The ultimate aim of the oil exploration industry is to determine the distribution of rock types and underground fluids. At this stage, we can actually determine the distribution of several underground physical properties with a certain accuracy. The challenge for the rock physicist is to translate those physical properties (P-velocity, S-velocity, density) into rock types and fluids (gas-, or oil-, or water-bearing sand, shale). If performed correctly, dry holes can be avoided and millions of dollars can be saved. Ultimately, an integrated approach is required. This book deals with a series of topics in rock physics, including elasticity, pore pressure, incompressibility of rocks and the Gassmann equation, fluid substitution, forward modelling and empirical equations, rock physics applications to AVO studies and inversion studies, and the Differential Effective Medium (DEM) method. It is generally addressed to the practitioner (geophysicist, geologist), and in some instances, detailed instructions are furnished to perform a particular task. Some chapters, on the other hand, are theoretical and more mathematical, and are expected to be of interest to both practitioners and students alike. Other chapters include innovative ideas that could, for instance, be tested by oil companies that have substantial amounts of data at their disposal.
This book will serve as a useful guide to practitioners (geologists, petrophysicists, geophysicists and reservoir engineers) and students/academics.
About the Author: Robert Gullco received his Master's degree in Geological Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina). He has worked as a Geologist and Petrophysicist in YPF (then Argentina state oil company), Wapet (now Chevron) in Western Australia, Paradigm Geophysical (in both Australia and Mexico), and CGG and Citla Energy in Mexico. He has taken courses on geomathematics at Stanford University and a course on applied mathematics at Curtin University.
Malcolm Anderson took his first degree in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at the Australian National University in Canberra and then completed a PhD in Theoretical Astrophysics at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge. He has taught applied mathematics and mathematical physics at the Australian National University, the University of New South Wales and Edith Cowan University. Since 2000, he has been a member of the Mathematics Group at Universiti Brunei Darussalam.
