CORING METHODS

&
CORE ANALYSIS
 What is Coring?

Coring is a term applied for the technique whereby relatively

large samples of reservoir materials are removed from their
native places and brought to the surface for physical examination.
 Purpose of Coring
• Making reservoir analysis test to determined porosity,
permeability, residual oil and water saturation (primary purpose
of coring).
• To establish the Physical character of formation boundary.
• To furnish paleontological data for age and facies correlation.

A body of rock
Study of the forms of with specified
life existing in characteristics
prehistoric or geologic reflecting the
times way it was
formed
 Coring Methods

The coring methods are classified into three types

Conventional coring method
Wire line coring method
Side wall coring method
 Conventional coring method
• The conventional coring is done using regular drilling
equipment and rotary drilling method.
• As the drilling operation progresses, the cut core rises inside
the hollow tube called inner core barrel placed above core
bit where it is captured and brought to surface for analysis.
 Wire-line Coring method

• Wire line coring is an off shoot of conventional coring

helps in continuous coring of selected formation.

• This advantage helps to get continuous cores and thus can

minimise number of round trips.

• The only disadvantage is, core sizes are restricted because

of dimensions of ICB which must pass through Drill Collars
and Drill Pipes.
 Sidewall coring method
• During drilling many promising intervals are missed because
of unanticipated changes in stratigraphy.
• In such circumstances Side Wall Coring (SWC) offers
better options.
 Core Analysis
• A way of measuring well conditions down hole by studying samples of
reservoir rocks,
• Core analysis gives the most accurate insight into the porosity and
permeability, among other characteristics, of the well.
• Core analysis is used to define not only the porosity and permeability of
the reservoir rock, but also to unearth the fluid saturation and grain
density. All of these measurements help geologists, engineers and drillers
better understand the conditions of the well and its potential productivity.
• A core is a sample of rock in the shape of a cylinder. Taken from the side
of a drilled oil or gas well, a core is then separated into multiple core
plugs, or small cylindrical samples measuring about 1 inch in diameter
and 3 inches long. These core plugs are then dried and measured.
Contd…
• In order to complete a core sample, drilling must be halted at the
top of the subsurface of the reservoir.
• The drill string is removed from the wellbore, the drill bit
removed and a rotary coring bit is attached in its place.
• Similar to a drill bit, the rotary coring bit consists of solid metal
with diamonds or tungsten for cutting at the reservoir rock; but
unlike a drill bit, a rotary coring bit has a hollow centre.
• On a rotary coring bit, the cutting apparatus surrounds a hollow
centre, called the core barrel, where the core sample is stored.
• This core barrel is made up of an inner and outer barrel separated
by ball bearings, which allow the inner barrel to remain
stationary and retain the core sample while the outer barrel is
rotated by the drillstring and cuts the core.
 Contd…

• The core catcher is located within the core barrel. The core
catcher has finger-like apparatuses that move the core sample
farther into the barrel and keep it from falling back into the well.
• After the core sample has been cut from the well, the drillstring
is raised, and the rotary coring bit, barrel and catcher are
removed -- and the core sample is retrieved. The drillbit is
reattached, and drilling can commence again.
 GEOLOGICAL DATA AVAILABLE FROM
CONVENTIONAL CORES
• Formation lithology
• Rock characteristics
• Formation thickness
• Stratigraphic sequence
• Fracture studies
• Core-Log correlation
• Mineralogy
• Porosity type
• Pore geometry
• Presence/Absence of hydrocarbon
• Hydrocarbon potential