University of Zakho

College of Engineering
Petroleum Engineering Department

11/24/2019

Permeability
Prepared By: Ahmed Amir Ali

Supervisor: MR. ALAA

 List of content

Subject page no

1. Introduction 2
2. Factor Effecting permeability 3&4
3. Type of permeability 5
4. Darcy law 6&7
5. Measurement of permeability 8&9&10&11

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 1. Introduction
Permeability of reservoir rock is defined as the capacity of a porous material to allow
fluids to pass through it, depends on the number, geometry and size of interconnected
pores, capillaries and fractures (Figure 1). Permeability is an intrinsic property of porous
materials and governs the ease with which fluids move through hydrocarbon reservoirs,
aquifers, gravel packs and filters.

Figure 1. The importance of connectivity. Connected pores (green) give rock its permeability,
.allowing fluid to flow (black arrows)

Permeability is defined in units of area, which relates to the area of open pore space in the
cross section that faces, or is perpendicular to, the direction of flowing fluid. In the
International System of Units (SI), the unit for permeability is m2. The common unit is the
darcy (D) [about 10-12 m2]; this unit is named for the French engineer Henry Darcy, who
conducted experiments with water flowing through sand. These experiments led to the
formulation of Darcy's law, which describes the steady-state flow of fluid through porous
media. In most oilfield applications, the common unit is the millidarcy (mD) [about 10-15
m2].
Permeability is not to be confused with mobility or with hydraulic conductivity. Mobility
is the medium's permeability divided by the dynamic viscosity of the fluid flowing through
the medium. Hydraulic conductivity, or transmissivity, is the discharge, or effective,
velocity of fluid flow through the medium and is equal to the fluid flux—volume of fluid
passing through a cross section during a time interval—divided by the cross-sectional area.
Mobility and hydraulic conductivity are collective characteristics that combine properties
of the fluid with those of the porous medium
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Factor effecting permeability .2
In many materials, permeability is almost directly proportional to the material's porosity,
which is the fraction of the material's total volume that is occupied by pores, or voids.
However, this is not an absolute rule. Textural and geologic factors determine the
magnitude of permeability by increasing or decreasing the cross-sectional area of open
pore space. These factors affect the geometry of the pore space and are independent of
.fluid type
Materials formed from stacked arrays of identical solid spheres, be they cannonballs,
marbles or ball bearings, have equal porosities. However, the pore cross-sectional areas
differ dramatically; thus the permeabilities of these arrays also differ dramatically. The
permeability for rocks made of large, or coarse, grains will be higher than those of small,
.or fine, grains (Figure 2)

Figure 2: Permeability as a function of porosity, grain size and sorting. Samples of

artificially mixed and packed sands were measured for porosity and permeability. Each
symbol corresponds to a particular grain size, and red dotted lines connect similarly
sorted packs. Permeability increases with grain size and degree of sorting. Each data
point represents an average value of porosity and permeability. "Influence of Texture
,on Porosity and Permeability of Unconsolidated
3 Sand
Sorting is the range of grain sizes that occurs in sedimentary materials. Well-sorted -
materials have grains of the same size, while poorly sorted materials have grains of many
sizes. Permeability decreases as the degree of sorting varies from good to poor because
.small grains can fill the spaces between large grains
Permeability is also influenced by grain shape. Grain shape affects packing, the 3D -
arrangement of grains. Variability in grain shape can prevent grains from reaching their
closest possible packing arrangement, which has an impact on permeability. As the degree
of packing increases from loose to tight, a single grain contacts an increasing number of
neighboring grains. Consequently, the spaces between grains and the cross-sectional areas
.open to flow decrease, leading to lower permeability
Diagenesis is the alteration of a rock's original mineralogy and texture. Dissolution, -
dolomitization, fracturing or other rock-altering processes create additional, or secondary,
porosity that may increase permeability. Precipitation of cement between mineral and rock
grains decreases permeability. Clay minerals may form crystals that line pore walls or
grow as fibers and plates that bridge the pore volume. Authigenic interstitial clays, those
that develop in place between grains, may fill pore space and reduce permeability.
.Allogenic clays, those that have been transported into pores, can plug them

Stress and pressure increase as rocks are buried deep in sedimentary basins. In response,-
the rock's bulk and pore volumes are compressed, causing permeability to decrease. Fluid
pressures also affect permeability; an increase in fluid pressure opens pores, while a
.decrease causes pores to close
Most rocks exhibit some degree of permeability anisotropy, which is the variation of
permeability with direction. Grain sphericity and the presence of fractures are factors that
affect the directionality of permeability. Spherical grains form isotropic packs that allow
fluid to flow equally well in all directions. Oblate (flattened) and prolate (elongated) grains
tend to rest horizontally and parallel to one another and form layers that affect the ease of
fluid flow. Anisotropic permeability is higher when fluids flow parallel to a layer than
when perpendicular to it. Fluids flow more easily through open fractures than between
grains. If the fractures have a preferred alignment, permeability is highest parallel to this
.direction and is anisotropic

As a consequence of the textural and geologic factors that influence permeability, the path-
that fluid takes through rock may be longer, with many turns and bends, than the direct
linear distance between start and end points . Tortuosity is the ratio of the actual distance
traveled divided by the straight-line distance. Permeability is inversely proportional to
tortuosity

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3. Type of permeability
1-Absolute permeability
When the medium is completely saturated with one fluid, then the permeability
measurement is often referred to as specific or absolute permeability.
It is rock property and it is independent of the fluid used in the measurement (K or Ka)
2-Effective permeability
When the rock pore spaces contain more than one fluid, then the permeability to a
particular fluid is called the effective permeability. Effective permeability is a measure of
the fluid conductance capacity of a porous medium to particular fluid when the medium is
saturated with more than one fluid.
Reservoir consists of three fluids (gas, oil, and water) so these are commonly used
.abbreviations for effective permeability for each fluid
kg = effective permeability to gas
ko = effective permeability to oil
kw = effective permeability to water

3-Relative permeability
Defined the ratio of the effective permeability to absolute permeability of a porous
medium.
Relative permeability to gas – krg = kg/ka
Relative permeability to oil – kro = ko/ka
Relative permeability to water – krw = kw/ka

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4. Darcy law
The permeability first defined mathematically by Henry Darcy in 1856. In fact, the
equation that defines permeability in terms of measurable quantities is called Darcy’s Law.
Darcy developed a fluid flow equation that has since become one of the standard
mathematical tools of the petroleum engineer

Eq. 1

Where ν=apparent fluid flowing velocity, cm/sec

k = proportionality constant, or permeability, Darcy’s
μ=viscosity of the flowing fluid, cp
dp/dL = pressure drop per unit length, atm/cm.
Substituting the relationship, q/A, in place of ν in Equation (1) and solving for q results in

Eq. 2
Where q = flow rate through the porous medium,
cm3/sec
A = cross-sectional area across which flow occurs, c
. Equation (2) can be integrated when the geometry of the system through which fluid
flows is known. For the simple linear system shown in Figure (3) , the integration is
performed as follows:

Integrating the above expression yields:

Since p1 is greater than p2, the Figure (3)

pressure terms can be rearranged,
which will eliminate the negative
term in the equation. The resulting
equation is:

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Assumptions used in darcy Equation:
1. Steady state flow, under laminar regime i.e Qin=Qout
2. Viscous flow-rate of flow directly proportional to pressure gradient.
3. The flowing fluid is incompressible.
4. Porous media 100% saturated with fluid which flowed
5. Fluid and porous media not reacting.

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5. Permeability measurement by using air Gas permeameter
Figure (4) is a picture of a gas permeameter (Ruska Permeameter) composed of a pressure
gauge (center), gas rotometers (tubes to your left), pressure regulator (down to your rlght),
and a core holder (down center). The instructions to use this device can be outline as
follows:
Procedure
1-Mount a clean, dry core in a rubber sleeve (early models use brass cylinders and the core
is fitted using sealing wax) of the appropriate size so the core and sleeve completely fill
the core holder.
2-Place the core and sleeve in the core holder and tighten it securely into place.
3- Turn the flow tube selector valve to a large setting.
4-Apply an upstream pressure of 0.25 atm to the system by adjusting the regulator. Tap the
pressure gauge lightly during adjustment to stabilize the needle.
5-The preferred range on the flow tube is between 20 and 140 divisions. If it remains
below 20, the selector valve should be slowly turned to the medium setting.
6- Record barometric pressure (mmHg, corrected for temperature and latitude), pressure
(atm), gas temperature (C) and flow rate tube reading (cm).
7-Repeat steps 3 through 6 for pressures of 0.5,0.75, 1.00 atm.
8-Measure the core plug diameter and length in cm
9-The flow rate in centimeters given by the permeameter at different pressures must be
converted into cc/s using special figures (figure 5 for pressure of 1.0).
10- The gas viscosity is given in Figure 6 for air and N2 at the measurement temperature.
11- Calculate the gas permeability of each reading using Equation:
QmμL
K= A ∆ P

and find the liquid permeablity using the Klinkenberg correction procedure,
12- Measure gas permeability at 0.25, 0.5, and 1.00 atm.
13- Find the liquid permeability of the sample correcting by Klinkenberg effect

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Figure (4):Gas flow rate at 1.00 atm (Ruska Permeameter operating Manua)

Figure(5): Gas Flow Rate at 1.00 atm( Ruska Permeameter operating

Manual)

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The constant head permeameter (Hassler type core holder) :It is used to measure the air or
gas permeability.

Procedure:
The measured air permeability is influenced by the mean pressure Pm of the core. A cylindrical core
(plug) is usually used. The dimensions of the core (diameter and length) are measured by a sliding
vernier. The core is placed in a rubber sleeve and inserted in the core holder of the permeameter Figure
(6), Air is passed through the core and the pressure is measured by pressure gauges at the inlet and outlet
faces of the core tusually the pressure is atmospheric at the outlet). The flow rate is measured by a
suitable device (rotometer or wet test meter). Different flow rates are usually used and the corresponding
pressure drop is recorded. If gas is used, the flow rate is calculated at the mean pressure using ideal gas
law. Air viscosity as a function of temperature is shown in Figure (5). Four measurements of air
permeability will be taken at different pressures. It is important to keep the AP constant, because the air
flow at the core sample must be laminar. It is best to have relative little pressure difference, AP. To avoid
turbulent flow, use a maximal AP 0.2 bar. Results and Calculation:
Calculate air permeability from equation:
QmμL
K=
A∆P

Qm Pm= Q1 P1 Q2 P2
Pm (P1 +P2)/2 Where: Where, P is the pressure at which the flow rate Q Is measured.
2. Plot k versus 1/Pm and calculate kt.
3. Calculate Klinkenberg constant b.

Figure (6): Hassier type

core holder

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 Figure (7): Gas viscosity as function of temperature

Permeability measurement by using liquid Permeability:

Is measured by passing a fluid of known viscosity through a core sample of measured dimensions and
then measuring flow rate and pressure drop. Various techniques are used for permeabillty measurements
of cores, depending on sample dimensions and shape, degree of consolidation, type of fluid used, ranges
of confining and fluid pressure applied, and range of permeability of the core. Ruska liquid permeameter
Apparatus: The apparatus used is illustrated in figure (8). Procedure:
1. Weight a dry plug Wdry, measure its diameter D and length 4, with caliper. Saturate the core with 36
g/l NaCl brine and weigh the plug, Wsat.
2. Mount the core in core holder.
3. Measure three flow rates under three driving pressures: 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, or 1.2 bar. Each measurement
collects water production Vw, in AT 60 seconds

Figure (8): liquid

Permeameter

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