ИСТИНА

In this work, we demonstrate new possibilities provided by a combination of the effective medium theory (EMT) and experimental thermal petrophysics. Mainly this is important for prospecting geophysics however also useful for other applications. One of these possibilities is an evaluation of the pore/crack geometry of sedimentary rocks. In particular, it is helpful for revealing fractured (or damaged) zones. We demonstrate numerous examples of such evaluation using different models of pore/crack geometry incorporating a single value for characterizing the pore/crack shape or probability density functions of these values. Another related problem is the estimation of thermal conductivity of mineral matrix - this value is necessary for many thermal property simulators. Among important problems that can be solved by the combination of EMT and experimental thermal petrophysics is so-called “fluid substitution” – theoretical evaluation of the thermal conductivity of rock saturated with a specific fluid or a fluid mixture provided the rock is saturated with another fluid. We show some successful examples for solving this problem. The EMT is helpful in cross-property estimation when one type of physical properties (elastic wave velocities, electric or thermal conductivity) can be predicted from another property. Specifically, we show that the EMT is a necessary tool for simultaneous evaluating the effective thermal and elastic properties of rocks from cuttings. This approach is of vital importance when rock samples are not available and no other possibility exists to estimate the thermal conductivity and other physical properties of rocks.