Investigation of borehole cross-dipole flexural dispersion crossover through numerical modeling
Author(s)
Fang, Xinding; Cheng, Arthur; Fehler, Michael
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Crossover of the dispersion of flexural waves recorded in borehole cross-dipole measurements is interpreted as an indicator of stress-induced anisotropy around a circular borehole in formations that are isotropic in the absence of stresses. We have investigated different factors that influence flexural wave dispersion. Through numerical modeling, we determined that for a circular borehole surrounded by an isotropic formation that is subjected to an anisotropic stress field, the dipole flexural dispersion crossover is detectable only when the formation is very compliant. This might happen only in the shallow subsurface or in zones having high pore pressure. However, we found that dipole dispersion crossover can also result from the combined effect of formation intrinsic anisotropy and borehole elongation. We found that a small elongation on the wellbore and very weak intrinsic anisotropy can result in a resolvable crossover in flexural dispersion that might be erroneously interpreted as borehole stress-induced anisotropy. A thorough and correct interpretation of flexural dispersion crossover thus has to take into account the effects of stress-induced and intrinsic anisotropy and borehole cross-sectional geometry.
Date issued
2014-12Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary SciencesJournal
Geophysics
Publisher
Society of Exploration Geophysicists
Citation
Fang, Xinding, Arthur Cheng, and Michael C. Fehler. “Investigation of Borehole Cross-Dipole Flexural Dispersion Crossover through Numerical Modeling.” Geophysics 80, no. 1 (December 22, 2014): D75–D88. © 2014 Society of Exploration Geophysicists
Version: Final published version
ISSN
0016-8033
1942-2156