How seismic waves travel through tight oil and gas reservoirs

What is it about?

Tight oil and gas reservoirs contain extremely small and poorly connected pores. When seismic waves pass through these rocks, energy is lost because the rock frame and the fluids inside the pores move differently. Traditional models often assume simple fluid flow, but this assumption does not fully describe tight reservoirs. In these rocks, some fluids move through narrow pores in a complex way, while other fluids are nearly trapped and behave more like part of the solid rock. This study presents a new model that captures both effects. It describes energy loss from complex fluid flow and from internal friction caused by trapped fluids. Numerical tests and laboratory data show that the model can better predict seismic wave speeds and explain wave attenuation across different frequency ranges. The model provides a more realistic way to understand seismic signals in tight reservoirs and may help improve the interpretation of seismic data for unconventional oil and gas exploration.

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Photo by Mitchell Y on Unsplash

Photo by Mitchell Y on Unsplash