Studies of in Situ Pore Pressure Fluctuations At Various Scales

Abstract

Pore pressure fluctuations in fluid saturated geological formations, either of natural or anthropogenic origin, can be observed at different scales. Natural fluctuations, e. g. , due to tidal, barometric or seismogenic forcing, or man-made effects as through use of underground fluid reservoirs, or initial filling and cyclic loading of lake reservoirs may have wavelengths from meters to kilometers. In situ monitoring of processes, in which both rock deformation and pore pressure changes are significant, improves our knowledge on the mechanical behaviour and the role of pore pressure in porous rocks and sedimentary layers. Pressure transducers for continuous recording of fluid level variations in wells, reflecting pore pressure changes at depth, or borehole tiltmeters that are sensitive to ground deformation caused by gradients of pore pressure fluctuations are relatively simple means to trace the dynamics of such rock-fluid interactions. The obtained data series are usually interpreted in two ways: by application of analytical solutions-adopting homogeneous poroelastic conditions or single fracture models in a uniform, elastic medium-and by simulation through numerical calculations allowing for some heterogeneity in the model volume. Field cases presented in this article include tilt measurements in the vicinity of pumped wells (1 to 100 m scale), fluid level monitoring in wells (borehole scale), and studies of pore pressure effects induced by seismic events (1 to 100 km scale). Specific rock parameters that can be constrained are the Skempton ratio, the hydraulic diffusivity, and the type of the effective rheology. In cases of tiltmeter studies, anisotropy of pore fluid flow can also be detected. Keywords: fluids in rocks, pore pressure, poroelasticity, hydrology.