Acoustical Imaging and Mechanical Properties of Soft Rock and Marine Sediments Progress Report: October-December 2001 (open access)

Acoustical Imaging and Mechanical Properties of Soft Rock and Marine Sediments Progress Report: October-December 2001

During this phase of the project the research team concentrated on acquisition of acoustic emission data from the high porosity rock samples. The initial experiments indicated that the acoustic emission activity from high porosity Danian chalk were of a very low amplitude. Even though the sample underwent yielding and significant plastic deformation the sample did not generate significant AE activity. This was somewhat surprising. These initial results call into question the validity of attempting to locate AE activity in this weak rock type. As a result the testing program was slightly altered to include measuring the acoustic emission activity from many of the rock types listed in the research program. The preliminary experimental results indicate that AE activity in the sandstones is much higher than in the carbonate rocks (i.e., the chalks and limestones). This observation may be particularly important for planning microseismic imaging of reservoir rocks in the field environment. The preliminary results suggest that microseismic imaging of reservoir rock from acoustic emission activity generated from matrix deformation (during compaction and subsidence) would be extremely difficult to accomplish.
Date: January 31, 2001
Creator: Scott, Thurman E., Jr.; Abousleiman, Younane & Zaman, Musharraf
System: The UNT Digital Library