Petroleum Geology

Porosity = 47.6% Porosity = 25.96%

Lecture #7

Evolution of the sediment fill

• Burial and compaction
• Pressure and fluid flow
• Basin-scale pressure systems

Lecture: 7 © 1998 René O. Thomsen

 Evolution of the sediment fill
• As accommodation space in a
sedimentary basin is formed, we will
accept that sediments will be deposited
Rift basin
• Here we will concentrate on how the
sediments - and some of their properties -
evolve during burial

• Primary properties:
– porosity, φ Syn-rift Post-rift

– permeability, k

• Secondary properties (depends on the

primary properties):
– thermal conductivity, κ
– density, ρ

• Other properties such as elastic and

mechanical properties will not be dealt
with here

Lecture: 7 © 1998 René O. Thomsen

 Burial
• Sediments are deposited with an:
– initial porosity
and
– initial permeability

• During burial these properties change

– due to the weight of the overlying
sediment (overburden) the underlying
sediments compact and the porosity
decreases
– with a decrease in porosity the
permeability decreases
– during compaction, water is squeezed out
of the sediment
– if the permeability is too low to allow the
water to escape at the rate of added
overburden the fluid pressure increases
and creates over pressure

Lecture: 7 © 1998 René O. Thomsen

 Porosity

• Porosity represents the void space

in a rock Theoretical primary porosity

Cubic packing Close packing

• Two kinds of porosity

– primary porosity
• an inherent, original
characteristic of the rock

Porosity = 47.6% Porosity = 25.96%

– secondary (or induced) porosity is
the result of geologic processes
most commonly due to
• solution
• recrystallization and
dolomitization
• fractures and joints

Lecture: 7 © 1998 René O. Thomsen

 Pore space
Two ways of expressing pore space

Porosity: φ
pore volume
=
bulk volume
pore volume
Void ratio:e =
rock volume

Lecture: 7 © 1998 René O. Thomsen

 Porosity
• The porosity change with burial can be Porosity
modeled* using a simple exponential 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
relationship: 0

φ ( z ) = φ 0 e − Cz 1000

where z is depth and C is a rock specific 2000

compaction constant

Schlater and Christie, 1980 3000

• Porosity depth relationships are used for 4000

reconstructing original thickness of
sediments (for backstripping) and to 5000
trace the thickness change and porosity
change through time
6000
• Burial history based on simple equation
such as the one above is called isostatic
burial history and assumes that no over 7000
pressure is building
8000
m
* Other models exists
Lecture: 7 © 1998 René O. Thomsen
 Decompaction

Porosity
• The solid rock thickness, HS , can be 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
0
calculated at any instant using the
general equation: Area = HS H1
1000 Hs

HS = ∫ (1 − φ ( z ))dz
z1
2000
z2

HS remains constant 3000 H2

Area = HS
Hs

4000

• Using the exponential relationship the 5000

equation becomes:
6000

(
HS = ∫ 1 − φ 0 (e − Cz ) dz)
z1

z2 7000

8000
m

Lecture: 7 © 1998 René O. Thomsen

 Permeability
• Permeability is a measure of the • Permeability can be modeled as a
capacity of a rock to transmit fluids function of porosity:

– reservoirs can have primary 0.2φ 3

1) Kozeny-Carman k=
S02 (1 − φ )
permeability (or matrix permeability) 2
– and secondary permeability k = permeability
• fractures
φ = porosity
• solution vugs
S0 = specific surface area of the rock, i.e., the
surface area to volume ratio using the surface
• Matrix permeability can be evaluated area of a sphere and the volume of a cube. Grain
with the use of Darcy’s law: size is equal to the diameter of the sphere and the
side of the cube

k ∂p  e
C
v=− × k = k*  
µ ∂l 2) Lerche
 e* 
where k = permeability
v = apparent flow velocity (cm/sec) k* = initial permeability
m = viscosity of the flowing fluid (cp)
e = void ratio
dp/dl = pressure gradient in the flow
direction (atm/cm) e* = initial void ratio
k = permeability of the rock (darcy) C = permeability power

Lecture: 7 © 1998 René O. Thomsen

 Permeability model for sand
Permeability (mD)

1000

C = 1. 0 0
100
C = 1. 5 0
C = 2. 0 0
C = 2. 5 0
10
C = 3. 0 0
κκ==κκ*(e/e
(e/e
*)C)C C = 3. 5 0
* *
C = 4. 0 0
1
C = 4. 5 0
C = 5. 0 0

0.1
0 10 20 30 40 50
Porosity (%)
Lecture: 7 © 1998 René O. Thomsen
 Compaction, pressure and fluid flow
• Sediment compaction is the reduction of Pressure (bar) ρf*g*z
pore space and subsequent release of
pore fluids
• If the escape of fluids keep pace with
compaction no over pressure builds -
normal compaction
• If the escape of fluids is slower than the

hydr
rate of added overburden pressure in
excess of hydrostatic builds and the

ostat
sediment becomes over pressured

ic pr
essur

lit
ho
conversions:
conversions:

fra

sta
pressure seal

tic
ctu
psi 2
psi==14.22
14.22kg/cm

pr
transition zone

r
kg/cm22

e li

es
Atm
Atm==0.968
0.968kg/cm

su
kg/cm2

mi
pressure

re
Atm = 0.068 psi

t
Atm = 0.068 psi 3 zone
psi/ft
psi/ft==0.433
0.433g/cm
g/cm3
bar
bar==14.5
14.5psi
psi pressure bleed
pa = 1 N/m 2
pa = 1 N/m2 2 off: lateral flow
NN==11kg*m/s
kg*m/s2
0 1000
over pressure

Lecture: 7 © 1998 René O. Thomsen

 Over pressure
Compaction and porosity development can be Pressure is often given is psi/ft
coupled to development of pressure:
Terzaghi’s principle (Terzaghi & Peck, 1968) is
used to connect porosity and pressure:
Over pressure characterization
S=σ +p
where
S is the total vertical component of overburden
pressure hard
σ is the effective stress transmitted through the 0.85
solid matrix
p is the fluid pressure intermediate or moderate
Porosity and pressure is connected through:
A 0.65
 pf  soft or mild
e = e*   0.465
 pf*  normal
0.433
e = void ratio pf = frame pressure
e* = initial void ratio pf* = initial frame pressure
Lecture: 7 © 1998 René O. Thomsen
 Basin scale pressure systems
• Over pressure typically develops where sedimentation rates are high and where there are
fine-grained and/or low permeability sediments present
• Large scale pressure systems are transient phenomena
• Elements of a pressure system:
– top seal
– lateral seal
– basal seal

Lecture: 7 © 1998 René O. Thomsen

 Void ratio and porosity

Porosity: φ
pore volume
=
bulk volume
pore volume
Void ratio:e =
rock volume

express porosity in terms of void ratio: express void ratio in terms of porosity :

Lecture: 7 © 1998 René O. Thomsen

 Porosity

Estimate porosity by point counting

on the grid.

Grid: 20x30 = 600 points

sand count =

pore count =

Porosity =

Lecture: 7 © 1998 René O. Thomsen

End of Lecture

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