Digital rock physics and resistivity well logging interpretation in unconventional reservoirs: Advances and prospects
Abstract
Unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs, characterized by multiscale and complex pore architectures, diverse mineralogical compositions, and pronounced heterogeneity, present significant limitations to conventional saturation estimation and reservoir evaluation methods, with resistivity well logging data based on classic models such as Archie's equations. Digital rock physics technology, integrating multi-scale imaging, three-dimensional reconstruction, and numerical simulation, enables the precise characterization of pore structures and conductive mechanisms, markedly enhancing the accuracy of electrical response simulations and well logging evaluations in complex reservoirs. Through this perspective, this study systematically compares the application limitations and associated impacts of conventional resistivity logging in unconventional reservoirs of various lithologies and evaluates the applicability and merits of distinct rock physics numerical simulation approaches, highlighting existing constraints and challenges. Furthermore, this work outlines future directions for integrating digital rock physics with well logging evaluation.
Document Type: Original article
Cited as: Xin, N., Jian, S., Wei, W., Jian, C. Digital rock physics and resistivity well logging interpretation in unconventional reservoirs: Advances and prospects. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2025, 18(3): xxx-xxx. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2025.12.07
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2025.12.07Keywords:
Unconventional reservoir, electrical conductivity, digital rock physics, resistivity loggingReferences
Li, B., Nie, X., Cai, J., et al. U-Net model for multi-component digital rock modeling of shales based on CT and QEMSCAN images. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2022a, 216: 110734.
Li, C., Yan, W., Wu, H., et al. Calculation of oil saturation in clay-rich shale reservoirs: A case study of qing 1 member of cretaceous qingshankou formation in gulong sag, songliao basin, ne china. Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2022b, 49(6): 1351-1363.
Li, X., Li, C.L., Li, B., et al. Response laws of electrical property and saturation evaluation method of tight sandstone. Petroleum Exploration and Development 2020, 47(01): 202-212.
Mungan, N., Moore, E. Certain wettability effects on electrical resistivity in porous media. Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology 1968, 7(01): 20-25.
Nie, X., Lu, J., Djaroun, R.R., et al. Oil content prediction of lacustrine organic-rich shale from wireline logs: A case study of intersalt reservoirs in the Qianjiang Sag, Jianghan Basin, China. Interpretation, 2020, 8(3), SL78-SL88.
Saxena, N., Dietderich, J., Alpak, F.O., et al. Estimating electrical cementation and saturation exponents using digital rock physics. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 2021, 198.
Shang, S., Gao, Q., Cui, Y., et al. Simulation of rock electrical properties in deep reservoirs based on digital rock technology. Processes, 2023, 11(6): 1758.
Wu, Y., Lai, Q., Wang, H., et al. The bitumen development effect on the pore structure and electrical resistivity of carbonate reservoirs in the sinian dengying formation. Journal of Geophysics and Engineering, 2024, 21(2): 372-382.
Xiao, Z., Zhang, H., Wang, Y., et al. Numerical simulations of the acoustic and electrical properties of digital rocks based on tetrahedral unstructured mesh. Journal of Geophysics and Engineering, 2024, 21(5): 1573-1582.
Zhao, J., Shi, Z., Li, Y., et al. Simulation of conductivity characteristics of gas hydrate reservoirs and its saturation calculation. Natural Gas Geoscience, 2021, 32(09): 1261-1269.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.