Reservoir Engineering I

Barham S. Mahmood
E-mail: barham.sabir@koyauniversity.org
Petroleum Engineering Department
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• Introduction

• Porosity Definition

• Porosity Classifications

• Method of packing sphere and the type of porosity

• Factors Affecting Porosity

• Porosity Measurement

• Porosity Average
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Having worked through this chapter the Student

will be able to:
• Define porosity and express it as an equation in terms of
pore, bulk and grain volume.
• Explain the difference between total and effective porosity.
• Determine Porosity by different experimental methods.
• Averaging porosity data
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Introduction
A reservoir is a geological structure where petroleum
accumulates within a layer (formation) of sedimentary rock
and cannot move out of it

The obstacle to the movement of petroleum is caused by the

geometry of the layer or its properties, the properties of
adjacent layers, or all of these factors combined

A typical trap is the anticline, formed when several

sedimentary layers become folded as shown in the figure
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Introduction cont..

Anticline trap
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Introduction cont..
Discovering a petroleum trap does not necessarily mean that
petroleum can be produced (recovered) economically from it.
This depends on two key factors:

(1) the quantity of petroleum within the trap and

(2) the rate at which it can be produced.

If these two parameters justify the cost of production then

the trap is considered a petroleum reservoir.

The quantity of recoverable petroleum in a trap and the rate at

which it can be produced depend primarily on the properties
of the trap rock and the fluids it contains
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Introduction cont..
• Knowing the physical properties of the rock and the 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, and surface and interfacial tension)
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Porosity
The ability of reservoir rock to store fluids can be quantitatively expressed
with the aid of the concept of porosity. Porosity is defined as the ratio of the
void space or pore space (Vp) in a rock to the bulk volume (Vb) of that rock
and it is normally expressed as a percentage of total rock volume. The
porosity is usually given the symbol ().

Figure 1 Sketch of
Cross Section of
Reservoir Rock
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Porosity cont...
void volume
porosity = ×100
Bulk volume

Bulk volume−Grain volume

porosity = ×100
Bulk volume

Pore volume
porosity = ×100
Pore volume + Grain volume

Where:

Bulk volume (Vb) = the total volume of the rock

Pore volume (Vp) = the volume of the pores between the grains
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Example:
Suppose a rectangular reservoir is 10 miles long, 3 miles
wide and 100 feet thick; and suppose the porosity of a rock
sample obtained from the reservoir is 22%. Determine bulk
volume and pore volume.
Solution:
𝑉𝑏 = 10 𝑥 5280 𝑥 3 𝑥 5280 𝑥 100 = 8.364 𝑥1010 𝑓𝑡 3
and its pore volume is
𝑉𝑝 = 8.364 𝑥 1010 𝑥 0.22 = 1.84 𝑥 1010 𝑓𝑡 3

𝑉𝑝 = 3.277𝑥109 𝑏𝑏𝑙

Note: Units most commonly used in the petroleum industry and their
conversion factors will be given.
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Porosity cont..
The measurement of porosity is important to the petroleum engineer

since the porosity determines the storage capacity of the reservoir for oil

and gas. It is necessary to distinguish between the total porosity, effective

porosity and isolate porosity. Total porosity is defined as the ratio of the

volumes of all the pores to the bulk of a material, regardless of whether

or not all of the pores are interconnected. However, Effective porosity is

defined as the ratio of the interconnected pore volume of a material.

Figure 2 shows the arrangement of pores in a piece of rock.

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Classification of Porosity
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Classification of Porosity
Pores are classified based on their morphological viewpoint as:

Catenary or interconnected pore: This type of pore has more than one

throat connected with other pores and extraction of hydrocarbon is relatively

easy from such pore, as shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 3 interconnected pore

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Classification of Porosity cont..

Cul-de-sac or connected or dead end: This type of pore has one throat

connected with other pores. It may yield some of the hydrocarbon by

expansion as reservoir pressure drops as shown in Fig. 4.

Figure 4 Dead end pore

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Classification of Porosity cont..

Closed or isolated pore: This type of pore is closed. It does not have throat

and cannot connect with other pore. It is unable to yield hydrocarbons in

normal process as shown in Fig. 5.

Figure 5 Isolated pore

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Classification of Porosity cont..

The ratio of the volume of interconnected pore to the total volume of

reservoir rock is called effective porosity. Whereas, the ratio of the total

volume of closed pore to the bulk volume is termed as ineffective

porosity.

interconnected void space

Effective porosity =
Bulk volume (Vb )

vol. completely disconnected void space

Ineffective porosity =
Bulk volume (Vb )

Thus the absolute or total porosity = effective porosity + ineffective porosity

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Classification of Porosity based on their time of

deposition
Another classification of the porosity based on its origin:
1. Original (primary) porosity:

Developed during the deposition of the rock material (e.g., intergranular

porosity of sandstone and intercrystalline porosity of limestone).
Rocks with the original porosity are more uniform in their characteristics

2. Induced (secondary) porosity

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)
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Methods of Packing Spheres

and the Type of Porosity
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Methods of Packing Spheres and the Type of

Porosity

The geometric character of rock’s permeable pore space is in reality

quite complicated, and may vary greatly from one rock type to another.

In practice, it is impossible to counter the pore-system geometry in a

detailed and faithful way. Therefore, several idealized models have been

developed to approximate porous rock media and their varied

characteristics, these are include:

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1) Regular Cubic-Packed Spheres

The estimation of porosity according to this model, see Fig. 6, is as follows:

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1) Regular Cubic-Packed Spheres

 = 90ᵒ

Bulk volume (Vb) = 𝑛D3

4 𝑛𝐷 3 𝜋
Volume of grain= 𝜋 ( ) = 𝑛𝐷 3
3 2 6

Bulk volume − Grain volume

porosity (∅) = ×100
Bulk volume

𝜋
𝑛𝐷 3 − 𝑛𝐷 3 𝜋
∅= 6 × 100 = 1− = 47.6 %
n𝐷 3 6
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2) Hexagonal-Packed spheres

The estimation of porosity according to this model, see Fig. 7, is as follows:

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2) Hexagonal-Packed spheres
 = 60ᵒ
Bulk volume (Vb) = D x D x h h= D sin (60)
If the number of sphere = n
Thus, Bulk volume (Vb) = nD3sin (60)
The matrix volume is unchanged and thus:
𝜋
n 𝐷3 sin(60) − 6 𝑛𝐷3
∅= 3
× 100
𝑛𝐷 sin(60)
𝜋
sin(60) −
∅= 6 × 100 = 39.5 %
sin(60)
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3) Rhombohedral-Packed spheres

The estimation of porosity according to this model, see Fig. 8

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3) Rhombohedral-Packed spheres
 = 45ᵒ

h = D sin (45)

Bulk volume (Vb) = D x D x D sin (45) = D3 sin (45)

Number of sphere = n

Thus, Bulk volume = nD3sin (45)

π
Grain volume (Vm) = n D3
6

𝜋
𝑛𝐷 3 sin(45) − 𝑛𝐷 3 𝜋
∅= 6 × 100 = 1− = 26 %
3
𝑛𝐷 sin(45) 6 sin(45)
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Factors which affect porosity

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Factors which affect porosity

1. Particle sphericity and angularity

2. Packing

3. Sorting (variable grain sizes)

4. Cementing materials

5. Overburden stress (compaction)

6. Vugs dissolution and fractures

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Factors which affect porosity cont..

1. Particle sphericity and angularity
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Factors which affect porosity

2. Packing

Porosity = 26% Porosity = 47.6%

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Factors which affect porosity cont..

3. Sorting (variable grain sizes)
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Factors which affect porosity cont..

In contrast, porosity decreases as the volume of interstitial and

cementing material 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.
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Factors which affect porosity cont..

In summary, 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.
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