Journal article
Rock physics model of glauconitic greensand from the North Sea
The objective of this study was to establish a rock physics model of North Sea Paleogene greensand. The Hertz-Mindlin contact model is widely used to calculate elastic velocities of sandstone as well as to calculate the initial sand-pack modulus of the soft-sand, stiff-sand, and intermediate-stiff-sand models.
When mixed minerals in rock are quite different, e.g., mixtures of quartz and glauconite in greensand, the Hertz-Mindlin contact model of single type of grain may not be enough to predict elastic velocity. Our approach is first to develop a Hertz-Mindlin contact model for a mixture of quartz and glauconite.
Next, we use this Hertz-Mindlin contact model of two types of grains as the initial modulus for a soft-sand model and a stiff-sand model. By using these rock physics models, we examine the relationship between elastic modulus and porosity in laboratory and logging data and link rock-physics properties to greensand diagenesis.
Calculated velocity for mixtures of quartz and glauconite from the Hertz-Mindlin contact model for two types of grains are higher than velocity calculated from the Hertz-Mindlin single mineral model using the effective mineral moduli predicted from the Hill's average. Results of rock-physics modeling and thin-section observations indicate that variations in the elastic properties of greensand can be explained by two main diagenetic phases: silica cementation and berthierine cementation.
These diagenetic phases dominate the elastic properties of greensand reservoir. Initially, greensand is a mixture of mainly quartz and glauconite; when weakly cemented, it has relatively low elastic modulus and can be modeled by a Hertz-Mindlin contact model of two types of grains. Silica-cemented greensand has a relatively high elastic modulus and can be modeled by an intermediate-stiff-sand or a stiff-sand model.
Berthierine cement has different growth patterns in different parts of the greensand, resulting in a soft-sand model and an intermediate-stiff-sand model. © 2012 Society of Exploration Geophysicists.
Language: | English |
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Year: | 2011 |
Pages: | E199-E209 |
ISSN: | 19422156 and 00168033 |
Types: | Journal article |
DOI: | 10.1190/geo2010-0366.1 |
ORCIDs: | Fabricius, Ida Lykke |