Brittle mineral prediction based on rock-physics modelling for tight oil reservoir rocks

Abstract

Abstract The reservoir rocks from Chang-7 member of Yanchang Formation of Ordos Basin are characterised with heterogeneous fabric structures at the pore scale, and low porosity/permeability is exhibited at the macro scale. Precise prediction of reservoir brittleness is of great significance to oil production. Ultrasonic experiments are performed on tight sandstones collected from the target formation. A rock-physics model (RPM) is presented based on the Voigt–Reuss–Hill average (VRH), self-consistent approximation (SCA) and differential effective medium (DEM) theory. The brittleness characteristics relying on mineral composition, porosity and microcrack properties are explored by using the RPM. The Young's modulus increases and Poisson ratio decreases with increasing quartz content. Based on experimental, log and seismic data, brittle mineral analysis of rock physical model is performed at multiple scales. The model accuracy is verified by experimental data and well log data. The brittleness distribution is predicted on the basis of log and seismic data, which can be instructive for the reservoir rock fracturing in actual engineering operations.