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Modeling of Biot’s coefficient for a clay-bearing sandstone reservoir

Article  in  Arabian Journal of Geosciences · June 2018

DOI: 10.1007/s12517-018-3663-7

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Arabian Journal of Geosciences (2018) 11:302
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-018-3663-7

ORIGINAL PAPER

Modeling of Biot’s coefficient for a clay-bearing sandstone reservoir

Yuanyuan Fang 1,2 & Yongmin Shi 3 & Yinshuai Sheng 3 & Zhiqiang Zhang 3

Received: 21 December 2017 / Accepted: 8 June 2018

# Saudi Society for Geosciences 2018

Abstract
The exploration of unconventional reservoirs has been vigorously developed with the application of hydraulic fracturing tech-
nology in horizontal wells. The success of fracturing depends on the accuracy of the effective stress, which could be considerably
influenced by Biot’s coefficient. Biot’s coefficient is mainly influenced by the clay content, porosity, and fluid saturation.
Previous studies regarding the calculation of Biot’s coefficient considered only the porosity or porosity structure and are irrational
for sandstones with a high clay content and low permeability. A method was conducted to estimate Biot’s coefficient from wave
velocities based on the Biot and Squirt (BISQ) poroelasticity theory. It is suggested that the clay content surrounding the skeleton,
rather than that in the skeleton, affects the Biot’s coefficient significantly. A clay content coefficient and fluid saturation are
considered in the BISQ model. Experiments with samples from four oil fields show that the Biot’s coefficient calculated using our
method matches well with those obtained from in situ experiments. It is suggested that the new method for determining Biot’s
coefficient is much more suitable for sandstones with low permeability, low porosity, and high clay content, compared to the
methods put forward by other studies. In addition, it is proposed to calculate Biot’s coefficient by using seismic or acoustic
logging data.

Keywords BISQ theory . Biot’s coefficient . Clay content . Unconventional resource . Effective medium theory

Introduction determined by the effective stress, which depends on Biot’s

Biot’s coefficient is extremely important for reservoir engi-
neering and seismic analysis, such as for the prediction of
fracture pressure, the calculation of reservoir engineer stress
(Altmann et al. 2010), drilling design, well management (Li et
al. 2012), and hydraulic fracturing simulations (Grassl et al.
2014; Zhang et al. 1996). In recent years, hydraulic fracturing
technology has been widely used in horizontal wells for un-
conventional reservoirs. The success of fracturing is
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article
(https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-018-3663-7) contains supplementary
material, which is available to authorized users.
* Yuanyuan Fang
fyy900826@mail.iggcas.ac.cn
1
Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology
and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029,
China
2
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
3
School of Earth and Space Science, Peking University,
Beijing, China
coefficient.
Biot’s coefficient is the change in fluid volume caused by
total volume changes under a drained condition (Müller and
Sahay 2016). It was proposed by the Biot poroelasticity theo-
ry, which was formulated by Biot (1941) based on an equilib-
rium thermodynamics method with the definition of an elastic
energy potential. The initial constitutive relationship indicates
that the confining pressure and fluid pressure determined by
the weighted difference result in the volumetric change (Biot
1941). The equation is:
pc −αp f ¼ −Kε; ð1Þ
where pc is the confining pressure, pf is the pore or interstitial
fluid pressure, ε is the volumetric deformation, and K is the
bulk modulus of the drained porous frame. Thus, Biot’s coef-
ficient is comprehensively determined by the matrix, rock
constituents (such as clay minerals), interstitial matter, poros-
ity, and fluid (Biot 1956a; Biot 1956b; Pham et al. 2016),
especially for sandstones with high clay content and low per-
meability. In addition, clay content is extremely important for
Biot’s coefficient. The distribution character of clay minerals
and pores of high clay content sandstones is different from
302 Page 2 of 17
conventional ones, which complicates the mechanism of fluid
flow. There are two types of fluid flow (Biot flow and squirt
flow) to describe the fluid motion in the pores of sandstones
with high clay content and low permeability.
Experiments are taken widely in engineering to obtain
Biot’s coefficient using the elastic bulk modulus for dry rock
with Eq. (2), deduced from Eq. (1) (Wang 2000):
K rocks is heavily influenced by interactions between these
α ¼ 1− ; ð2Þ
Ks
where K is the bulk modulus of the drained porous frame and
Ks is the bulk modulus of the matrix mineral in the rock. Biot’s
coefficient can be calculated from the density and the P-wave
and S-wave velocity for dry rocks. However, additional ex-
periments such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses are nec-
essary to determine the matrix mineral content accurately,
even if the required parameters for dry rocks are available.
Such experiments are inefficient and expensive. In addition,
this experiment maybe not suitable for petroleum engineering
because the reservoir is saturated by oil, water, and gas. The
properties of petroleum reservoirs are significantly different
than pure rocks in engineering.
Many studies have been performed to obtain Biot’s coeffi-
cient without doing in situ rock physics experiments. Because
Biot’s coefficient is related directly to pore structure (Mavko
et al., 2008), the relationship between porosity and permeabil-
ity with Biot’s coefficient has been established. One can cal-
culate Biot’s coefficient through either porosity (Farrokhrouz
et al. 2012; Geertsma and Smit 1961; Krief et al. 1990;
Laurent et al. 1993; Lee 2002; Luo et al. 2015; Ma 2008;
Nur et al. 1995; Wang et al. 2001) or permeability (Hsieh et
al. 1981; Neuzil et al. 1981; Qiao et al. 2011; Walsh 1981;
Zhao et al. 2003). These methods are widely used because
porosity and permeability are easy to obtain from logging or
laboratory measurements. However, the methods above
ignore the influence of clay content and fluid saturation.
Sugimoto et al. (2009) claimed that pore stiffening cementa-
tion causes Biot’s coefficient to decrease, even when porosity
remains constant. These methods may be suitable for high
porosity and high permeability sandstone reservoir or pure
sandstones but may encounter problems for sandstones with
high clay content and low permeability (e.g., Bakken sam-
ples); therefore, more factors should be considered (He et al.
2016). He et al. (2016) declared that no relationship exists
between the porosity and the Biot’s coefficient for Bakken
samples, as the clay content is extremely high. Su et al.
(2005) presented that if clay content is high, the influence of
pore structure, rock mineral components, and grain size on
physical parameters could be ignored.
In addition, it is valuable to obtain Biot’s coefficient using
seismic and acoustic logging data. Some studies have
attempted to relate acoustic wave velocity with Biot’s coeffi-
cient through several effective medium models (Olsen 2008),
Arab J Geosci (2018) 11:302
such as the isoframe model (Fabricius et al. 2007), the
boundary-average method model (Marion 1990), and the
Berryman’s self-consistent model (Berryman 1980).
Effective medium models have considered the skeleton and
the fluid in the pores that are completely saturated by water
(Liu et al. 2013; Zhou 2010). The relationship between acous-
tic wave velocity and physical characteristics of reservoir
two parts. The models above focus on the influence of pores
and its structure (solid parts) to Biot’s coefficient but have
insufficient consideration of two flow types and clay content
around the pore wall. It is rational to ignore the synthetic
impact of flow types, fluid saturation, and clay content for
the models on general rocks. However, the pores and clay
distribution observed in clay-bearing sandstones with low po-
rosity and permeability using scanning electron microscopy
(SEM) are distinguished from general ones.
Microheterogeneities complicate the physical mechanism
(Müller and Sahay 2016). The flow types should be consid-
ered. It is necessary to comprehensively take these factors into
consideration and build a new geological model.
There are two types of flow, Biot flow and squirt flow, that
arise from the interaction between the skeleton and fluid.
Dvorkin and Nur (1993) combined these two flows into con-
sideration and formulated the Biot and Squirt (BISQ) model.
Many studies have been performed to optimize the model
(Cheng and Yang 2002; Wei et al. 2008; Yang and Zhang
2002; Yang et al. 2002a, 2002b). Some studies have added
clay content into the BISQ model (Nie et al. 2010). Previous
research on BISQ theory primarily focuses on seismic wave
simulation with fast and accurate mathematical algorithms
(Pei and Gou 2013; Tian et al. 2014; Yang et al. 2015) and
the inversion of hydrocarbon reservoir physical parameters
with clay content (Nie et al. 2004). It is rarely reported that
hydrocarbon reservoir rock mechanic parameters, especially
Biot’s coefficient, are studied based on BISQ model consider-
ing the factors of clay content and fluid saturation.
In this paper, it is suggested to establish a new method,
considering multiple factors (clay content, porosity, and fluid
saturation), to calculate Biot’s coefficient based on BISQ the-
ory from wave velocities. A geological model was established
based on the SEM images. A clay content coefficient was used
to consider the influence of clay content on the BISQ model.
In addition, the influence of fluid saturation was taken into
consideration using the effective medium theory. Samples
with high clay content and low permeability from the
Dagang, Yanchang, Daqing, and Changqing oil fields were
collected to perform rock mechanic experiments to verify
our method. The Biot’s coefficient obtained from the experi-
ments and the new method matched well. In addition, most
other methods are suitable only to reservoirs with high perme-
ability or high porosity and low clay content; in contrast, the
proposed method can handle a wider range of porosity and
Arab J Geosci (2018) 11:302 Page 3 of 17 302

clay content of sandstone. It is suggested that the method is
much more suitable for sandstones with a high clay content
and low porosity. And it is suggested that Biot’s coefficient is
obtained from seismic or acoustic logging data.
Methodology
The scientific basis of equation construction
To better understand the new method for calculating Biot’s
coefficient from acoustic velocities with high clay content
and low permeability, it is necessary to introduce the deriva-
tion of the governing equation.
Stress and dynamic equation
Two types of fluid flow, parallel to the direction of wave
propagation (Biot flow) and transverse to the direction of
wave propagation (squirt flow), are combined to form the
BISQ model (Fig. 1), which relates the acoustic velocities of
a saturated rock with porosity, permeability, Biot’s coefficient,
rock physics parameters, and the characteristic squirt flow
length (Dvorkin and Nur 1993).
The Biot’s coefficient introduced by Dvorkin and Nur
(1993) assumes that the rock is homogeneous and isotropic.
Equation (3) is transformed from Eq. (1) of Dvorkin and Nur
(1993):


du
α¼ M −σx =P þ ϕ; ð3Þ
dx
1−ν
M ¼ 2G ð4Þ
1−2ν
where σx is the stress of the skeleton, u is the displacement of
the skeleton in the direction of x, du/dx is the gradient of
displacement in the direction of x, P is the fluid pressure, ϕ
is the porosity of the rock, α is Biot’s coefficient, ν is
Poisson’s ratio of the skeleton, and M and G are the uniaxial
modulus and shear modulus of the skeleton under dry condi-
tions. The uniaxial modulus is a function of the shear modulus
and Poisson’s ratio of the dry skeleton. The shear modulus is
significantly influenced by the clay content.
It is suggested that Biot’s coefficient is synthetically deter-
mined from the porosity, fluid saturation, and clay content,
especially for sandstones with a high clay content and low
permeability. The same conclusion is also obtained from Eq.
(1) (Biot 1941).
The dynamic equation for the fluid-solid coupling motion
in the P-wave direction (Fig. 1) is Eq. (5), which is modified
from Eq. (3) (Biot 1941; Biot 1956a; Rice and Cleary 1976).
For the detailed derivation procedure, the reader is referred to
the appendix of Dvorkin and Nur (1993):
8
< ð1−ϕÞρs utt þ ϕρ f wtt ¼ Muxx −αPx
; ð5Þ
μϕ2
: ϕρ f wtt −ρa ðutt −wtt Þ− ðut −wt Þ ¼ −ϕPx
κ
where t is time; κ is permeability of the skeleton; ρs, ρf, and ρa
are the densities of the matrix, fluid, and additional coupling,
respectively; μ is the viscosity parameter of the fluid; u is the
displacement of the skeleton in the direction of x; w is the
displacement of fluid in the direction of x; and P is the fluid
pressure, which can be obtained using the fluid pressure equa-
tion (Dvorkin and Nur, 1993). In addition, Px = ∂P/∂x, utt-
= ∂u2/∂t2, and wtt = ∂w2/∂t2.
Squirt flow is the movements of both the fluid and solid
parts of rocks in the r-direction (Fig. 1). Likewise, the dynam-
ic equation is as follows:
 
μϕ2
ϕρ f þ ρa vtt þ vt ¼ −ϕPr ; ð6Þ
κ
where v is the displacement of the fluid in the r-direction.
Additionally, Pr = ∂P/∂r, vt = ∂v/∂t, and vtt = ∂v2/∂t2.

Fig. 1 The skeletal grains of

sandstones with high clay content
and low permeability are
surrounded by clay, which results
in two types of flow motion (Biot
flow and squirt flow) in pores. a
SEM image of sample 18. b
Ideograph of Biot flow and squirt
flow modified from (Dvorkin and
Nur 1993)
302 Page 4 of 17 Arab J Geosci (2018) 11:302

Average fluid pressure where K*f is the Hill average bulk modulus of fluid; K*fV is the
Voigt upper limit of the bulk modulus of fluid; and K*fR is the
When Biot’s flow and squirt flow are both taken into consid- Reuss lower limit of the bulk modulus of fluid,
eration, the average fluid pressure P is explained by Eq. (7),  
which is derived from Eq. (6). For the detailed derivation K *fV ¼ S oil K oil þ S gas K gas þ 1−S oil −S gas K w ; ð12Þ
procedure, the reader is referred to Dvorkin and Nur (1993).  
1 S oil S gas 1−S oil −S gas
¼ þ þ ; ð13Þ


 K *fR K oil K gas Kw
∂P 2 J 1 ðλRÞ α−ϕ
¼ − F 1− wxt þ uxt ; ð7Þ
∂t λRJ 0 ðλRÞ ϕ where K, ρ, and S are the bulk modulus, density, and fluid
saturation, respectively, and the subscripts (oil, gas, and w)
where J0 and J1 are the Bessel function of zero order and first
represent oil, gas, and water in the pores, respectively.
order, respectively; R is the radius of the cylinder and is named
Likewise, the density of the fluid is influenced by the fluid
after the characteristic squirt flow length (Fig. 1); and F and λ
types and the saturation of each fluid. A simple formula is
are expressed as Eqs. (8) and (9).
presented to calculate the effective bulk density of fluid (Eq.
1 1 1 (14)).
¼ þ ðα−ϕÞ; ð8Þ
F Kf ϕK s  
ρ*f ¼ S oil ρoil þ S gas ρgas þ 1−S oil −S gas ρw ; ð14Þ


ρ f ω2 ϕ þ ρa =ρ f ωc
λ ¼
2
þi ; ð9Þ where ρ*f is the effective density of fluid.
F ϕ ω
The effective elastic bulk modulus of the matrix mineral
where c0 is fluid acoustic velocity; Kf is the bulk modulus of was calculated similar to the modulus of fluid. In addition, it is
fluid; Ks is bulk modulus of the solid part of rock; ωc = μϕ/κρf; assumed that the matrix mineral is composed only of clay and
and ω is the angular frequency. quartz because the content of clay and quartz is much higher
than other minerals. The results from XRD are listed in Table
Clay content coefficient S1. Clay and quartz are the primary minerals in the samples.

A clay content coefficient C0 was proposed in a previous K *sV þ K *sR

K *s ¼ ; ð15Þ
study (Nie et al. 2008): 2
  where K*s is the Hill average bulk modulus of the solid phase;
1− κκ
C 0 ¼ C clay e 0
; ð10Þ K*sV is the Voigt upper limit of the bulk modulus of the solid
phase; and K*sR is the Reuss lower limit of the bulk modulus
where C0, Cclay, κ, and κ0 are the clay content coefficient, clay of the solid phase.
content, permeability, and fundamental permeability,  
K *sV ¼ C clay K clay þ 1−C clay K q ; ð16Þ
respectively.  
1 C clay 1−C clay
*
¼ þ ; ð17Þ
Introduction of fluid saturation K sR K clay Kq

Fluid saturation was introduced by the effective medium the-
ory, which is used to estimate the effective modulus and den-
sity of fluid (Kf and ρf) and the effective modulus of the solid
phase Ks. The Hill average theory was applied to calculate
these parameters. Equations listed below obtain Kf, ρf, and
Ks, which are necessary to the new model. For differentiating
from Kf, ρf, and Ks in the equations above, it is suggested to
use the effective parameters K*f, ρ*f, and K*s to replace Kf, ρf,
and Ks.
According to the Hill theory, the modulus of fluid can be
calculated using Eq. (11). In addition, there are three types of
fluid (water, oil, and gas) in pores.
K *fV þ K *fR
K *f ¼ ; ð11Þ
2 shear moduli of the skeleton.
where Kclay is the bulk modulus of clay, Kq is the bulk mod-
ulus of the quartz, and Cclay is the clay content.
Modeling Biot’s coefficient
Clay minerals surrounding skeletal grains and micro-
nanometer pores decrease the stiffness of the skeleton, which
is the reason for the decrease in the skeletal modulus, espe-
cially the shear modulus (Su et al., 2005) and acoustic velocity
of core samples. It is suggested to mainly ascribe the reduction
of velocity and modulus to clay minerals that surround skele-
tal grains, rather than to the clay minerals in the skeleton. This
is the physical interpretation of the clay content coefficient,
and it is suggested to attach the clay content coefficient to the
Arab J Geosci (2018) 11:302 Page 5 of 17 302

Thus, it is suggested that the clay content coefficient C0 is Because u0 and w0 are nonzero constants, only if the deter-
introduced into Eq. (5) to obtain Eq. (18) (Nie et al. 2008). minant is zero can we obtain a nonzero solution. Thus, the
Therefore, the clay content was considered in the BISQ model following equation is obtained for Y:
through the clay content coefficient C0.
8 AY 2 þ BY þ C ¼ 0; ð26Þ
< ð1−ϕÞρs utt þ ϕρ f wtt ¼ M ð1 þ C 0 Þuxx −αPx
μϕ2 : ð18Þ where A, B, and C are the three coefficients of the quadratic
: ϕρ f wtt −ρa ðutt −wtt Þ− ðut −wt Þ ¼ −ϕPx
κ equation. Their forms are as follows:
The goal of modeling Biot’s coefficient is to find the ϕ F sq M *dry
relationship between velocity and Biot’s coefficient. For A¼ ; ð27Þ
ρ22
this objective, it is suggested to set the displacement of
solid u, fluid w, and the fluid pressure P as Eqs. (19),



ρ þ ρ2 α2 ρ ωc
(20), and (21): F sq 2α−ϕ 1 − M *dry þ F sq 1þ a þi
ρ2 ϕ ρ2 ω
B¼
uðx; t Þ ¼ u0 eiðℓx−wt Þ ; ð19Þ ρ2
ð28Þ
wðx; t Þ ¼ w0 eiðℓx−wtÞ ð20Þ

ρ1 ρ1 þ ρ2 ρa ωc
Pðx; t Þ ¼ P0 eiðℓx−wtÞ ð21Þ C¼ þ þi ð29Þ
ρ2 ρ2 ρ2 ω
where ℓ is wavenumber; ω = 2πf, where the value of f is and Y has two solutions:
700 Hz, which is determined by the rock physics experi- sffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
ment below; and u0, w0, and p0 are nonzero constants.
2
2 ffi
ℓ B B C
The above formulations (Eqs. (19), (20), and (21)) are ¼ Y 1;2 ¼ −  − : ð30Þ
ω 1;2 2A 2A A
substituted to Eqs. (7) and (18). The following linear sys-
tem is obtained. For the detailed derivation, readers are
referred to Appendix 1. Because P-wave velocity Vp has a relationship with l/ω:
8   1
 1
>
> ρ αF sq Vp ¼
: ð31Þ
< u0 αF sq γ þ M dry Y − 1 þ w0 Y −1 ¼ 0
*
ρ2 ρ2 ℓ


ρ2  ; Re
>
> 1 ρa ωc F sq ρa ωc ω
: u0 F sq ϕγ Y þ þ i þ w0 ϕ Y − −1−i ¼0
ρ2 ρ2 ω ρ2 ρ2 ω
ð22Þ Biot’s coefficient is defined by A and B. Therefore, the
relationship between velocity and the Biot’s coefficient is
where Y = (ℓ/ω)2; γ = (α − ϕ) / ϕ; ρ1 = (1 − ϕ)ρs; ρ2 = ϕρf; established in Eq. (32), which is the mathematical model of
ωc = μϕ/κρf; and M*dry and Fsq are as follows: Biot’s coefficient.

1−ν 1
M *dry ¼ 2G ð1 þ C o Þ; ð23Þ V p1;2 ¼ pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
1−2ν Re Y 1;2
1
¼ 0vffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
sffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi 1: ð32Þ


2 J 1 ðλRÞ
 u
u B
2 ffi
F sq ¼ F 1− ; ð24Þ Bt B CC
λRJ 0 ðλRÞ Re@ −  − A
2A 2A A
where M*dry is the modification of M (Eq. (4)) and F is pre-
sented as Eq. (8). The value of R (the characteristic squirt flow
The modeling of Biot’s coefficient is presented in Eq. (32).
length) is 2.8 mm. In addition, Eq. (22) can be written in the
Clay content and fluid saturation are considered into the BISQ
determinant form of Eq. (25):
model by substituting Eqs. (27) through (29) into Eq. (32).
0  1 1
ρ1 α F sq Parameters in Eqs. (23) and (25) can be obtained except the


B αF sq γ þ M dry ρ Y − ρ ; Y −1
*
ρ2 C u0 Biot’s coefficient.
B 2 2 C
@ 1 ρ ωc F sq ρa ωc A w0 However, Vp is the reciprocal of the real part of the
F sq ϕγ Y þ a þ i ; ϕ Y − −1−i
ρ2 ρ2 ω ρ2 ρ2 ω square root of Y. It is difficult to find a more explicit
form to define Biot’s coefficient. In addition, the Biot’s
¼ 0:
coefficient calculated from velocity (Eq. (32) is non-
ð25Þ uniqueness. Thus, an optimized method is used to
302 Page 6 of 17 Arab J Geosci (2018) 11:302

calculate the Biot’s coefficient from the P-wave veloci- Table 1 Basic parameters of samples
ties. The optimization can be formulated as: Sample Porosity Density Shale Permeability
∨ no. content
α ¼ argminf ðαÞ; ð33Þ % g/cm3 % ×10−3 μm2
1
f ðαÞ ¼ jvinv ðαÞ−vj2 ; ð34Þ 1 Dagang 13.63 2.26 24.20 0.86
2 2 16.48 2.35 23.70 0.14
where f(α) is the error function, vinv(α) is the calculated ve- 3 11.60 2.38 19.70 0.12
locities from a set of Biot’s coefficient training data based on 4 10.70 2.42 18.00 0.10
Eq. (32), and v is the velocity obtained from logging, seismic, 5 Daqing 2.30 2.53 13.00 0.13
or experiment data. 6 0.90 2.50 12.00 0.00
The parameters listed in Table 4 are needed for calculating 7 12.71 2.29 34.00 0.23
Biot’s coefficient. The P-wave velocities are obtained from 8 12.33 2.28 33.00 0.36
logging, seismic, or experimental data. K*f, ρ*f, and K*s are 9 12.62 2.29 32.00 0.30
calculated using the effective medium theory (the Hill theory). 10 Changqing 2.19 2.25 12.00 0.60
The clay content Cclay is obtained from XRD experiments. Sw, 11 14.71 2.59 21.00 0.52
Sgas, and Soil are calculated from logging data. Thus, only 12 Dagang 8.65 2.49 10.00 0.03
Biot’s coefficient is unknown in Eqs. (23) and (25). Hence, a 13 8.21 2.35 3.00 0.02
new approach is established to obtain Biot’s coefficient based 14 7.47 2.51 5.00 0.02
on the BISQ model, considering clay content and fluid 15 10.82 2.28 12.00 0.33
saturation. 16 Yanchang 7.50 2.46 9.45 0.46
17 4.61 2.47 25.00 0.02
18 5.95 2.42 3.00 0.05
Experiment 19 3.23 2.62 18.00 0.01
20 4.00 2.60 15.00 0.00
To obtain Biot’s coefficient and static modulus using experi- 21 11.50 2.44 26.50 0.03
ments, a dynamic and static rock physical experiment de- 22 Daqing 1.71 2.50 15.00 0.00
signed under in situ conditions is presented as follows. The 23 4.54 2.52 0.60 0.07
Biot’s coefficient that was obtained from experiments is used 24 13.29 2.26 40.00 0.30
for determining the accuracy of the new method. The static 25 Yanchang 4.83 2.53 18.00 0.01
modulus that was gained through the experiments is used for ao9-7X Daqing 8.00 2.43 5.20
setting up a solution to obtain the static modulus that is needed ao9-7Y 6.05 2.44 8.00
for the new method without doing experiments later, as the ao9-7Z 5.00 2.46 14.29
static modulus plays an important role in the fracturing design
program (Qiong et al. 2017) and it is expensive to gain them.
Specifically, the static modulus of a dry skeleton is an impor-
tant parameter for calculating Biot’s coefficient with the new (ao9-7X, ao9-7Y, ao9-7Z). The mineral contents are provided
method. A method is provided to obtain the static modulus of in Table S1. The clay content is a combination of chlorite,
the dry skeleton from dynamic ones under in situ conditions montmorillonite, kaolinite, illite, and illite-smectite. The cores
using acoustic velocities from logging or seismic data (BStatic were processed into standard samples with heights of 50 mm
elastic modulus of the dry skeleton^ section) based on the and diameters of 25 mm. Twenty-five core samples were de-
experimental data. It is suggested to obtain the static modulus signed for the research to establish the method for calculating
from acoustic velocities without doing experiments. Biot’s coefficient. The last three cores (ao9-7X, ao9-7Y, ao9-
7Z) were used for studying the influences on Biot’s coeffi-
Sample selection cient, and their permeabilities were not measured.
The porosity and permeability range from 0.9 to 16.48%
Samples include 28 core rocks from the Dagang, Yanchang, and 0 to 0.86 × 10−3 μm2, respectively (Fig. 2). In addition,
Daqing, and Changqing oil fields (Table 1). All of the samples the average values of porosity and permeability are 8.26% and
are low permeability sandstones with high clay content, as 0.19 × 10−3 μm2, respectively. Porosities of 0–7, 7–11, and
shown in Fig. 2. Porosity was determined using a helium 10–13% occur in 16, 28, and 12% of samples, respectively.
porosimeter, and density was determined with the weight Only 4% of samples have a porosity greater than 4%. Porosity
and volume of the samples. The minerals in the samples were mainly ranges from 3 to 13%, which occurs in 70% of the
determined from XRD or thin sections through a microscope samples. Permeability is mainly divided into two ranges: less
Arab J Geosci (2018) 11:302 Page 7 of 17 302

Fig. 2 a Histogram of the

distribution of porosity. b
Histogram of the distribution of
permeability

than 0.3 × 10−3 μm2 and from 0.12 × 10−3 to 0.40 × 10−3 μm2.
According to the permeability and porosity criterion of sand-
stone, the samples have very low porosity and low permeabil-
ity sandstone.
Dynamic and static rock physical experiments
under in situ conditions
The experimental apparatuses include a GCTS rock physical
comprehensive test system and a RTR-1500, as shown in
Fig. 3a–d (Liang et al. 2014). All of the core samples were
used to perform the triaxial stress tests of synchronous mea-
surements of the parameters of dynamic and static rock me-
chanics under in situ conditions.
The design of experimental conditions
Three conditions are designed to perform the laboratory
measurements for simulating in situ conditions: (1) Oil
was removed from pores of the samples using an oil dis-
placement procedure. Samples numbered 1 to 25 were
used to perform both dynamic and static elastic modulus
measurements of dry rock under in situ conditions. (2)
Then, the samples were saturated with water (20%) and
oil (80%) and the same measurements were performed
under in situ conditions. (3) Three core rocks (ao9-7X,
ao9-7Y, ao9-7Z) were used for the same measurements
under in situ conditions of pore pressure and confining
pressure with different saturation levels of water and oil.
Pores were initially filled completely with water (100%).
Then, oil was slowly driven into pores with oil saturation
at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100%.
Modulus from dynamic and static rock physical experiments
Adaptive Biot’s coefficient Biot’s coefficient is obtained
using Eq. (2) in engineering. It is the ratio of the bulk
modulus of the drained porous frame to the bulk modulus
of the matrix mineral in the rock. However, the properties
of reservoirs are significantly different from pure rocks in
engineering studies. Reservoirs are saturated with oil, wa-
ter, and gas. According to the initial Eq. (1), fluid should
be taken into consideration. The original Eq. (2) cannot
predict the real Biot’ s coefficient of the reservoir. Thus, a
new experiment is presented to obtain the adaptive Biot’s
coefficient, which is a modification of the original defini-
tion of Biot’s coefficient. The adaptive Biot’s coefficient
is similar to the original ones. It is suggested that Biot’s

Fig. 3 a–d Experimental

apparatuses. a The GCTS rock
physical comprehensive test
system. b The triaxial pore
pressure control system. c
Acoustic velocity measurement
equipment. d Pore pressure
control system. e The experiment
schematic diagram for
determining Biot’s coefficient
302 Page 8 of 17 Arab J Geosci (2018) 11:302

coefficient is used instead of the adaptive Biot’s coeffi- where ν is Poisson’s ratio; subscripts (s, d) represent the static
cient; this switch is used in this paper. and dynamic Poisson’s ratio, respectively; Δε1 is the variation
of axial strain; Δε1 is the variation of transverse strain; Vp is
0 K sat
α≈α ¼ 1− ; ð35Þ the velocity of P-wave; and Vs is the velocity of S-wave.
Ks

where Ksat is the drained modulus in the presence of oil and
water, and the other parameters are the same as those in Eq. (2).
The experiment schematic diagram for Biot’s coefficient is
presented in Fig. 3e. The processes for the new Biot’s coeffi-
cient are called the Bjacked^ and Bunjacketed^ experiments
(Chen et al. 2015). It is suggested to set the confining pressure,
pore pressure, and temperature according to the in situ condi-
tions. In addition, the axial pressure is the same as the confin-
ing pressure. The volume of the rock V1 and the volume of
pore fluid F1 are recorded at that moment. First, the pore
pressure is held constant while the confining pressure is in-
creased by 10 MPa. The volume of the rock is V2. The Ksat is
calculated by the volume change in the rock (ΔVs). Second,
the pore pressure and confining and axial pressure are simul-
taneously increased by 10 MPa. The volume of the pore fluid
is F2. The volume change in the rock and pores can be obtain-
ed from V1, V2, F1, and F2. Ks is calculated from the volume
change in the skeleton (ΔVm).
ΔV f ¼ F 2 − F 1 ; ð36Þ
ΔV s ¼ V 1 −V 2 ; ð37Þ
where ΔVf is the volume change in the pores and ΔVs is the
volume change in the rock.
The volume change in the skeleton ΔVm is as follows:
ΔV m ¼ ΔV s −ΔV f : ð38Þ
Young’s modulus The static Young’s modulus is calculated in
the experiment using Eq. (42) (Mavko et al., 2008), and the
dynamic Young’s modulus is calculated using the P-wave and
S-wave velocities as is shown in Eq. (43) (Birch 1961; Yao
2008).
F=S
Es ¼ ð42Þ
ΔL=L
 2
V
3 V ps −4
E d ¼ ρV s  2
2
ð43Þ
Vp
Vs −1
where E is Young’s modulus, subscript (s, d) represent the
static and dynamic Young’s modulus, respectively; ρ is rock
density; F is the stress of rock; S is the cross-sectional area of
rock; ΔL is the deformation amount along the stress direction;
and L is the initial length of rock along the stress direction.
Experimental results
In this study, Biot’s coefficients of 25 sandstone samples with
high clay content and low permeability were measured using
the proposed method (BDynamic and static rock physical ex-
periments under in situ conditions^ section). The experimental
results, including Biot’s coefficient, the acoustic velocities,
and the dynamic and static moduli, are listed in Table 2.

Biot’s coefficient can be obtained from the experiment fol-

lowing Eq. (35): Static elastic modulus of the dry skeleton

0 K sat 1=ΔV s ΔV s −ΔV f Poisson’s ratio and the shear modulus of the dry skeleton are
α≈α ¼ 1− ≈1−   ¼ 1−
Ks 1= ΔV s −ΔV f ΔV s necessary for calculating Biot’s coefficient according to our
model (Eq. (32)). The displacement characteristics of frac-
ΔV f
¼ : ð39Þ tured rocks are similar to the displacement characteristics un-
ΔV s der triaxial stress tests (static rock physical experiments),
whereas the displacement that results from acoustic velocity
Poisson’s ratio The static Poisson’s ratio is calculated in the is significantly different. The static modulus plays an impor-
experiment using Eq. (40) (Mavko et al. 2008), and the dy- tant role in the fracturing design program (Qiong et al. 2017).
namic Poisson’s ratio is calculated using the P-wave and S- It is suggested to use static modulus to calculate Biot’s
wave velocities as is shown in Eq. (41) (Birch 1961; Yao coefficient.
2008). Thus, a method is proposed to obtain the static modulus
from dynamic moduli under in situ conditions, which is nec-
essary for calculating Biot’s coefficient from acoustic veloci-
Δε1
νs ¼ ; ð40Þ ties. It is inconvenient, inefficient, and expensive to obtain the
Δε2
static elastic modulus of the dry skeleton from laboratory tests.
V 2p −2V 2s The dynamic modulus under in situ conditions can be obtain-
νd ¼  ; ð41Þ
ed from acoustic velocities that can be obtained from logging
2 V 2p −V 2s
or seismic data.
Arab J Geosci (2018) 11:302 Page 9 of 17 302

Table 2 Dynamic and static rock physical experiment results of rock samples saturated with 20% water and 80% oil

Sample P-wave S-wave Dynamic Dynamic Static Static Static Dynamic Static Biot’s
number velocity Velocity Young’ Poisson’s Young’s Poisson’s bulk shear shear coefficient
modulus ratio modulus ratio modulus modulus modulus
m/s m/s GPa GPa GPa GPa GPa

1 4708 2436 35.33 0.31 21.73 0.10 8.96 13.48 9.91 0.76
2 4764 2385 35.63 0.33 25.76 0.12 7.97 13.39 8.26 0.65
3 4736 2467 38.06 0.31 18.93 0.04 6.78 14.53 9.14 0.79
4 4990 2439 38.66 0.34 26.38 0.10 11.10 14.43 11.95 0.80
5 4516 2141 31.66 0.36 16.48 0.20 9.22 11.64 6.86 0.82
6 4867 2272 34.61 0.36 19.11 0.19 10.32 12.72 7.97 0.82
7 3279 1721 18.54 0.31 17.98 0.36 12.74 7.08 6.63 0.18
8 3722 1931 23.25 0.32 18.48 0.31 16.56 8.81 7.03 0.46
9 3476 1897 21.41 0.29 17.40 0.32 16.20 8.30 6.59 0.37
10 4615 2200 30.69 0.35 18.40 0.30 14.96 11.37 7.10 0.69
11 5197 2498 43.08 0.30 32.68 0.26 22.79 16.57 12.96 0.60
12 5340 2799 51.13 0.31 32.96 0.15 15.88 19.52 14.28 0.62
13 5645 2772 48.43 0.34 36.02 0.20 19.94 18.07 15.02 0.57
14 5288 2669 47.52 0.32 30.68 0.17 15.36 18.00 13.14 0.57
15 4562 2399 34.34 0.30 25.20 0.13 8.89 13.21 8.89 0.59
16 4164 2155 30.74 0.32 29.47 0.39 33.21 11.64 7.73 0.27
17 4330 2282 34.32 0.31 23.59 0.36 23.69 13.10 7.55 0.47
18 4465 2479 38.84 0.28 28.41 0.27 16.41 15.17 9.01 0.58
19 5448 2188 35.50 0.40 19.49 0.50 723.00 12.68 4.40 0.45
20 5119 2604 47.17 0.33 36.58 0.34 30.19 17.73 10.89 0.53
21 4384 2465 38.45 0.27 23.25 0.30 17.99 15.14 8.54 0.53
22 3851 2061 33.50 0.30 15.18 0.20 8.35 12.88 6.34 0.72
23 4552 2181 34.34 0.35 16.79 0.20 9.36 12.72 6.99 0.83
24 3589 1818 20.14 0.33 17.25 0.37 22.46 7.57 6.29 0.49
25 4979 2495 43.79 0.35 32.60 0.28 25.04 16.22 12.71 0.56

Generally, the shear modulus is the same for both dry shown as Eq. (44) and the results appears to be linear
and fluid saturated rock because the shear modulus is (Fig. 4a; R2 = 0.7):
independent from fluid. For samples 1–11, the relation-
ship between the static and dynamic shear modulus is Gdry ¼ Gsat Static ¼ 0:6931Gsat Dynamic þ 0:0949; ð44Þ

Fig. 4 a Relationship between dynamic and static shear moduli of samples saturated with 20% water and 80% oil. b Relationship between the dynamic
and static Young’s moduli of samples saturated with 20% water and 80% oil. c Relationship of static Poisson’s ratios under saturated and dry conditions
302 Page 10 of 17 Arab J Geosci (2018) 11:302

where Gsat_Static and Gsat_Dynamic are the shear modulus of Table 3 Comparison of results for the static modulus of the dry skeleton
between the new method and the tests
saturated rock under static and dynamic conditions, respective-
ly, and Gdry is the shear modulus of the dry skeleton. The Sample Shear modulus (GPa) Poisson’s ratio
dynamic shear modulus can be obtained from the dynamic number
Young’s modulus and the dynamic Poisson’s ratio (Eq. (45)). Test Our method Test Our method
The static modulus is obtained from shear stress and strain. The 12 13.83 13.62 0.11 0.11
reader is referred to Appendix 1 for detailed information.
13 15.49 12.62 0.12 0.14
Previous studies have indicated that it is difficult to deter-
14 14.62 12.57 0.14 0.13
mine the relationship between the static Poisson’s ratio and the
15 10.41 9.25 0.21 0.16
dynamic ratios (Bian et al. 2015; Ge et al. 2001). Poisson’s
16 18.66 8.18 0.32 0.19
ratio has a relationship with the shear modulus and Young’s
17 16.44 9.19 0.30 0.17
modulus. It can be obtained through these two moduli as
18 15.24 10.63 0.28 0.13
shown in Eq. (45) (Birch 1961):
19 17.31 11.83 0.26 0.26
E 20 15.41 12.43 0.21 0.10
ν¼ −1: ð45Þ
2G 21 16.64 10.60 0.30 0.10
22 5.36 7.32 0.19 0.22
With samples 1–11, the relationship (Fig. 4b) between stat-
23 5.76 8.38 0.18 0.21
ic and dynamic Young’s modulus of saturated rocks was ob-
24 8.83 5.22 0.29 0.37
tained as Eq. (46) (R2 = 0.45):
25 15.50 11.34 0.24 0.14
E sat Static ¼ 0:474Esat Dynamic þ 4:9714; ð46Þ

where Esat_Static and Esat_Dynamic are the Young’s moduli of in Table 4. The results based on these parameters indicate that
saturated rock under static and dynamic conditions, respectively. Biot’s coefficient obtained from the experiments (black line in
Thus, Eqs. (44), (45), and (46) were combined to calculate Fig. 5a) and the new model (red line in Fig. 5a) match well,
the static Poisson’s ratio from P-wave and S-wave velocities. and the application range of porosity and clay content is
Compared to laboratory tests, the relationship (Fig. 4c) be- broadened by the method. Compared to previous studies, the
tween the static saturated Poisson’s ratio and static ratios of results from the new model are better for clay-bearing sand-
the skeleton is obtained (R2 is 0.88): stone reservoirs with low porosity and low permeability.
ν dry Static ¼ 0:6361ν sat Dynamic þ 0:0672: ð47Þ
Discussion
The relationship between the static elastic modulus of the
dry skeleton (νdry_Static) and dynamic moduli under saturated Geologic model of clay-bearing sandstone reservoirs
conditions (νsat_Dynamic) is established. Equations (48) and
(49) provide the static elastic modulus of the dry skeleton that To better understand the reason for considering the clay con-
is needed to calculate Biot’s coefficient. Equations (48) and tent and fluids, it is suggested to establish a new geologic
(49) are applied to samples 12–25. The results are provided in model for clay-bearing sandstone reservoirs. Generally, a geo-
Table 3. The results matched the experimental results well. logic model of a porous medium is divided into three parts: the
Gdry Static ¼ 0:6931ρV 2s þ 0:0949; ð48Þ skeleton, pore, and fluid in pores that are saturated with water
2 !3 (Fig. 6a). This is not suitable for sandstones with high clay
3V 2p −4V 2s
6 0:474 ρV s
2 contents, as the distribution of clay is vigorously different
7
6 V 2p −V 2s 7
ν dry Static ¼ 0:63616   7
6 2 0:6931ρV 2 þ 0:0949 7 þ 0:0672: ð49Þ from typical sandstone reservoirs.
4 s 5 Observations from rock slices of samples 16, 17, 18, 19,
and 20 (detailed information about the samples is provided in
the BSample selection^ section) show that skeletal grains are
surrounded by clay minerals (Fig. 7a–c) and SEM results
Results and discussion show that a large number of micrometer- to nanometer-scale
pores occur within the clay minerals (Fig. 8). These pores are
Results much smaller than those between skeletal grains. The distri-
bution of clay minerals is presented in Fig. 7d–f based on
The core samples 12–25 are performed to calculate Biot’s information from rock slices, which provides a clear distribu-
coefficient by using the above method. The basic parameters tion of the clay content in the samples. Previous studies divid-
for calculating Biot’s coefficient based on the model are listed ed the clay into three types: membrane type (Fig. 7d),
Arab J Geosci (2018) 11:302 Page 11 of 17 302

Table 4 Basic parameters needed to calculate Biot’s coefficient based on the BISQ model with clay and fluid saturation

Sample Φ ρ Saturation Clay Permeability Viscos Shear Poisson’s Frequency P-wave S-wave
no. content coefficient modulus ratio velocity
Oil Water Velocity
% g/cm3 % % % ×10−3 GPa KHz m/s m/s
μm2

12 8.65 2.49 0.80 0.20 10.00 0.03 5.33 13.62 0.113 0.7 5340 2799
13 8.21 2.35 0.80 0.20 3.00 0.02 5.33 12.62 0.135 0.7 5645 2772
14 7.47 2.51 0.40 0.60 5.00 0.02 5.33 12.57 0.127 0.7 5288 2669
15 10.82 2.28 0.80 0.20 12.00 0.03 5.00 9.25 0.162 0.7 4562 2399
16 7.50 2.46 0.80 0.20 9.45 0.46 3.30 8.18 0.19 0.7 4164 2155
17 4.61 2.47 0.80 0.20 25.00 0.02 3.30 9.19 0.17 0.7 4330 2282
18 5.95 2.42 0.80 0.20 3.00 0.00 3.30 10.63 0.13 0.7 4465 2479
19 3.23 2.62 0.80 0.20 18.00 0.01 3.30 11.83 0.26 0.7 5448 2188
20 4.00 2.60 0.80 0.20 15.00 0.00 3.30 12.43 0.10 0.7 5119 2604
21 11.50 2.44 0.80 0.20 26.50 0.03 3.30 10.60 0.10 0.7 4384 2465
22 1.71 2.50 0.80 0.20 15.00 0.00 3.30 7.32 0.22 0.7 5667 2353
23 4.54 2.52 0.80 0.20 0.60 0.07 3.30 8.38 0.21 0.7 5412 2523
24 13.29 2.26 0.80 0.20 40.00 0.30 3.30 5.22 0.37 0.7 3851 1968
25 4.83 2.53 0.80 0.20 18.00 0.01 3.30 11.34 0.14 0.7 4979 2495

scattered particle type (Fig. 7e), and cross-bridge type
(Fig. 7f). These distribution types of clay are ascribed to
micro-nanometer pores and significantly reduce the perme-
ability (Du 2012). The micro-nanometer pores enable fluid
flow to interact with skeletal walls, greatly affecting the mo-
bility of the fluid in the pores. The fluid flow moves in the r-
direction in addition to the x-direction, as shown in Fig. 1.
That is, why it is insufficient to consider one flow type, known
as channel flow (Biot flow) for this kind of reservoir. Another
flow, named squirt flow, also plays an important role on the
dynamic mechanism of fluid flow. Therefore, the BISQ model
is the basis of our method. The clay content that surrounds
skeletal grains (rather than that in the skeleton) significantly
affects the physical characteristics.
Additionally, core samples ao9-7-X, ao9-7-Y, and ao9-7-Z
reveal that Biot’s coefficient decreases in pace with the oil
content (Fig. 5e). The ao9-7-Z sample shows a remarkable
trend. Above all, it is suggested that clay content, fluid satu-
ration, and porosity should be the three main factors that affect
Biot’s coefficient of sandstones with high clay content and
low permeability.
Thus, a new geologic model is proposed in this paper
(Fig. 6b). The model is divided into four parts: skeleton,
a clay layer surrounding the skeleton particles, pores, and
fluid. Compared to the general model, a clay layer sur-
rounding the skeletal grain was considered and the fluid
was divided into three types in the geological model: oil,
gas, and water.
Based on the new geologic model, an adaptive Biot’s co-
efficient is presented in our experiment section. The adaptive
Biot’s coefficient is increased for reservoir rock, which is a
mixture of dry rock and fluid. The traditional Biot’s coefficient
is for dry and relatively tight rock.
The accuracy of the modeling of Biot’s coefficient
Biot’s coefficient has been obtained by many studies in
previous years without doing in situ rock physics exper-
iments. Biot’s coefficient is related directly to the pore
structure (Mavko et al. 2008). Thus, previous studies
established the relationship between the Biot’s
coefficient and the porosity of pure sandstones. Ma
(2008) used 87 sandstone samples to test the range of
the Biot’s coefficient and porosity and concluded that
there is a power exponent relationship between the
Biot’s coefficient and porosity:

α ¼ ðϕ=ϕc Þ2=3 ; ϕ ≤ ϕc ; ð50Þ
α ¼ 1; ϕ > ϕc
where ϕc is the critical porosity, ϕ is the porosity, and α
is Biot’s coefficient. The critical porosity of common
rocks is given by Nur et al. (1995) and that of sandstone
is 0.4. In this paper, the critical porosity is set as 0.4.
Additionally, Geertsma and Smit (1961) presented a
model for pure sandstones:
α ¼ 1−1=ð1 þ 50ϕÞ; 0 ≤ ϕ < 0:3: ð51Þ
Based on the critical porosity, Nur (1992) and Nur et al.
(1995) presented a model for calculating Biot’s coefficient
302 Page 12 of 17 Arab J Geosci (2018) 11:302
 Arab J Geosci (2018) 11:302
ƒFig. 5 a Comparison chart of the six methods. b Comparison between
our method and the average results of five models (Krief, Ma, Geertsma
and Smit, Nur and BISQ models, without clay). c The change law of
Biot’s coefficient obtained from the different methods and the variation
in porosity (the four models are the Krief, Ma, Geertsma and Smit, and
Nur models). d The change law of Biot’s coefficient obtained from the
different methods and the variation in clay content. e Relationship
between Biot’s coefficient and the saturation of samples. f The
relationship between Biot’s coefficient and clay content of 25 samples
using a large amount of experimental data. It is similar to the
model of Ma (2008).

α ¼ ϕ=ϕc ; ϕ ≤ ϕc
: ð52Þ
α ¼ 1; ϕ > ϕc
In addition, Krief et al. (1990) made a point that Biot’s
coefficient should be a continuous function, which is as fol-
lows in Eq. (53). It is convenient and easy to obtain porosity
from logging or laboratory measurements. Therefore, these
methods are used widely.
α ¼ 1−ð1−ϕÞ3=ð1−ϕÞ : ð53Þ
Comparing the six methods for calculating Biot’s coeffi-
cient (Fig. 5a), the results match better with data from labora-
tory tests, and the relative error is 8.8% (root mean square
error). The Geertsma and Smit, Nur, Krief, and Ma models
establish the relationship between Biot’s coefficient and po-
rosity, and their relative errors (41, 25, 21, and 20%, respec-
tively) are larger because the empirical formulas are regional.
The applicability of these models is restricted because the key
factor of each region is distinct. Based on the BISQ model, the
blue dashed line in Fig. 5a that do not consider the clay content
does not match well, and the relative error is 29%. This im-
plies that the clay content is a sensitive factor for determining
Biot’s coefficient.
Average values from the five methods (the Geertsma and
Smit, Nur, Krief, Ma, and BISQ models, without considering
the clay content) are shown in Fig. 5b. The results suggest
Fig. 6 Geologic model of a clay-
bearing sandstone reservoir. Gray
circles are skeletal grains, blue is
water, yellow is gas, red is oil, and
yellow areas surrounding the
skeleton grains represent clay
layers. a The general geologic
model, which is divided into three
parts: pores, skeleton, and fluid. b
The geologic model developed in
this study, which is divided into
four parts: pores, skeleton, fluid,
and a clay layer
Page 13 of 17 302
better quality than each single model and with a relative error
of 16%, which is still larger than in the new method. It is
reasonable that these models are regional and every region
has a key factor. In other words, the average results take dif-
ferent factors that are equally weighted into consideration.
Comparison of applicability of different models
for determining Biot’s coefficient
The results of our method, in comparison with those of previ-
ous methods (the Geertsma and Smit, Nur, Krief, Ma, and
BISQ models, without considering clay content), show that
the models are suitable in different situations.
The previous models are suitable for core samples with a
high porosity, as is shown in Fig. 5c. The blue line shows the
average values of the four models (Krief, Ma, Geertsma and
Smit, and Nur models). The error decreased as porosity in-
creased, which suggested that the four models are suitable for
sandstones with a high porosity. However, the error of our
method (red line) is steady and appears to be independent of
porosity. The results for samples with porosity of 1–14%
match well with the tests. All of the models show good results
for sandstones with high porosity, whereas our method is bet-
ter for sandstones with low porosity.
Meanwhile, there is a similar result for clay content
(Fig. 5d). The error of the average result of the five models
increases with clay content. The BISQ model without clay
content also increases. However, the BISQ model concerning
clay content and fluid saturation has a relatively stable error.
Even for sandstone with high clay content, the method still has
a better result.
In short, the Krief, Ma, Geertsma and Smit, Nur, and
BISQ models (without considering the clay content) are
suitable for sandstones with a high porosity and low clay
content, and the proposed method is better for continental
sandstone with low porosity and high clay content. The
results reveal that the suitable scope of porosity for typical
models is greater than 10%, whereas the suitable scope
302 Page 14 of 17 Arab J Geosci (2018) 11:302

Fig. 7 a–c SEM images of rock slices of samples 16, 17, and 18, respectively. d–f The distribution of clay content: d membrane type; e scattered particle
type; f cross-bridge type

for the new models is from 1 to 14% (Fig. 5c). Similarly, less than 10%, whereas the suitable scope for the new
the suitable scope of clay content for typical models is models is from 0 to 40% (Fig. 5d).

Fig. 8 SEM images of rock slices

of samples 19 and 20
Arab J Geosci (2018) 11:302 Page 15 of 17 302

Table 5 The stress results from a training set of Biot’s coefficients Limitations of the new model
No. ν σv Dtvγp εxE + σt Biot’s coefficient σ
MPa MPa MPa MPa Limitations remain following this study. A number of param-
eters need to be prepared for calculating Biot’s coefficient. It is
1 0.25 36.5 20 25 0.7 46.5 difficult to calculate Biot’s coefficient if wells do not have X-
2 0.25 36.5 20 25 0.65 45.83 mac logging data. Simplifying parameters may be necessary
3 0.25 36.5 20 25 0.6 45.17 in the future. In addition, the quantity and range of core sam-
4 0.25 36.5 20 25 0.55 44.5 ples for the laboratory tests are limited. There are not enough
5 0.25 36.5 20 25 0.5 43.83 samples for each region to build a corresponding relationship
6 0.25 36.5 20 25 0.45 43.17 between the static elastic modulus of the dry skeleton and the
saturated ones under in situ conditions. Instead, core samples
in the same lithological type are used. This is why a large error
is obtained for some individual samples, such as the number
Biot’s coefficient does not have a clear dependence on clay
22 core sample. Future work is needed to obtain a much more
content above 10% in Fig. 5d. Two points regarding this phe-
precise result with more core samples.
nomenon are presented. First, the relationship between Biot’s
coefficient and clay content of the 25 samples is not approx-
imately linear (Fig. 5f). This result suggests that the clay con-
tent will influence Biot’s coefficient. The Biot’s coefficients of Conclusion
sandstones with the smallest and largest clay contents have a
significant difference. However, there are only 12 such sam- A new method is presented for determining Biot’s coefficient.
ples in the test (Fig. 5d). It is believed that future work with The study indicated that Biot’s coefficient can be obtained
more samples will provide a clear dependence of Biot’s coef- from the velocities of rocks under in situ conditions, such as
ficient on clay content. logging or seismic data based on the BISQ model. Clay con-
Second, Biot’s coefficient is an important parameter for tent is pivotal to determining Biot’s coefficient for sandstones
determining stress. Previous studies have indicated the with a high clay content and low permeability. It is irrational to
formulation of overlaying stress (Eq. (54)) (Du et al. determine Biot’s coefficient without considering clay content
2015). The necessary parameters for calculating stress for sandstones with high clay content and low permeability.
are presented in Table 5. The parameters other than The clay minerals surrounding the skeleton particles, unlike
Biot’s coefficient are set to the same value. As a result, those in the skeleton, significantly affect the modulus of rocks.
a subtle change in Biot’s coefficient will result in promi- The new approach utilizes the clay content coefficient and
nent differences in calculated stress. effective elastic modulus to simultaneously determine the in-
  fluence of clay content and fluid saturation in the BISQ model.
σ ¼ ν σv −αDtv γ p =ð1−ν Þ þ αDtv γ p þ εx E þ σt ð54Þ The method is tested using samples from the Dagang,
Yanchang, Daqing, and Changqing oil fields. The results re-
σv ¼ Dtv γ ob ð55Þ veal that the method broadens the application range of poros-
ity and clay content. A much more precise Biot’s coefficient is
where σ is the overlaying stress (MPa); Dtv is the vertical
obtained for clay-bearing sandstone reservoirs with low po-
depth (m); γp and γob are the gradient of pore pressure and
rosity and low permeability compared to previous studies. The
the overburden stress, respectively (MPa/m); Dtvγp is pore
results are meaningful for the success of efficient fracturing.
pressure; E is Young’s modulus; εx is the strain level in the
maximum and horizontal stress orientation; and σt is the ad- Acknowledgements The authors gratefully acknowledge the Dagang,
ditional tectonic stress. Yanchang, Daqing, and Changqing oil field companies for providing core
In addition to the difference in accuracy and suitable samples for this study. This study was funded by the National Natural
situation mentioned above, the new Biot’s coefficient con- Science Foundation of China (41630210).
siders the clay content and fluid saturation, which are
much closer to reservoir Biot’s coefficients, but the tradi-
tional Biot’s coefficient only considers porosity. The new Appendix 1
Biot’s coefficient is more suitable for exploration and ex-
ploitation of reservoirs. In addition, the new Biot’s coef- The derivation process of the equations for dynamic and av-
ficient is obtained from velocities, whereas the traditional erage fluid pressure
coefficients are determined from porosities. The tradition- The detailed derivation process of Eq. (22) is as follows. The
al Biot’s coefficient is an empirical result, whereas the displacement of the plane wave is given by A = A0ei(ℓx − ωt),
new Biot’s coefficient is an exact result. where Eqs. (19), (20), and (21) are the displacements of solids
302 Page 16 of 17 Arab J Geosci (2018) 11:302

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