施工的地质钻孔和浅地层剖面测量资料,对比南黄海已有钻孔成果,系统地开展日照近岸海域晚更新世以来地层结构特征识别和沉积环境演化重建。结果表明:日照近岸海域沉积地层中见含有有孔虫化石的第二海相层,形成年代介于34.3~41.4 cal.ka B.P.,对应MIS3的暖湿阶段,该层位可能与古三角洲有关。沉积层从上往下分别为:滨海相细砂混杂泥质沉积层(命名为DU1沉积单元);河流-河口相粉砂质黏土夹粗砂、粉砂层(DU2沉积单元);浅海相粉砂质黏土夹粗砂层(DU3沉积单元);河流-湖泊相粗砂夹黏土层(DU4沉积单元)。晚更新世以来日照东部南黄海海域主要经历了2~3次显著的海侵和海退,各区域因条件不同表现有所差异:日照近岸浅水区主要表现为两次海侵和海退,东部深水区主要表现为三次海侵和海退,由于地势高低和侵蚀破坏等原因,总体表现为从离岸深水区域向近岸浅水区域海相地层厚度逐渐减少的趋势,部分地层出现尖灭消失。     

A seismic velocity inversion on Bjørnøya — The western Barents Shelf

Seismic velocity measurements on the exposed Triassic to Cambro-Silurian sedimentary sequence on Bjørnøya show a velocity inversion in the stratigraphic section with a minimum velocity (3.8 km/s) in the Devonian fluvial sandstones of the Røedvika Formation, which also has the highest porosity (～ 17%). The low porosity in the younger formations is due to silicification and dolomitization probably by chemical alterations of the pore water rather than an overburden effect. Sonobuoy measurements in the vicinity of Bjørnøya show seismic velocities at the sea floor comparable with velocities of the exposed formations on the island itself.     

Multi-scale pore structure of COx claystone: Towards the prediction of fluid transport

We aim to relate the morphology of the pore network of finely porous claystones to their fluid transport properties. By using Focused Ion Beam in combination with Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB/SEM), we image the pore network of COx claystone from 2D image stacks and as 3D reconstructed volumes. Our FIB/SEM samples are representative of the mesoscopic matrix clay. Porosity resolvable by this technique is in the range 1.7–5.9% with peak pore sizes of 50–90 nm. 3D pore network skeletonization provides connected pore volumes between end surfaces, tortuosity, density, and shortest pore paths with their pore size distribution. At higher resolution, 2D transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals large amounts of smaller pores (2–20 nm) between clay aggregates, associated to a local porosity of 14–25%, and peak sizes of 4–6 nm. Liquid permeability predictions with Katz–Thompson model, at the FIB/SEM volume scale and at the TEM surface scale, are in good agreement with macroscopic measurements (on the order of 10⁻²⁰ m²), showing that both mesopore sizes (peaks at 50–90 nm and 4–6 nm), located within the clay matrix, contribute to liquid transport.     

Mineralogical analysis and the evaluation of the petrophysical parameter Vshale for reservoir description

Water saturation in otherwise hydrocarbon-saturated sandstones is closely related to the sandstone's clay mineralogy. Laboratory analysis of the clay mineralogy of three sandstones, containing kaolinite, chlorite and illite, is used to provide the basis for deciding which logs are most suitable for evaluating clay mineral content and distribution (V_shale). The gamma log, which is held traditionally to be a reliable ‘shale’ log, proves to be a poor indicator of shaliness (i.e. clay mineral content) in all three examples. Microresistivity (MSFL) logs, and in some instances neutron porosity logs, give the most realistic correlations with the actual clay mineralogy. Standard values for clay mineral properties which are often used in the petrophysical characterization of sandstones are thought to be unreliable especially when not used in conjunction with textural data from petrographic studies.     

Seismic and Petrophysical Relationships from UK Continental Shelf Rocks at Elevated Pressures

Abstract

There are few published seismic (P- and S-waves) properties for seafloor bedrocks. At low pressures (1 to 10 MPa), velocities and attenuations are determined mainly by open microcracks. At higher pressures, the microcracks close, and the velocities and attenuations depend primarily on the matrix porosity. We have investigated both the relationships between the acoustic, petrophysical, and geological properties of the rocks at 40 MPa pressure and the effect of microcracks on the acoustic properties at 10 MPa pressure. In this paper we discuss the former; the latter will be discussed separately.

P- and S-wave velocity and attenuation measurements were carried out on a suite of seabed sedimentary and igneous rocks at effective pressures from 10 to 40 MPa at ultrasonic frequencies. The porosities and permeabilities of the rocks ranged from 0% to 32% and 0 to 110 mDarcy, respectively. Characterization of the rocks revealed that most of the sandstones have a substantial clay content (kaolinite, illite, and chlorite) and fractures. Most of the igneous rocks are chloritized.

The seismic properties of the rocks are markedly lower than those of similar continental rocks because of the microporosity formed by the alteration of feldspars, micas, and mafic minerals to clays (e.g., chloritization of pyroxenes) and the corresponding reduction of the elastic moduli. The results of this study suggest that the values of velocities and quality factors used for ocean acoustic propagation models are lower than normally assumed.     

Seismic and Petrophysical Relationships from UK Continental Shelf Rocks at Elevated Pressures

There are few published seismic (P- and S-waves) properties for seafloor bedrocks. At low pressures (1 to 10 MPa), velocities and attenuations are determined mainly by open microcracks. At higher pressures, the microcracks close, and the velocities and attenuations depend primarily on the matrix porosity. We have investigated both the relationships between the acoustic, petrophysical, and geological properties of the rocks at 40 MPa pressure and the effect of microcracks on the acoustic properties at 10 MPa pressure. In this paper we discuss the former; the latter will be discussed separately. P- and S-wave velocity and attenuation measurements were carried out on a suite of seabed sedimentary and igneous rocks at effective pressures from 10 to 40 MPa at ultrasonic frequencies. The porosities and permeabilities of the rocks ranged from 0% to 32% and 0 to 110 mDarcy, respectively. Characterization of the rocks revealed that most of the sandstones have a substantial clay content (kaolinite, illite, and chlorite) and fractures. Most of the igneous rocks are chloritized. The seismic properties of the rocks are markedly lower than those of similar continental rocks because of the microporosity formed by the alteration of feldspars, micas, and mafic minerals to clays (e.g., chloritization of pyroxenes) and the corresponding reduction of the elastic moduli. The results of this study suggest that the values of velocities and quality factors used for ocean acoustic propagation models are lower than normally assumed.     

元素俘获测井在绥中36-1油田的应用

由于并眼条件、钻井液等因素的影响,利用常规测井资料处理得到的岩性剖面会存在一定偏差,造成储层孔隙度计算不精确甚至流体性质判别失误.元素俘获测井（ECS）是斯伦贝谢公司研发的新一代测量地层元素的测井技术,利用其资料确定黏土含量及类型从而获得精确的岩性剖面,结合常规测井数据可以准确计算地层孔隙度,提高测井解释的符合率.介绍了ECS测井原理及其仪器参数,通过在绥中36-1油田的应用,阐述ECS的测井优势,对该技术的推广应用有着重要意义.     

Clay mineral diagenesis and quartz cementation in mudstones: The effects of smectite to illite reaction on rock properties

The Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary sequence of the Vøring and Møre Basins from the Norwegian Sea has been examined with respect to mineralogy based on 319 cutting samples from five wells. A clear relationship between mineralogy and well log data is demonstrated. A significant change with respect to velocity, porosity and density occurs within the depth interval corresponding to 80–90 °C. At shallow depths/temperatures (<2.0 km/70 °C), compaction is mainly mechanical and the physical properties are similar to what has been measured by experimental compaction of mudstones. At greater depths, however, the log derived velocities and densities are higher than those produced by experimental compaction indicating significant chemical compaction. XRD analyses show a progressive alteration of smectite to illite (S–I) within this depth/temperature interval which results in the release of significant amounts of silica into solution. Detrital silt and fine-grained quartz showed no secondary quartz overgrowths. These grains are isolated within a clay matrix and surrounded by clay minerals, thus limiting the available surface area and pore space for quartz overgrowths. Chemical analyses (XRF) indicate that silica is conserved within this depth interval, and the amount released from S–I alteration was locally precipitated. Field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM) and cathode luminescence (CL) identified authigenic micro-crystalline quartz cement within the clay matrix at temperatures above ∼85 °C. This is accompanied by an increase in velocity and density indicating that the S–I reaction and the precipitation of authigenic quartz caused a significant change in the rock stiffness.     

Sedimentary control on the formation of a multi-superimposed gas system in the development of key layers in the sequence framework

Based on core observations, well logs and test results of siderite-bearing mudstone from the Benxi Formation to the Member 2 of the Shanxi Formations in the Linxing block, northeastern Ordos Basin, a logging identification model for siderite-bearing mudstone (key layer) was established. The porosity characteristics and sealing property were quantitatively evaluated by logging data. Sedimentary control on the formation of multi-superimposed gas-bearing system in the development of key layers in the sequence framework was also discussed. The results showed that the siderite-bearing mudstone has obvious logging response characteristics, e.g., high photoelectric absorption cross-section index (PE), high density (DEN), high amplitude natural gamma ray (GR), low acoustic (AC), low resistivity (M2RX) and low neutron porosity (CNCF). The quantitatively evaluated results of the porosity characteristics and sealing property for the key layer showed that the key layer has the characteristics of low porosity (with an average of 1.20 percent), low permeability (with an average of 2.29 × 10⁻⁸μm²), and high breakthrough pressure (with an average of 12.32 MPa) in the study area. This layer acts as an impermeable gas barrier in a multi-superimposed gas system. The results also indicated that the material composition of the multi-superimposed gas-bearing system can be established by the sequence stratigraphic framework. The sedimentary evolution results in a cyclic rhythm of material composition vertically. The spatial distribution of the corresponding transgressive event layer near the maximum flooding surface (MFS) in the sequence framework restricts the spatial distribution of the key layer with high breakthrough pressure and low porosity, which constitutes the gas-bearing system boundary. The siderite-bearing mudstone formed near the MFS in the second-order sequence and constitutes a stable comparison of the first-order gas-bearing system boundary, which has a wide range of regional distribution and stable thickness. The siderite-bearing mudstone formed near the MFS in the third-order sequence is often incompletely preserved due to the late (underwater) diversion channel erosion and cutting. This layer forms the coal-bearing reservoirs, which we termed as a second-order gas-bearing system in adjacent third-order sequences to form a uniform gas-bearing system.     

A method for estimating the physical and acoustic properties of the sea bed using chirp sonar data

This paper proposes a method, based on the Biot model, for estimating the physical and acoustic properties of surficial ocean sediments from normal incidence reflection data acquired by a chirp sonar. The inversion method estimates sediment porosity from reflection coefficient measurements and, using the estimated porosity and the measured change in fast wave attenuation with frequency, estimates the permeability of the top sediment layer. The spectral ratio of echoes from the interface at the base of the upper sediment layer and from the sediment-water interface provides a measure of the change in attenuation with frequency. Given the porosity and permeability estimates, the Kozeny-Carman equation provides the mean grain size and the inversion method yields the acoustic properties of top sediment layer. The inversion technique is tested using chirp sonar data collected at the 1999 Sediment Acoustics Experiment (SAX-99) site. Remote estimates of porosity, grain size, and permeability agree with direct measurements of those properties.     

Variation of temperature-dependent sound velocity in unconsolidated marine sediments: Laboratory measurements

Laboratory measurements of sound velocity in unconsolidated marine sediment were performed to establish specific correction curves between temperature and sound velocity. Cores from the Hupo Basin and the southern sea of Geumo Island were cooled and sound velocity was measured while gradually increasing temperature (from 3 to 30°C). Sediment textural and physical properties (porosity, water content, and bulk density) were measured at the same depth. Sound velocity increases with temperature for clay, mud, silt, and sand sediment, resulting in values of approximately 2.65, 2.72, 2.78, and 3.10?m/s/°C, respectively. These results are similar to those of previous studies, and differences are likely due to density, porosity, and clay contents of the sediment. Using these results, we present correction curves for sound velocity temperature dependence for each sediment texture, which can be used to correct from laboratory to in situ values to develop accurate geoacoustic model.     

On changes in porosity and volume during burial of argillaceous sediments

The porosity and hence volume of argillaceous sediments is determined by: (1) the magnitude of the effective stress acting within the sediment; (2) the previous stress history of the sediment; and (3) at shallow depths of burial, by features such as the mineralogy and the nature of the depositional environment. Stress paths and the critical state diagrams for a number of clays are used to investigate the range of porosities possible in argillaceous sediments as the effective stresses increase. It is found that all porosity/effective stress curves converge at large stresses. The change in porosity is strongly dependent on the mean effective stress but largely independent of the deviatoric stress, and thus is largely independent of the nature of the stress field acting on the basin (compressional, extensional etc.). Because of the dependence of porosity on the mean effective stress, no simple relationship exists between porosity and depth of burial but in the absence of overpressured pore fluids and assuming the sediment is not overconsolidated, it is possible to contour the porosity/effective stress diagram in terms of burial depths. These data should assist in recalculating stratigraphic thicknesses for basin reconstruction and stratigraphic correlation studies.     

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.     

Analysis of the influences of physical parameters on sediment sound speed

Based on the core samples collected in different geological tectonic units in the southern South China Sea, the double parameter equations between sediment sound speed and physical parameters were developed. According to the double parameter equations, the influences of physical parameters (porosity, mean grain size, wet bulk density, and clay content) on sediment sound speed were analyzed. To analyze the sensitivity of each parameter in the double parameter equations, the error norm method was introduced. The most influencing physical parameters with relative order were analyzed using the error norm method. These results show that porosity has a major influence on the sound speed, and the most influential physical parameters on sound speed are as follows: porosity > wet bulk density > clay content > mean grain size.     

The Effects of Microstructure on Shear Properties of Shallow Marine Sediments

This study was undertaken to investigate the implication of geoacoustic behaviors in the shallow marine sediments associated with the changes in geotechnical index properties. Two piston cores (270 cm and 400 cm in core length) used in this study were recovered from stations 1 and 2, the western continental margin, the East Sea. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to illustrate the effects of microstructure on shear properties. The direct SEM observation of sediment fabrics is inevitable to understand the correlation of the changes in geoacoustic properties to the sediment structure. The consolidation of sediments by overburden stress resulting in the clay fabric alteration appears to play an important role in changing shear properties. Water contents and porosity of sediments gradually decreases with increasing depth, whereas wet bulk density shows a reverse trend. It is interesting to note that shear wave velocities increase rapidly from 8 to 20 m/s while compressional wave velocities significantly fluctuate, ranging from 1450 to 1550 m/s with depth. The fabric changes in sediment with increasing depth for example, uniform grain size and well oriented clay fabrics may cause the shear strength increase from 1 to 12 kPa. Shear wave velocity is, therefore, shown to be very sensitive to the changes in undrained strength for unconsolidated marine sediments. This correlation allows an in-situ estimation of shear stress in the subsurface from shear wave velocity data.