A Review of Brittleness Index Correlations for Unconventional Tight and Ultra-Tight Reservoirs

Rock brittleness is pivotal in the development of the unconventional reservoirs. However, the existence of various methods of calculating the brittleness index (BI) such as the mineral-based brittleness index (MBI), the log-based brittleness index (LBI), and the elastic-based brittleness index (EBI) lead to inconclusive estimations of the brittleness index. Hence, in this work, the existing correlations are applied on prolific unconventional plays in the U.S. such as the Marcellus, Bakken, Niobrara, and Chattanooga Formation to examine the various BI methods. A detailed comparison between the MBI, LBI, and EBI has also been conducted. The results show that a universal correlation cannot be derived in order to define brittleness since it is a function of lithology. Correlation parameters vary significantly from one shale play to another. Nevertheless, an overall trend shows that abundant quartz and carbonates content yield high brittleness values, while the high clay content and porosity lower the rock brittleness.