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Quantifying Induced Polarization of Conductive Inclusions in Porous Media and Implications for Geophysical
Lang Feng1, Qiuzi Li2, Stephen D Cameron2
1Corporate Strategic Research, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering, 1545 Route 22 East, Annandale, NJ, 08801, USA. lang.feng@exxonmobil.com.
Scientific Reports
|February 5, 2020
Summary
Induced polarization (IP) mapping offers new insights into subsurface materials like ore and hydrocarbons. This study provides a quantitative interpretation of IP signatures, enhancing geophysical exploration for mineral deposits and hydrocarbon reserves.
Area of Science:
- Geophysics
- Geochemistry
- Mineral Physics
Background:
- Induced polarization (IP) mapping is increasingly used to detect geological materials like clay, ore, pyrite, and hydrocarbons.
- Current interpretations of IP signatures are largely empirical, lacking a strong link to intrinsic physical properties.
- A quantitative understanding of IP responses from conductive materials is needed for improved geophysical exploration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a quantitative interpretation of induced polarization (IP) signatures from brine-filled rock formations with conductive inclusions.
- To explore new opportunities in geophysical exploration and characterization using IP data.
- To investigate the IP response of nanoporous conductors, including biologically generated mineral deposits.
Main Methods:
- Developed a quantitative interpretation model for IP signatures.
- Tested the model with solid conductive inclusions in model systems.
- Experimentally validated the theory with nanoporous conductors, including lab-grown pyrite and field samples from sapropel formations.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a distinctive spectral IP response from nanoporous conductors.
- Showcased the ability of IP to detect and characterize geological materials with conductive inclusions.
- Provided a fundamental understanding of the electrode polarization mechanism in both solid and porous conductive inclusions.
Conclusions:
- The quantitative interpretation of IP signatures offers a rigorous new approach for geophysical exploration of mineral deposits.
- Induced polarization of biologically generated mineral deposits presents a new paradigm for basin-scale hydrocarbon exploration.
- This research bridges the gap between empirical observations and physical properties in IP analysis, enhancing its application in resource exploration.
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