Consistent experimental investigation of the applicability of Biot-Gassmann’s equation in carbonates

Elisabeth Bemer (1) , Youri Hamon (1) , Mathilde Adelinet (1)

1 IFPEN - IFP Energies nouvelles

Carbonate formations are characterized by multiscale heterogeneities which control their flow and acoustic responses. At the laboratory scale, carbonate rocks already do not show a strong correlation between P- and S-wave velocities and porosity. The velocity disparities between carbonates of similar mineralogy and porosity result from different microstructures derived from their sedimentary facies and subsequent diagenetic transformations. The still discussed applicability of Biot-Gassmann’s equation for fluid substitution in carbonate rocks remains another key issue. We propose an integrated experimental workflow that allows a consistent checking of the applicability of Biot-Gassmann’s equation and provide key geological and microstructural information to understand the petroacoustic signature of carbonate rocks. This approach is implemented on samples representative of two different carbonate formations. The obtained results demonstrate the applicability of Biot-Gassmann's equation for the two studied carbonate families and show the interrelation of mineralogy and porosity distribution in their acoustic response.

Keywords: Rock Physics; Ultrasonic; Carbonate

Domains: Environmental Sciences

Elisabeth Bemer, Youri Hamon, Mathilde Adelinet. Consistent experimental investigation of the applicability of Biot-Gassmann’s equation in carbonates. Geophysics, 2019, 84 (4), pp.WA97-WA113. ⟨10.1190/geo2018-0631.1⟩. ⟨hal-02299332⟩