A novel anisotropic approach for the quantitative interpretation of laminated shaly sands is presented. The method was created to deal with thinly laminated formations consisting of layers of shaly sand and shale. The interpretation of the elastic properties of rocks and the effects of fluid substitution is of particular interest. Providing the interpretation in situations when the input data are limited is the primary motivation and challenge. The key idea is the explicit treatment of the dispersed and laminated clay within the framework of effective medium theory. Derived formulas for formation properties, such as elastic moduli, properly take into account the limiting cases of the rock composition (such as the lower and upper Hashin-Shtrikman bounds) and provide smooth transition between them. To respect mineralogical heterogeneity, these formulas allow for the incorporation of a broad range of matrix minerals and clay volume fractions. The proposed method is applicable to a variety of reservoirs that have laminations of various origins. Even with limited data, it enables the quantification of the volumes of dispersed and laminated clay. After the model is calibrated, it can be used to determine the type of formation fluid, calculate the rock's mechanical properties, and other things. The calibration of model parameters is critical to yield robust predictions. The calibration procedure allows one to find the optimal model parameters at the location of the reference well. A procedure is introduced that enables the calculation of the model parameters in other locations. This enables the model to be applied throughout the whole field. The model performs well when tested on several data sets because its predictions agree with those of other independent measurements of the predicted parameters.

You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.