Relationship between the sedimentary microfacies and geomechanical behavior of the Asmari Formation carbonates, southwestern Iran
Gharechelou, S.; Amini, A.; Bohloli, B.; Swennen, R. (2020). Relationship between the sedimentary microfacies and geomechanical behavior of the Asmari Formation carbonates, southwestern Iran. Mar. Pet. Geol. 116: 104306. https://hdl.handle.net/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2020.104306 In: Marine and Petroleum Geology. Elsevier: Guildford. ISSN 0264-8172; e-ISSN 1873-4073, more |  |
| Author keywords | Geomechanical facies; Asmari formation; SW Iran; Facies index; Rock mechanical units |
| Authors | | Top | - Gharechelou, S.
- Amini, A.
- Bohloli, B.
- Swennen, R., more
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| Abstract | The objective of this paper is to address the impact of texture (and thus the related sedimentary environments and facies and diagenetic overprint) on the geomechanical behavior of the Asmari Formation carbonates. Three sets of data were utilized in this study; i) sedimentological data including thin section petrography, porosity, density, XRF and SEM, ii) rock mechanical data comprising uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), cohesion (C), friction angle (ϕ), tensile strength, brittleness and drillability index, and iii) ultrasonic data including S- and P-wave velocity. To study a possible relationship between the sedimentological features and rock mechanical properties, a facies index was defined based on the textural and diagenetic features allowing to quantify a sedimentary microfacies. Based on facies index, porosity and UCS, five different geomechanical facies (GMF) were determined for the Asmari Formation, where GMF1 to GMF5 represent very ductile to very brittle material, respectively. The results showed that mechanical behavior are controlled by the depositional environment (open marine to supratidal) and diagenetic overprint (dissolution, cementation, dolomitization, micritization, mechanical and chemical compaction and authigenic clay formation). By quantifying the sedimentological and diagenetic features, the rock strength may be predicted based on petrographical observations. Results of this study provide insights for creating a relationship between sedimentological features and rock mechanical behavior, based on the GMF concept presented here. Such studies are helpful for reducing the costs/time for acquiring geomechanical datasets. |
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