Rock Properties

Permeability

Permeability
Permeability is a measure of the ability of a
rock to allow fluid to flow through the rock.
Measured in units of millidarcies or darcies.
Most commercial reservoirs have: 20 < K < 500 md

Reservoir Engineering
Rock Properties 2.2.2

Darcys Law
Henry Darcy in 1856 found that:

A hw
qw = C
L
where each gravel pack had its own
proportionality constant and
q = f (A, head of water, and 1/Length)

Reservoir Engineering
Rock Properties 2.2.3

Darcys Law
pout

pin

A
q

Linear System
Fully Developed Flow (Steady State)

p
q=
A

x
k eff

L
pin
p

keff = effective permeability

pout
0

= fluid viscosity
x

Reservoir Engineering
Rock Properties 2.2.4

Permeability is a Function of:

Pore Size and Pore Size Distribution
Which in Turn Are Functions Of:
Grain Size
Grain Size Distribution
Grain Shape (Angularity)
Compaction { = F (P)}

Reservoir Engineering
Rock Properties 2.2.5

Klinkenberg Effect

permeability

Klinkenberg effect increases for:

- low permeability
- low pressure
- low density

k
0

inverse average pressure (1/P)

Reservoir Engineering
Rock Properties 2.2.6

Methods of Permeability Measurement

Core - run flow test and solve Darcys
Law for Ka
Well Flow Test - measure rate and driving
pressures to calculate K

Reservoir Engineering
Rock Properties 2.2.7

Porosity Permeability Correlations

Cross-plots are
often used to
estimate
permeability from
porosity, or to
populate a 3-D
reservoir
framework with
permeability data
based on porosity
maps.

Reservoir Engineering
Rock Properties 2.2.8

Porosity Permeability Correlations

Be Aware of Limitations:
Were plots constructed with in-situ data?
Typically, correlations drawn on

logarithmic plots yield conservative (low)

permeabilities
High permeability sands may be missing
(core and logs)

Match with well test or production test

data wherever possible
Reservoir Engineering
Rock Properties 2.2.9