Development of imaging technology for remote characterization of geotechnical structures and formations

描述岩土和地质结构的主要困难之一是不确定结构的大小、形状和材料特性。这种不确定性是由于使用钻孔、浅层挖掘等对结构进行的地下采样有限造成的。出于经济和实际原因，它不可能与该结构的每一个区域相交。这种不确定性还影响到这些结构的工程设计，如地基、矿坑、隧道、碳氢化合物钻探规划和油藏设计。本提案中描述的研究是一个广泛的研究计划的核心组成部分，该计划调查地球物理成像技术，以帮助在进行任何采样钻探之前对地下采样点之间或岩石中的地质结构进行远程成像和评估。正在进行的研究任务的目标是：1)成像近地表地质结构，用于陆上和海底调查的岩土地下勘察；2)成像储层孔隙流体压力和成分；以及3)实时储层监测，以评估生产或增产作业。拟议研究的目的是开发新技术或改进现有技术，以便对岩土和地质结构进行地球物理成像，以确定这些结构的大小、形状和材料特性，并协助随后的工程设计。这项研究将通过从地球物理数据中提供更多可能更准确的信息来改善地下特征，从而减少设计和规划中的不准确和错误，从而提高成本和安全性。

One of the major difficulties with characterizing geotechnical and geological structures is the uncertainty of knowing the size, shape and material characteristics of the structure. This uncertainty results from the limited subsurface sampling of the structures using boreholes, shallow excavations, etc... which for economic and practical reasons cannot intersect every region of the structure. This uncertainty also impacts on engineering designs for these structures such as foundations, mine openings, tunnels, hydrocarbon drill planning and reservoir design. The research described in this proposal is the core component of a broad research program investigating geophysical imaging technology to assist with remotely imaging and evaluating geological structures in between subsurface sampling locations or in rock masses before any sampling drilling has been done. Ongoing research tasks are targeted at i) imaging near surface geological structures for geotechnical subsurface investigations (SSIs) for onshore and seafloor investigations, ii) imaging reservoir pore fluid pressure and composition, and iii) real-time reservoir monitoring to evaluate production or stimulation operations. The objective of the proposed research is the development of new technology or the improvement of existing technology for the geophysical imaging of geotechnical and geological structures for characterizing the size, shape and material properties of these structures and assisting with subsequent engineering design. This research will improve subsurface characterization by providing additional and potentially more accurate information from geophysical data, resulting in cost and safety improvements due to reduced inaccuracies and errors in design and planning.