Carbonates

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 Tremendous Variety of Microstructures

Granular Inclusions

Diversity of pore shapes

Round Grains Round Pores

Microstructural diversity leads to:

•  Non-unique velocity-porosity relations
•  Non-unique Vp/Vs relations
•  Uncertainty in fluid substitution practices
•  Non-unique porosity-permeability relations
•  Important variations in mineral moduli
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 Velocity-Porosity: Interpretation Ambiguity

Comparison of ellipsoidal crack models with
carbonate data, classified by pore shape.
The rocks with stiffer pore shapes fit best the
spherical pore models, while the rocks with
thinner, more crack-like pores fit best the
lower aspect ratio models.
Again, carbonate data fall along modified
upper Hashin-Shtrikman line, now in the
Vp-Porosity plane. Shalier data fall below
it, similar to clastics.

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 Velocity-Porosity
Distinct trends for carbonates and shales
DEM model curves

Carbonate

Shale trend

Differential Effective Medium (DEM) model is superimposed for aspect ratios [.

01,.03,.1,.3,1]. Chalk data (low vclay) generally follow the DEM trend. Shales (high
vclay) follow two shale trends consisting of clay with small amounts of calcite cement.
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Velocity-Porosity: Textural, Mineralogic Variations

dolomitic

micrite

C. Scotellaro

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Mineral Variations

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 Inferring Mineralogy
We have observed that model-based interpretation depends quite a bit
on mineralogy. Here, we examine log data to infer mineral properties.
The assumption is that minerals represent upper bounds for data
clouds, in the limit of zero porosity. At least some of the data are too
dense and too stiff to be calcite.

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 Inferring Mineralogy
The density-porosity trend should be a simple linear combination of
fluid and mineral. These plots show that low-gamma rocks are
consistent with calcite. Errors in porosity estimation (especially with
shale) will lead to incorrect intercept, and misinterpreted mineral
density.

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 Bootstrap Analysis for Mineralogy
The density-porosity trend should be a simple linear combination of
fluid and mineral.

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 Carbonate Vp-Vs Relations
Comparison of carbonate log data with Greenberg-Castagna lines.

GR

Water-saturated
Greenberg-Castagna lines

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 Carbonate Vp-Vs Relations
Looking more closely at the data in the previous slide, we can find
intervals that are more calcite-rich.

Water-saturated
Greenberg-Castagna lines

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 Carbonate Vp-Vs Relations
In this interval, the data appear to be more dolomite-rich.

Water-saturated
Greenberg-Castagna lines

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 Interpreting Pore Shape from Vp-Vs Data
The Hashin-Shtrikman bounds can help detect the presence of
dolomite in the Vp-Vs plane.

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 Carbonate Inclusion Models
For these chalks, there is an ambiguity between mineral and pore
stiffness.

Well A Well B

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 Fluid Substitution
There is no fundamental reason why Gassmann theory should not apply
to carbonates. Yet, there are assumptions in the model:
•  Homogeneous mineralogy
•  Isotropic
•  Well-connected pore space
The dominant consideration, as with Gassmann applied to any rock,
is the stiffness of the pore space.
Example of substituting brine for oil

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