Lecture 3

Properties of reservoir rock

Porosity
Direction of fluid flow

Non-interconnected
Pore spaces
Dead-end
pores

Rocks are comprised of grains(matrix)

with void spaces in between.
Porosity = Vvoid , in fraction

Vbulk
Effective porosity:

eff =

Vinterconnected
Vbulk

Original porosity vs. induced porosity

Void ratio:

Vvoid

void ratio =
=
Vsolid 1

Porosity Structure and packing

affected by quantity and distribution of fine
grains, degree of cementation and also
packing of grains
Packing
r
Cube of
volume
8r3

Packing of uniform size,

spherical grains

Each grain contributes

1/8th of its volume to
the solid mass within
the cube

Volume of rock matrix within the cube:

Vs = 8 * 1/8 * 4/3 r3
Therefore,
= 1 Vs/Vbulk = 1 /6 = 47.6%

Porosity Packing geometry

Porosity - Packing
Analytical values for unconsolidated grain
packs
Poor sorting results in reduction in porosity
Compacting due to overburden reduces
0 ft 6000ft 52% - 41% - sandstone
0 ft 6000 ft 60% - 6% - shales
Sandstone formed by cementetation at grain
contacts
reduction in
Material
Unconsolidated Clay

Silt
Medium- Coarse mixed sand
Fine-medium mixed sand
Gravel
Sandstone
Shale
Compacted/ Limestone
cemented

Porosity (%)
45 - 55
40 -50
35 - 40
30 - 35
30 - 40
10 - 20
1 - 10
1 - 10

Effect of sorting on porosity

Well sorted : = 32%

Poorly sorted : = 17%

Grains of two sizes : = 12.5%

Porosity measurement
Several methods:
- measurement of Vbulk and Vgrain
destructive testing
- measurement of Vbulk and Vvoid
intrusion experiments
- indirect measurement of property of
fluid filling the pore space
resistivity/radioactivity logs
High pressure mercury porosimetry
Holder of known
calibrated volume
Sample placed and
handle cranked till Hg
reaches particular mark
Vbulk
Sample pressurized by
cranking handle until
pressure rises abruptly
Vvoid

Formation resistivity
Indirect measurement of porosity
Fluid in void space
less resistant

Rock grains more

resistant

Flow of current
Rfw < Roil < Rgas
I

A
L

Box filled with brine of resistivity Rw

V
V 1
I = = A
L Rw
R
Box filled with clean sand and brine
saturating the pore spaces
I=

1
V
V 1
V
=
A

=
A

L FRw
L Ro
R'

Formation resistivity factor

F formation resistivity factor, Ro

resistivity of the porous medium 100%

saturated with brine:
Ro = F Rw
Since sand grains are poor conductors of
F > 1.0
electricity
Ro > Rw

F is defined as the ratio of the resistivity of

rock 100% saturated with brine to the
resistivity of brine of the same concn.
Knowing Ro and Rw, F can be calculated
So what is the big deal?
F is related to the fraction of void spaces in
the rock i.e. the porosity and is also
affected by nature of interconnection
between pore spaces i.e. the cementation
and sorting of grains
type of rock

Formation resistivity
F related to porosity and rock type
F = m Archies formula
where m cementation factor different
for different rocks

Increasing
cementation

m generally taken as 2 in Archies

formula
Figure indicates dependence between
and m
F = 0.62 2.15 Humbles formula

Formation resistivity factor

All previous resistivity measurements assume
rock 100% saturated with brine. What happens
if rock is partially saturated with brine?
Expectation is that resistivity should increase as
the rock has less and less water. Why?

Resistivity Index = Rt/Ro

Distribution of water in rock dependent on

wettability (capillarity) and nature of porosity.
Curve 3 is for oil-wet rock.
Sw = n

Ro
Rt

n saturation exponent,

Rt - Resistivity of formation with

water saturation, Sw
Sw = n

F Rw
, n in
Rt

range[2,2.7]

Resistivity Measurement in Reservoirs

Uninvaded zone,
Rt

Well

Transition
zone

Rm
Rxo

Mudcake

Rmc
Rm

Rxo
Transition
zone
Rt

Rt Resistivity of virgin formation saturated

with water of resistivity Rw
Rxo Resistivity of near well-bore region
saturated with mud filtrate of resistivity Rmf
Near well-bore resistivity Rxo measured using
micro-resistivity tool
Virgin formation resistivity Rt measured using
Deep Induction tool or a laterolog

Rock Compressibility
Sedimentary rocks buried under thick column
of overlying rocks
Two types of stresses
Overburden stress

Fluids saturating the rock resist overburden

stress
hydrostatic pressure p
Coefficient of bulk compressibility:
1 Vbulk
b' =

Vbulk p = const .
However, it makes more sense to express bulk
compressibility coefficient at constant :
1 Vbulk
bulk =

Vbulk p = const .
Coefficient of pore compressibility :
1 V pore
bulk =

where, V pore = Vvoid

V pore p = const .

Hydrostatic
pressure p

Compressibility Coefficients
Coefficient of grain compressibility :
solid =

1
Vsolid

Vsolid
p

= const .

Combining:
bulk = (1 ) solid + pore
If (1 ) solid is negligible, then :

bulk pore
pore is typically 10-5 10-6 /psi (note units)
Empirical relationships for pore

pore =

97.32 (10) 6

(1 + 55.87 )

1.43

, for sandstones

[0.02,0.23]

pore =

0.854

(1 + 2.48 (10) )
6

0.93

, for limestones