Fundamental of petroleum engineering

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Porosity

Porosity can be estimated through volumetric measurements of core samples, or from geophysical

logs, which measure a property of the rock and infer porosity, or from Petrographic Image Analysis

(PIA), which is pore level evaluation of a small sample size.

VB=Vg + Vp

Where the sum of the grain and pore volumes is equal to the bulk volume. Measurement of any two of

the three volumes allows for the calculation of the third, and subsequent determination of porosity.

Therefore, the following measurement techniques are organized into their particular measurements

taken.

Bulk Volume Measurements

Bulk volume measurements are classified into two types: linear measurement and displacement

methods. Linear measurement is simply physically measuring the sample with a vernier caliper

and then applying the appropriate geometric formula. This method is quick and easy, but is subject

to human error and measurement error if the sample is irregularly shaped. Displacement methods

rely on measuring either volumetrically or gravimetrically the fluid displaced by the sample.

Gravimetric methods observe the loss in weight of the sample when immersed in a fluid, or observe

the change in weight of a pycnometer filled with mercury and with mercury and the sample.

Volumetric methods measure the change in volume when the sample is immersed in fluid. For all

displacement methods, the fluid is prevented from penetrating into the pore space by coating the
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rock surface with paraffin, saturating the rock with the same fluid, or using mercury as the

displacing fluid.

Example

A clean, dry sample weighed 20 gms. This sample was saturated in water of density 1.0 gm/cc

and then reweighed in air, resulting in an increase in weight to 22.5 gms. The saturated sample

was immersed in water of the same density and subsequently weighed 12.6 gms. What is the bulk

volume of the sample?

1. Weight of clean, dry sample: Wdry = 20 gms.

2. Weight of saturated sample in air: Wsat = 22.5 gms
3. Weight of saturated sample, immersed in water: Wimm = 12.6 gms.
4. Weight of water displaced: W displaced wtr = 22.5 12.6 = 9.9 gms.
5. Calculate the bulk volume: Vb =W displaced wtr /
wtr =9.9/1.0=9.9 cc.

Grain Volume Measurements

Several methods have been developed over the years to determine the grain volume. The simplest

is to obtain the dry weight of the sample and then divide by the matrix density, Vg = Wdry/gr.

Unfortunately, accurate matrix densities are not usually known and thus this method is not reliable.

A second direct method of measuring grain volume is similar to the previous discussion on

displacement methods. A crushed sample is placed in a pycnometer and the weight change is

measured (Melcher-Nutting Method) or the volume change is measured (Russell Method).

Example
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The following sequence of measurements were obtained from the sample in previous example to
determine the grain volume. Using the bulk volume from, calculate the porosity of the sample.
1. Weight of dry, crushed sample in air: Wdry = 16 gms
2. Weight of pycnometer filled with water: W py+wtr = 65 gms.
3. Add crushed sample to pycnometer and water: W py+wtr+sample = 75 gms.
4. Calculate weight of displaced water: W displaced wtr = 65 + 16 75 = 6 gms.
5. Calculate the grain volume: Vg =W displaced wtr / wtr =6.0/1.0=6.0 cc.
To determine the porosity of the original sample we must first determine the grain density of the
sand.
gr = Wdry/ Vg =16 gms/6 cc = 2.67 gm/cc
Next the grain volume of the original sample must be calculated.
Vg = Wdry/gr = 20 gms/2.67 gm/cc = 7.5 cc
=(vb-vg)/vb *100

Several drawbacks of these methods have limited their application. First, it is a destructive method

and therefore no further tests can be performed on the sample. Second, the crushing usually

reduces the accuracy of the method. Therefore an alternative, reliable method has been developed

which is based on Boyles Law. A Boyles Law porosimeter as shown in Figure 2.18 consists of

two sample chambers. The first step is to calibrate the volumes of the sample chambers by

injecting inert gas such as helium or nitrogen and recording the pressure differences when the

valve between the two chambers is open and equalization occurs. The next step is to place the

core sample in one chamber at some pressure, p1, which is isolated from the second chamber at

p2. When the valve is opened pressure equilibrium occurs at some final pressure, pf. The pore

space of the sample is penetrated by the gas; therefore the gas volume difference between the two

tests is a measure of the grain volume. The accuracy of this method has been estimated to be
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be repeated or the core sample can used for further tests. An inert gas is used to minimize any

adsorption effects on the pore surfaces. Adsorption will cause erroneously low values of grain

volume and subsequent overestimation of porosity. The Boyles Law method yields effective

porosity of the sample. An isolated pore, will not be penetrated by the gas, and therefore will act

as if it is a portion of the grain

Pore Volume Measurements

Several methods have been developed to measure the pore volume of a sample. The original

mercury injection methods such as Washburn-Bunting and Kobe (see Figure 2.18) are obsolete

and seldom used. Their elimination was due to the destructive nature of mercury and the lack of

accurate results. A second method is called the fluid resaturation method. A clean and dried

sample is weighted, saturated with a liquid of known density, and then reweighed. The weight

change divided by the density of the fluid results in the pore volume

Example 2.8 The following procedure was run to obtain pore and bulk volume of a sample and

thus effective porosity.

1. Weight of clean, dry sample: Wdry = 39.522 gms.

2. Evacuate core and saturate with liquid: Wsat = 43.797 gms w=1.01 gm/cc)

3. Calculate the effective pore volume: Vp = w dry-Wsat/

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This technique also yields effective porosity; however, complete saturation is seldom obtained

and therefore porosity is commonly lower than that determined from the Boyles Law method.

Furthermore, if the sample is water sensitive then oil should be used as the saturating fluid. The

procedure is slow, however numerous samples can be run simultaneously [Helander,1983]. A

final method of determining pore volume is known as the summation of fluids or retort method.

The basis for this method is the independent measurement of the volumes of oil, water and gas and

then the summation of these volumes to obtain the pore volume, Vp = Vo + Vw + Vg. Unlike

other methods, the samples are not clean and dried, but instead are used directly as received at the

lab. The samples are split into two portions, which are adjacent to each other. The first sample is

placed in a pycnometer and the bulk volume is measured. Next, the sample is placed in a mercury

cell and injected with mercury at high pressures (750 psi), resulting in an estimation of the gas

volume. The second sample is heated to evaporate the oil and water, which is condensed in a

graduated cylinder and then oil and water volumes are measured. The gas volume (adjusted for

sample 2) and the bulk volume from sample one are used to obtain the pore volume and porosity

of the core. The advantages of this method are the fast speed of the measurements and the

simultaneous determination of saturations. The disadvantages are the dependency on similarity of

the adjacent samples, homogeneous formations are better suited for this method; a distinction is

required between the pore water and the water of hydration, the high temperatures will coke some

of the oil in the pore space, and the sample must be at insitu conditions to provide original reservoir

saturations. .