Download or read book Rapid Modeling and Inversion-based Interpretation of Borehole Acoustic Measurements Acquired in Isotropic and Vertical Transversely Isotropic Formations written by Elsa Maalouf and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Borehole acoustic measurements are often affected by instrument noise, motion and eccentricity, environmental conditions, and spatial averaging that can compromise the accuracy of elastic properties of rock formations calculated with conventional interpretation methods. Forward and inverse modeling can be used to improve the interpretation of acoustic logs acquired in the presence of spatially complex rock formations and adverse borehole conditions. However, forward modeling of acoustic modes often requires time-consuming numerical algorithms. The main objective of this dissertation is to develop fast-forward modeling and inversion-based interpretation procedures of borehole acoustic logs for isotropic and vertical transversely isotropic (VTI) formations. Fast-forward modeling is achieved with spatial sensitivity functions which are calculated from frequency-domain linear perturbation theory of borehole acoustic modes. Spatial sensitivity functions quantify both the dependence of measured slowness on elastic properties and the spatial averaging introduced by acoustic tools. Fast-forward modeling using spatial sensitivity functions is applied to synthetic examples that include thin layers, anisotropy, and dipping layers, and is successfully validated with numerical simulations performed with finite-difference and finite-element methods. Two inversion-based interpretation methods are then developed: (1) a physics-based inversion method to reduce noise and spatial averaging effects on acoustic logs acquired in horizontally layered formations penetrated by vertical wells, and (2) a sequential inversion method to estimate stiffness coefficients of VTI formations from multi-frequency flexural/quadrupole, Stoneley, and compressional logs. The physics-based inversion method is applied to mitigate measurement noise and spatial averaging effects of acoustic logs acquired in two hydrocarbon reservoirs. Results confirm the accuracy and reliability of the estimated layer-by-layer elastic properties compared to conventional numerical filters and are obtained in less than 14 CPU seconds for a 100 ft-depth log. In VTI formations penetrated by vertical wells, sequential inversion is applied to estimate layer-by-layer stiffness coefficients of synthetic formations from borehole acoustic logs. Results indicate that mitigating spatial averaging of frequency-dependent slowness logs prior to inversion improves the layer-by-layer estimation of slownesses by a factor of 2, and that sequential inversion yields accurate and reliable estimates of rock stiffness coefficients. Finally, in high-angle wells fast-forward modeling yields flexural slownesses measured with orthogonal dipoles with 2% relative errors and in 3 CPU minutes for a log consisting of 50 measured-depth samples, compared to 15 CPU hours when using finite-difference simulation methods. Analysis of field and synthetic examples confirms that inversion-based interpretation methods yield more accurate estimations of elastic properties than conventional sonic-log interpretation procedures. Spatial sensitivity functions constitute a fast, reliable, and efficient alternative for interpreting acoustic logs acquired in isotropic and VTI formations.