Saturation, pore pressure and effective stress from sandstone acoustic properties

Abstract

Acoustic velocity and V p / V s ratio show different responses in saturated and dry rocks under increasing differential pressures. Velocity is also shown to be sensitive to pore pressure, not just differential pressure. Under identical low differential pressure conditions, velocity is higher in sandstones when pore pressure is high during simulation of inflationary overpressure conditions. V p / V s ratios of sandstones with high fluid pressures are shown to lie between dry conditions and saturated conditions with constant and low pore pressure. Thus the velocity‐differential pressure relationship is not unique. However, the use of the measured Biot effective stress coefficient results in a unique relationship. It is postulated that higher velocity and different V p / V s ratios are caused by loss of compliance in microfractures due to stiffening by increasing fluid pressure.