Rock Porosity

Introduction Porosity Definition Porosity Cl ifi ti P it Classifications Factors Affecting Porosity Porosity Average Porosity Measurement

Introduction
Reservoir rocks may range from very loose and y , unconsolidated sand to a very hard and dense sandstone, limestone, and dolomite Knowing the physical properties of the rock and the g p y p p existing interactions between the hydrocarbon system and the formation is essential in understanding and evaluating the performance of a given reservoir Rock properties are determined by performing laboratory analysis on cores from the reservoirs These laboratory core analysis are divided in to:
routine (porosity, permeability, and saturation) and special tests (overburden pressure, capillary pressure, relative permeability, wettability, permeability wettability and surface and interfacial tension)

Introduction
The rock properties data are essential for reservoir engineering calculations as they affect both the quantity and the distribution f th di t ib ti of HC and with the fluid properties, control d ith th fl id ti t l flow of existing phases within the reservoir

Rock Porosity Definition y

The porosity is a measure of the storage capacity (pore volume) that is capable of holding fluids l ) th t i bl f h ldi fl id Porosity units are fraction or % y Quantitatively,

pore volume bulk volume grain volume = = bulk volume bulk volume

Porosity Classification y
Some void spaces become isolated due to excessive cementation, cementation thus many void spaces are interconnected and others are isolated. This leads to the following classification:
Absolute (total) porosity Effective porosity

Porosity Classification y
Absolute porosity
is the ratio between the total pore volume (interconnected pores and isolated ones) and the bulk volume:

abs

total pore volume = bulk volume

is the ratio between the interconnected pore volume and the bulk volume:

Effective porosity

eff

interconnected pore volume = bulk l b lk volume

Effective porosity
Effective porosity indicates the p y percentage of the total volume of reservoir rock where the void space is connected by flow channels.

Poor Reservoir Rock Reser oir

(Isolated Void Space)
This sandstone would not be an acceptable reservoir rock, regardless of the value of its porosity and the hydrocarbon saturations, because each void space is isolated from the other void spaces. This Thi sandstone has a high d t h hi h absolute porosity but a zero effective porosity

Void Space

Cementing Material Sand Grain

Microscopic View Of Sandstone

Good Reservoir Rock

(Interconnected Void Space)
Hydrocarbons

This sandstone would be an acceptable reservoir rock because of the interconnected pore spaces and hydrocarbon saturation. This sandstone has a high g absolute porosity and a high effective porosity

Void Space

Water

Microscopic View Of Sandstone Sand Grain

Porosity Values
Porosity

Negligible Poor Fair Good Very Good Excellent

0-5% 5 - 10 % 10 - 15 % 15 - 20 % 20 - 25 % > 25 %
26.0 % 47.6 %

Porosity Classification
Another classification of the porosity based on its origin:
1.

Original (primary) porosity: Developed during the deposition of the rock material (e.g., g p y y intergranular porosity of sandstone and intercrystalline porosity of limestone). Rocks with the original porosity are more uniform in their g p y characteristics

2.

Induced (secondary) p ( y) porosity y Developed by some geologic processes subsequent to deposition of the rock (e.g., fracture development as in shale and limestone and slug or solution cavities in limestone)

Factors Affecting Rock Porosity

Particle sphericity and angularity Packing ac g Sorting (variable grain sizes) Cementing materials Overburden stress (compaction) Vugs, dissolution, Vugs dissolution and fractures

Factors Affecting Rock Porosity

Particle sphericity and angularity
Porosity increases as angularity of particles increases.
High g

Po orosity

Low Very Angular Angular SubSubWellRounded Rounded Angular Rounded ROUNDNESS

SPHER RICITY

Porosity

Factors Affecting Rock Porosity

Particle sphericity and angularity Packing ac g Sorting (variable grain sizes) Cementing materials Overburden stress (compaction) Vugs, dissolution, Vugs dissolution and fractures

CUBIC PACKING OF SPHERES

Porosity = 0.48

Porosity Calculations - Uniform Spheres S h

Bulk volume = (2r)3 = 8r3 ( ) Matrix volume =

4 r3 3

Pore volume = bulk volume - matrix volume

3 3 8 r 4/3 r =1 = 0.476 = 3 2 (3) 8r

RHOMBIC PACKING OF SPHERES

Porosity = 0.27

Factors Affecting Rock Porosity

Particle sphericity and angularity Packing ac g Sorting (variable grain sizes) Cementing materials Overburden stress (compaction) Vugs, dissolution, Vugs dissolution and fractures

Packing of Two Sizes of Spheres g p

Porosity = 0.14

Porosity i P it increases as th range of particle size d the f ti l i decreases.

Factors Affecting Rock Porosity

Particle sphericity and angularity Packing ac g Sorting (variable grain sizes) Cementing materials Overburden stress (compaction) Vugs, dissolution, Vugs dissolution and fractures
In contrast, porosity decreases as the volume of interstitial and cementing material increases increases. Vugs and fractures will contribute to porosity, but to understand their affect on effective porosity requires careful study of cores and special logging measurements.

In the geology section, we show core photographs with examples of porosity. For now, it is useful to note these effects: Porosity increases as angularity of particles increases. Porosity increases as the range of particle size decreases. In contrast, porosity decreases as the volume of interstitial and cementing material increases. Porosity decreases as the compaction increases (greater depth generally means higher overburden stresses, higher compaction forces, and lower porosity) Vugs and fractures will contribute to porosity, but to understand their affect on effective porosity requires careful study of cores and special logging measurements.

Reservoir Average Porosity

In I case of large variation in the porosity vertically and no fl i ti i th it ti ll d or small variation horizontally or parallel to the planes, then the arithmetic average or thickness-weighted average porosity is used: n n

h
i 1

h
1

Due to the change in sedimentation or depositional conditions can cause porosity in one portion of the reservoir to be greatly different from that in another area, so the areal-weighted average or the volume-weight average can be used:
=

A A h
i i 1

A
1

A h
i 1

REFERENCES: Bradley, H.: Petroleum engineering handbook-chapter 26properties of reservoir rocks, 1987 Ursin, J. and Zolotukhin, A.B.: Introduction to reservoir engineering-Fundamentals-4-fundamentals of rock properties properties, Stavanger,1997 1997.

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