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A Procedure for the Accurate Determination of Sub-Core Scale Permeability Distributions with Error Quantification

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Abstract

We present a new method for non-destructively calculating sub-core scale permeability distributions within a core. The new method integrates experimentally measured capillary pressure data and sub-core scale saturation and porosity data collected using a computed tomography-scanner, to construct an accurate and unique sub-core scale permeability distribution. Using this procedure, it is possible to conduct highly refined simulations of core flooding experiments without typical assumptions requiring the core to be homogeneous, or relying on inaccurate porosity-based methods for estimating permeability distributions. The calculation procedure is described and results from two example rock cores are presented, a Berea Sandstone and a sandstone from the Otway Basin Pilot Project in Australia. Drainage coreflooding experiments of carbon dioxide (\(\text{ CO }_{2})\) injection into water are first conducted on both cores and permeability distributions are calculated using the experimental data. Numerical simulations of the very same experiments are then conducted to demonstrate the accuracy of the calculated sub-core scale permeability distribution. Results from both cores show that the input sub-core scale saturation distributions are predicted with an \(R^{2}\) correlation of greater than 0.93. This is compared to having no correlation when using simple porosity-only based permeability distributions, or assuming homogeneous core properties (Krause et al., SPE J 16(4):768–777, 2011). The uniqueness of the calculated permeability distribution is then demonstrated by calculating permeability distributions for the same core using data collected at different \(\text{ CO }_{2}\) injection fractional flows. Results show that the two independently calculated permeability distributions agree within the limits of experimental measurement error.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP) at Stanford University for funding this research, the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC) for providing the Waare C Sandstone core, and to Ronny Pini for very helpful discussion regarding quantification of experimental error.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Stanford University, Green Earth Sciences Bldg, #67, 367 Panama Street, Stanford, CA,  94305, USA

    Michael Krause & Sally M. Benson

  2. Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, Exhibition Road, Royal School of Mines Building, London,  SW7 2AZ, UK

    Sam Krevor

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  1. Michael Krause
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Correspondence to Michael Krause.

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Krause, M., Krevor, S. & Benson, S.M. A Procedure for the Accurate Determination of Sub-Core Scale Permeability Distributions with Error Quantification. Transp Porous Med 98, 565–588 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-013-0161-y

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