In Situ Estimation of Third-order Elastic Parameters - Theory and Example from the Gulf of Mexico

A rock physics strategy for estimating in situ third-order elasticity (TOE) parameters is presented in this paper. The methodology uses estimates of vertical effective stress as well P- and S-wave velocity data derived from well logs and combine these data with a rock physics model to generate all three needed TOE parameters that will characterize the non-linear behavior of the sediments under general stress conditions. The theory is applied on data from deepwater Gulf of Mexico data.