Burial induced changes in physical sandstone properties: A case-study of North Sea and Norwegian Sea sandstone formations

Abstract

The changes in physical properties of sandstones with burial depth are a result of mechanical and chemical compaction processes. These processes are affected by rock microstructure, pressure regimes and temperature history. Data from 30 wells have been used to investigate and compare the changes in porosity, bulk density, elastic moduli and wave propagation velocities between mid- Jurassic sandstones in the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea. Mechanical compaction and quartz cementation models are used together with rock physics diagnostics to describe these changes.