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Analysis of the Relations between Porosity and Permeability in Non-Consolidated Granular Media*
Melia Da Silva1 and Carlos Santos1 Search and Discovery Article #40970 (2012)**
Posted July 16, 2012

*Adapted from poster presentation at AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Long Beach, California, April 22-25, 2012 **AAPG2012 Serial rights given by author. For all other rights contact author directly.
1

Coordinacion de Ingenieria Geofisica, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Caracas, Venezuela (meliadasilva@ou.edu)

Abstract Few natural rock properties have received more attention than porosity and permeability. The variation of these two properties is associated with some factors as pore space geometry and distribution, textural parameters, pore throat size and capillary pressure. In this sense, the study of the pore throat radii distribution, through Pittmans equations, is useful in reservoir characterization. The aim of this study was to establish empirical relations and their applications in the dynamic and static flow properties, through the characterization of simple granular materials. In order to accurately describe the microstructural parameters of these media 16 samples were studied, and three relations were proposed after analyzing the 2D distribution of the pore throat radii in monodisperse and spherical granular samples, with diameters ranging between 1.5 mm and 7.5 mm. The permeability was calculated using both, a falling-head permeameter for the volumetric media, and the Pittmans equations for the 2D images of the samples. The porosity was estimated with an image-processing algorithm. Using the regression analysis, it was found that pore throat radii of 70%, 80% and 85% yield the best correlation for permeability, porosity and pore throat size for monodisperse granular samples. This study indicates that higher pore throats than those proposed by Pittman are the best representatives for estimating permeability from 2D images of coarse-grained granular media.

Analysis of the Relations Between Porosity and Permeability in Non Non-Consolidated Consolidated Granular Media
Melia Da Silva* and Carlos Santos ConocoPhillips School of Geology and Geophysics*, Simon Bolivar University

Abstract
Porosity
Storage Capacity Flow Capacity

Granular Matter
Permeability Discrete clusters of mesoscopic particles
Elastic Repulsion Take the shape of their container and are able to flow Behave similar to Friction Resist strain and stress (shear and compressional)

Samples Used
K and were measured over 5 steel spherical samples
Sample
Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4 Sample 5

Diameter (mm) Length (mm)

1.5 3.5 4.0 6.0 7.5 80.0 90.0 74.0 80.0 80.0

Controlled by pore size and pore geometry

Methods Embedding Method Image Analysis 3038% Falling Head Permeameter Pore Throat Radii Distribution K 103 Darcies

Liquids

Solids

Samples were combined to evaluate relations between k and in heterogeneous media

Highlights

Methodology
Permeability Measurements
1. Falling head permeameter construction

Static Friction
Cubic Orthorhombic

Ep+Ek>>Einternal
TetragonalSpheroidal RhombohedraPyramidal

Inelastic collisions
RhombohedraHexagonal

Porosity Measurements
1. Embedding porosity measurements

Pittmans and Windlands equation utility in permeability estimation from 2D images

Figure1.Superiorviewofregularsphericarrays,withtheminimumnumberofspheresneededtoform them(Modified h (M difi dfrom f Alberts, Alb 2005). 2005)

Introduction
Sedimentary Rocks Granular Materials Economical Resources

Falling Head Permeameter

Darcys Law
g=gravity constant =fluid density L =sample length A =sample cross sectional area a=sample cross sectional area =fluid viscosity
Figure 3. Falling head permeameter Figure 4. Vpores=Vsample+Vwater-Vfinal

Faraday (1831)
Windland (1975) &Pittman (1992)

Convective instability vibratory containers

in

2. Pore Throat Radii Distribution Analysis

2. Optical Porosity Measurements

Take 25 pictures for each sample. Convert RGB images to Black and White using a computational algorithim. Images are transformed into matrices of 1 (white-pores) and 0 (black-grains). Calculate total and porous areas.

Empirical relations between , k and Pc Porous space through 2D images description

Figure2.Fallingheadpermeameter.(ModifiedfromEspinoza, 2004). Sample1 Sample2 Sample3 Sample4 Sample5

Kameda (2004) Alberts (2005)

Empirical Relations between k and

Pittmansequationfor r70 (1992)

Figure 5. Samples images selected for throat radii distribution analysis.

Porosity analysis in random speherical packages

Figure 6. Pore filling process for throat radii distribution analysis.

Analysis of the Relations Between Porosity and Permeability in Non Non-Consolidated Consolidated Granular Media
Melia Da Silva* and Carlos Santos ConocoPhillips School of Geology and Geophysics*, Simon Bolivar University

Results Analysis and Discussion Results,

Identify pore throat radii which dominates the flow Generate new equations for r80 and r85

K and characterization on bidisperse granular media

Porosity vs. Permeability for bidisperse sample No. 6 (R1=0.75mm; R2=3.75mm)
40 39 100% R=0,75mm

K and characterization from two dimensional images

Average Optical porosity vs. Average 2D Permeability on monodisperse granular media
38.2

Substitute 80 and 85 in the polynomial equations for Pitt Pittmans coefficients ffi i t

Average Op ptical Porosity (%)

k=k0(0.8-VRmin/2)
100% R=3,75mm

38 37.8 37.6 37.4 37.2 37 36.8 36.6 1000

38 37 36 35 34 0 70% R=0,75mm, 30% R=3,75mm 50% R=0,75mm, 50% R=3,75mm

K and characterization on monodisperse granular media

Porosity vs. Permeability on Monodisperse Granular Media
39 38.8 38.6

30% R=0,75mm, 70% R=3,75mm 4000 6000 8000

y=-0,003x+38,89 R2=0,9465
Average 2D Permeability (Darcies)
10000

Muestra Sample 1 1 (R=0,75mm) (R=0.75mm) Muestra Sample 2 2 (R=1,75mm) (R=1.75mm) Muestra Sample 3 3 (R=2 00mm) 00mm) (R=2.00mm) (R=2 (R=2,00mm) Sample 4 4 Muestra (R=3.00mm) (R=3,00mm) Sample 5 5 Muestra (R=3.75mm) (R=3,75mm)

Poro osity(%)

2000

Permeability (Darcies) Porosity vs. Permeability for bidisperse sample No. 7 (R=1.75mm; R2=3.0mm)
38.5 38 37.5 100% R=1,75mm

Figure9.OpticalPorosityvs.2DPermeabilityonmonodisperse granularmedia media.Notethatthecurveissimilarfromoneshownon figure7,whichvalidatestheproposedmethodology.

38.4 38.2 38 37.8 37.6

y=1,1626x+1614,6 R2=0,9976

Sample 1 1 Muestra (R=0.75mm) (R=0,75mm) Sample 2 2 Muestra (R=1.75mm) (R=1,75mm) Sample 3 3 Muestra (R=2.00mm) (R=2,0mm) Sample 4 4 Muestra (R=3.00mm) (R=3,0mm) Sample 5 5 Muestra (R=3.75mm) (R=3,75mm)
10000

k=k0(1.05-VRmin/2)
30% 100% R=1,75mm, R=3,00mm 70% R 3 00 R=3,00mm

Poros sity (%)

Conclusions and Recommendations

Permeameter isacheapandeasymethodto measurepermeability. Permeabilitycanbeaccuratelydeterminedfrom2D imagesbyusingtheempiricalapproximationsof Pittmansequations. Itwouldbeusefultoestimatepermeabilityfromreal thinsections.

Porosity ( (%)

37

36.5 36 70% R=1,75mm, 30% R=3,00mm 3500 4000

35.5 35

50% R=1,75mm, 50% R=3,00mm

37.4 1000

Permeability (Darcies)

Figure7.Linearrelationbetweenkand, when k
values are graphed on a logarithmic scale. Note that k is higher for samples with bigger radii, while increases as the radius size decreases.

34.5 3000

Permeability (Darcies)

4500

5000

5500

Acknowledgments
I would like to thank M.S. Carlos Santos, and all the people at Simon Bolivar University for their support and Dr. Kurt Marfurt for his input in this experimental work.

Figure8.Porosityvs.Permeabilityfortwobidisperse samples.Notethat thehighporosityofthesmallermonodisperse mediaisresponsiblefor thedecreasingtendencyatthebeginningofthecurve.