OT5404 Rock Physics and

Reservoir Characterization
Semester 1, 2020-21

Prof. Arthur Cheng

ceeccha@nus.edu.sg
E2 04-06, 6516-8796
Course Schedule (tentative)
13/8 Introduction, what is rock physics and reservoir characterization
20/8 Rock properties, how we measure them
27/8 Empirical and semi-empirical models
3/9 Contact type models
10/9 Cracks and Effective Medium models
17/9 Fluid Effects
25/9 Break
1/10 Attenuation
8/10 Electrical Properties
15/10 Pressure Dependence
22/10 Elastic Anisotropy
29/10 Permeability and Flow
5/11 Amplitude versus Offset and reservoir characterization
12/11 Digital rock and towards a unified model, review
Course Structure
• Each session will consist of about 2 hours of lectures and 1 hour of
discussions, questions, etc.
• All sessions will be via Zoom
• Assignments will include advance reading and some practical exercises
• Advance reading will be assigned occasionally
• Grade components: CA 40%, Final exam 60%
• CA component is based on 2 homework/exercises
Key References

The Rock Physics Handbook, Second Edition, Mavko,

Mukerji, and Dvorkin, Cambridge University Press,
2009

Quantitative Seismic Interpretation, Avseth, Mukerji,

and Mavko, Cambridge University Press, 2005

Selected technical papers will be provided from time to

time

I will upload The Rock Physics Handbook, no need to

buy either book
Course Material
• Presentations and Course Notes will be uploaded usually prior to the
lectures
• No required text book, a reference list will be given
• Some material will be web-based. In particular, the more basic and
commonly used material are available on PetroWiki, maintained by the
Society of Petroleum Engineers
• Materials are also available on Wikipedia, as well as YouTube
• There are also open course materials from other universities
• More advance materials will be based on published technical papers, I will
upload selected ones periodically
Course Outcome
• At the end of the course you should have a basic understanding of what is
rock physics, how it is used, how to build a rock model, what are the
differences between different rock models, and basic reservoir
characterization

• Know the differences between rock physics and petrophysics,

• Know what the end products are and how clients use these results

• An exposure to the advanced technologies being deployed and under

development