Shock-induced borehole waves and fracture effects

Abstract

We perform wave experiments using a vertical shock tube setup. Shock waves are generated by the rupture of a thin membrane. In the test section the incident pressure waves generate borehole-guided waves along water-saturated samples. The tube is equipped with side wall gages and a mobile pressure probe, so that the attenuation and reflection of the wave can be measured. The computation for a single horizontal fracture intersecting a vertical borehole gives a quantitative prediction of reflection and transmission of borehole-guided waves. Three different fracture apertures are used for the calculation. Fracture aperture significantly affects both reflection and transmission coefficients. Large fractures increase reflectivity and decrease transmissivity. In the experiment, we found that both pressures above and below the fracture are influenced by the fracture aperture indeed, thus indicating the potential for fracture detection by borehole waves. © 2012 The Author(s).