Clay Minerals (1982) ! 7, 41-54.

THE ROLE OF CLAY MINERALS IN

INFLUENCING POROSITY AND PERMEABILITY
CHARACTERISTICS IN THE BRIDPORT SANDS
OF WYTCH FARM, DORSET

K. A. MORRIS AND C . M . S H E P P E R D *

Exploration Department, Gas Council (Exploration) Ltd., 59 Bryanston Street, London WIA 2AZ, and
* British Gas Corporation, Research and Development Division, London Research Station, Michael Road,
London SW6 2AD, U.K.

(Received 3 July 1981)

A B S T R A C T: The Bridport Sands is a widespread marine sandstone of Lower Jurassic age

found in much of southern England. It is a very fine grained, moderately sorted quartz-arenite
and is characterized by the alternation of friable and hard calcareous-cemented layers. The sands
form the upper reservoir in the Wytch Farm Field, Dorset, which is currently producing at the
rate of around 4000 barrels per day. Investigation of core material to assess the suitability of
water injection for gas/oil recovery has shown that significant reductions of liquid permeability
compared to air permeability occur. These reductions vary from 3096 or less in the best quality
reservoir to more than 70% in low-permeability sandstones. Clay minerals in the Bridport Sands
comprise mainly kaolinite and mixed-layer clays of both the illite-chlorite and illite-smectite
types. Small amounts of vermiculite and chlorite also occur. The kaolinite is found as
loosely-attached, discrete particles, whilst the mixed-layer clays form patchy pore linings. The
permeability reductions may be explained by: (i) the adsorption of water and expansion of
poorly-crystalline mixed-layer iUite-smectitescausing blockage of pore space (this reduction is
largely reversible) and (ii) the physical movement of authigenic kaolinite crystal aggregates
blocking pore-throats (this reduction is largely non-reversible). The pore-size distribution, clay
particle sizes, the distribution of the clays within the pore space, and the composition of the
clays are all important factors in controlling porosity/permeability relationships and per-
meability reductions in the friable reservoir intervals in the Bridport Sands.

The Bridport Sands belong mainly to the uppermost zone of the T o a r c i a n Stage of the
Lower Jurassic. A small portion o f the U p p e r Bridport Sands belongs to the lowest zone o f
the Bajocian Stage o f the Middle Jurassic (Davies, 1969). The sands form the upper
reservoir in the W y t c h F a r m Field, Dorset (Fig. 1), a field operated by G a s Council
(Exploration) Ltd. on behalf o f the B P / G C ( E ) partnership (Colter & H a v a r d , 1981). This
reservoir contains 35.5 o A P I oil, which is currently being produced at the rate o f approxi-
mately 4000 barrels per d a y (Hinde, 1980).
As the gas/oil ratio o f the W y t c h F a r m crude is very low and the reservoir pressure is
also low ( < 1 5 0 0 p.s.i.), a water-injection p r o g r a m m e has been developed to maintain
downhole pressure and increase recovery. Initial tests on Bridport Sands core material
showed a dramatic decrease in liquid permeabilities c o m p a r e d to air permeabilities. To
explain these reductions an extensive petrographic and petrophysical study was
undertaken and the more significant results o f this study are presented here.

9 1982 The Mineralogical Society

 Poole~Harbour
WAREHAM
2<). :iiiiiii!::i=:)ii!i~Va
re
le JARNE 'G' 1

STOBOROUGH 1

*.'/x
WYTCH FARM

ISLE OF
~'~~::Corfe Castle

LOCATION MAP
P U R B EC K
KIMMERIDGE 1

,~ ENCOMBE 1

o 1 2 3KM
I I i I 1
o 1 2 MLS

POOLE

I, I,
[,
I, t~ h
r I, L, I,

~/GAULr
I LOWER GREeNSAN0 ~ I~

IKELLAWAyS ~DS~ I~-- ,

I U~PER RAGS EOUIV*CE~ I

FULLE~'S EARTH

LIMESTONE
.IDOLE LtAS~ ~
~ ~ ANHYDR
ITE
i WHITE LIAS LIMESTONE,I~, -
, ~ UMeSTONE BANOS

~ - - ~ B~CC~A
~ MET*MO~PHPCS
DSrONE ~ROUP

s~

GROOP

FIG. 1. Wytch Farm Oilfield, Dorset. Location map and generalized stratigraphic column (after
Colter & Havard, 1981).
 Clay minerals in the Bridport Sands, Wytch Farm 43

GENERAL PETROGRAPHY AND MINERALOGY

The Bridport Sands is a very fine-grained sandstone with an average mean grain size
straddling the very fine sand/coarse silt boundary of the Wentworth size scale (Pettijohn et
al., 1972, p. 71). At outcrop on the Dorset coast, and at Wytch Farm itself, the sandstones
show a regular alternation of friable sand and hard calcareous-cemented sandstones
(Colter & Havard, 1981). The sandstones are intensely bioturbated, only a few horizons
showing any primary sedimentary structures.

Principal components
Angular quartz makes up the bulk (60-70%) of the friable reservoir sandstones.
Optically-continuous authigenic overgrowths are developed on a small proportion of the
quartz grains. Feldspars comprise 5-15% of the sandstone. Orthoclase and microcline are
most common and also show some development of authigenic overgrowths. Occasional
grains of albite and oligoclase are seen. Muscovite comprises 5-10% of the detrital
particles, occurring as elongate flakes up to 500 #m in length. Biotite occurs in trace
amounts. Other minerals which occur in minor amounts as detrital particles include
glauconite, chert, garnet, pyrite and magnetite.

Cementing minerals
Ferroan calcite forms the bulk of the pore-filling cement and occurs in widely varying
amounts ranging from 50% or more in the calcareous-cemented non-reservoir sandstones
to only 10-15% in the friable reservoir sandstones. Minor amounts of dolomite also occur
as cement.

Matrix materials
Grain-size analysis, performed by a combination of dry-sieving and sedimentation
methods (Folk, 1965), shows that the Bridport Sands are strongly fine skewed with up
to 30% of the sediment consisting of medium to fine Silt and clay. The matrix consists of
silt-grade quartz, feldspar and mica with minor pyrite and magnetite. However, the bulk of
the matrix is composed of clay minerals, many of which are larger than clay grade
(>2 grn e.s.d.).

CLAY MINERALS

Composition
X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the clay mineral assemblages in the Bridport
Sands are dominated by kaolinite, illite and mixed-layer clays; trace amounts of
vermiculite and chlorite are also present. Kaolinite tends to be well-ordered with a basal
spacing of around 7.15 A, although some samples show a distinct broadening of the 001
reflection suggesting the presence of some poorly-ordered kaolinite (Grim, 1968, p. 130).
Illite occurs as a distinct 10 A phase and also as a component of the mixed-layer phases
which are represented on the diffraction traces of the air-dried clays as a broad, diffuse
44 K. A. Morris and C. M. Shepperd

BRIDPORT SANDS WYTCH FARM < 2)Jm

- - DRY

------ ETHYLENE GLYCOL

...... HEATED ~ 400*C

f\
I

,ii
S

DEGREES 2e C o - K ,=(.

FIG. 2. X-ray diffractiontrace of <2pm fraction from the Bridport Sands, Wytch Farm,
showingverylittleexpandingclays.

shoulder to the 10 A illite peak (Fig. 2). These phases are particularly difficult to charac-
terize but appear to consist of two types.
I. A non-expanding illite-chlorite mixed-layer phase which has some degree of ordering
in the structure, as shown by a small but consistent 14 A peak. Heating to 400 and 600~
does not collapse the chlorite interlayers (Fig. 2).
2. A randomly-interstratified illite-smectite with differing proportions of expanding
layers, similar to those described by Weaver (1956, p. 206). This interlayering is very
poorly defined and only rarely produces a distinct 17 A peak on saturation with ethylene
glycol (Fig. 3). Heating to 400~ collapses this material to 10 A (Fig. 3). Amounts of
smectite layers cannot be estimated using e.g. the method of ~rod6n (1980) as all samples
contain discrete illite. A comparison of the traces with computed theoretical XRD patterns
of illite-smectite mixtures (Reynolds, 1980) suggests that the percentage of expanding
layers does not exceed 40% and is commonly 20% or less.
Small amounts of discrete vermiculite occur in many samples. This mineral is
unaffected by all treatments except heating at 600~ The very small 14 A peak remaining
after heating was assumed to be due to chlorite, its presence being confirmed by
subsequent acid treatment and thin-section analysis.
 ~
Clay minerals in the Bridport Sands, Wytch Farm 45

BRIDPORT SANDS WYTCH FARM <2~um DRY

ETHYLENE GLYCOL

...... HEATED tO 400~ d' ~ f '

ii~ /"
ii j
i i ~/r

-.~

DEGREES 2 0 Co-K o<

FIG. 3. X-ray diffractiontrace of < 2 #m fractionfrom the BridportSands, Wytch Farm showing
expanding mixed-layerillite-smeetiteclays.

Size distribution and quantification

Quantification of the X-ray diffraction patterns were made using the method of Brown
as outlined in Weir et al. (1975), the kaolinite present being used as an internal standard.
Consistent results were obtained throughout the reservoir, the largest variation being
changes in abundance with changes in particle size. Fig. 4 shows the typical variation in
the relative abundance of the different clay minerals in various size fractions. Percentages
of kaolinite, chlorite and vermiculite remain fairly constant but there is a conspicuous
increase in the amount of mixed-layer clays in the finer fractions.

Significance of the mixed-layer illite-smectite clays

The identification and interpretation of the mixed-layer clay is important as it forms the
only expanding component in the reservoir. Outcrop material and shallow samples of the
Bridport Sands show much higher percentages of expanding layers in the illite-smectite and
often a distinct 17 A peak is obtained on glycolation. In some samples from outcrop,
well-ordered smectite is seen (Morris, 1979, p. 117).
It would appear from this evidence that there is a trend of smectite to illite-smectite
transformation with depth and also a trend of decreasing percentage of expanding layers in
the illite-smectite with increasing burial depth. This trend is similar to that observed by
Foscolos & Powell (1979) in sandstones from the Canadian Arctic and appears to be a
gradual dehydration process with increasing burial depth.
46 K. A. Morris and C. M. Shepperd

32-

i
A
E
n,-
UJ 20-
I--
UJ
,r
m
a
16-
o
z
..I
I-.
I--
LIJ
U) 8-
U.I
_>
I-
O
I.IJ

fl
LI.
IJ. 4-
LU

110 210 310 40 1() 20 30 40 1() 20 30 40 5 10

VERMICULITE
KAOLINITE ILLITE MIXED-LAYER CLAYS
& CHLORITE
FIG. 4. Variation in clay abundance in various size fractions, Bridport Sands, Wytch Farm.

FIG. 5. Scanning electron micrograph of discrete-particle kaolinite crystal aggregates attached to

a pore wall. Crystal faces of authigenic quartz overgrowths are also visible. Scale bar = 4/~m.
 Clay minerals in the Bridport Sands, Wytch Farm 47
Clay morphology
Neasham (1977) divided dispersed clay particles in sandstones into three general types:
(i) discrete particles, (ii) pore-lining clays and (iii) pore-bridging clays. In the Bridport
Sands, SEM examination shows the existence of both discrete particles and pore-lining
clays. Pore-lining clays may occasionally extend into the pore-bridging category in areas
where sufficient clay is present.
Kaolinite occurs largely as discrete particles (Fig. 5), mainly in the form of
pseudo-hexagonal, sub-idiomorphic platy crystals loosely attached to pore walls, or as an
intergranular pore fill. Individual crystals are often up to 12/tm across and form 'books' or
aggregates up to 20/~m in size. These aggregates are loosely stacked on their basal planes
and are generally not intergrown (Fig. 6). They are characteristically scattered throughout
the pore system and do not form intergrown crystal frameworks. Authigenic kaolinite
crystals are often associated with potassium-feldspars and micas. Such kaolinite crystals
have the effect of reducing intergranular pore volume (Wilson & Pittman, 1977) but more
importantly can act as migrating fines in the pore system (Neasham, 1977).
The iUite and mixed-layer clays on the other hand occur largely as pore-lining clays
firmly attached to the pore walls and forming a relatively continuous clay mineral coating
(Fig. 7). The crystals are up to 8/tm in size and are often oriented perpendicular to the
pore wall. Crystals are commonly inter-grown in a 'cornflake-like' arrangement although
the edges of the flakes are generally smooth and show none of the crenulations or lath-like

FIG. 6. Scanningelectron micrograph of detail of kaolinite crystals showingloose basal plane

stackingarrangementof pseudohexagonalcrystals.Scalebar = 4 #m.
48 K. A. Morris and C. M. Shepperd

FIG. 7. Scanning electron micrograph of pore-lining network of mixed-layer clays showing

intergrowncornflake-likearrangement.Scalebar = 4/zm.

projections seen by Wilson & Pittman (1977, p. 23) in mixed-layer illite-smectites. The
cornflake-like arrangement produces extensive micropore space.
This entrapment of water results in 'static' permeability reduction (Todd & Tweddie,
1978) and is caused by clay expansion both within the structure and by increased
separation of individual particles. This results in restriction and blocking of pore throats.
SEM analysis suggests that kaolinite crystal aggregates are largely responsible for the
observed dynamic permeability reduction, as the crystals are of relatively large size
compared to the pore size and also appear to be only loosely attached to detrital grains.
The configuration of the illite and mixed-layer clays is such that it is unlikely that they
contribute greatly to dynamic permeability reduction.
The static permeability reduction is more difficult to attribute. The water adsorption and
expansion of smectite has been well-known for many years and has been accurately
quantified in the laboratory (Mooney et al., 1952). However, the nature and amount of
adsorption and expansion of mixed-layer iltite-smectites, although known from several
reservoirs (Almon & Davies, 1977), is difficult to quantify given the uncertainty as to the
actual amount of expanding layers present. It is likely, however, that even small
expansions of illite-smectite would be sufficient to restrict or prevent water movement
given the very small dimensions o f the pore throats. In addition, the cornflake-type
occurrence of all the mixed-layer clays causes a very large increase in pore surface area,
resulting in retention of water by surface tension forces. Such water-retention would also
restrict water movement through pore system. Retention of water by non-expanding clays
such as illite has been reported by Routson et al. (1972).
 Clay minerals in the Bridport Sands, Wytch Farm 49

BRIDPORT SANDS WYTCH FARM FIELD

1000

100-

A
\ "';~
"O
E \ . .. \
<r ~\ - .\ 9
v,
\ X 9
9 9 \. 9 9149

\ -, \ 9
10-
\ " "\.
~\ . \ 9
~. -\. .

KEROSENE FORMATION WATER

O.1
o lb 2'0 3'0 ,~ s'o do ,b do ;o
~ PERMEABILITY REDUCTION
FIG. 8. Plot of % permeability reduction compared to air when using formation water or kerosene.
50 K. A. Morris and C. M. Shepperd
T H E E F F E C T S OF C L A Y S ON P E T R O P H Y S I C A L PROPERTIES

Porosity~air permeability
The Bridport Sands give low values of permeability for corresponding porosities
compared to many other reservoirs, although this is directly related to the very fine grained
nature of the sands and therefore the small size of individual pores. Theoretical
considerations of spheres of similar grain size with tangential packing arrangements give a
maximum possible pore size of 20 #m. The actual mean pore size measured by mercury
injection varies from 10 to less than 0.1/~m. These figures are confirmed by direct SEM
measurement.

A irpermeabiltty/liquidpermeability
As mentioned in the introduction, Kalr/KLiqutd reductions were found in the Bridport
Sands. These reductions were found in fresh water, sea-water and formation water. Fig. 8
shows a typical range of permeability reductions for the range of reservoir permeabilities
encountered.
When these experiments were carried out with kerosene only, a 20-30% reduction in air
permeability was observed compared to the 30-80% seen when formation water was
injected (Fig. 8). This suggests that the former reduction (using a non-polar solvent) is due
to particle movement in the pore space and not due to clay adsorption and expansion.
Drying of the samples and re-testing yielded only a partial recovery in permeability, also
suggesting particle movement. This movement of particles results in 'dynamic permeability
reduction' (Todd & Tweedie, 1978) and is caused by clay particles moving and becoming
trapped at sub-critical pore throats. This dynamic permeability reduction is generally
non-reversible.
The remaining observed reduction in permeability is achieved only with polar liquids,
and subsequent drying of the samples largely restores the original permeability. This
reduction is due to the adsorption and expansion of clay particles within the porespace.

Air~mercury capillary pressure curves

Discrete particle, pore-lining and pore-bridging clays show basic difference in capillary
presure curves indicative of their pore network properties (Neasham, 1977). These curves
differ distinctly both in shape and location (Fig. 9). Typical capillary pressure curves for
the Bridport Sands show strong affinities to those of sandstones with pore-lining clays
(Fig. 9). This indicates that the mixed-layer pore-lining clays in the Bridport Sands have the
largest effect on pore network properties. However, the low initial mercury injection
pressures shown by Bridport Sands samples are similar to values for sandstones with
discrete particles, suggesting the influence of discrete kaolinite particles at low pore
volumes.

CONCLUSIONS
Permeability reduction to water in the Bridport Sands can be explained by the type and
distribution of the clay minerals within the pore system. Much of the observed permeability
1000 I I ~, % I I I I I I
IL 1 9 ~'.. ~ ,.. ,
"...~ \~., ~ '..,. ".............
'~..... ~ ~.'~".,. \ \
i! .. l \
,'...~ "
\ \ "N
\ "~
...... ..........
..........

,,,, , ............
L "~\ \
,.~".,
::., \, ~\'i ~\ "..,. ",.
,X \\ \ \ ',"}......... ''
~. "~ "" ..... . ................ ; ......
\\ \:., ,~ ................. .....
. . "~'... ........... ,
\~ ~'., ,. ,, % , . 9............. ......~
'~~ \ \ \ "~
\ "~':Z" ...... ".............. ,
100 - \'~ \ \ ~ , "\ ~ "-:~'~. ......... ",.,
\ \ \ '~ ~. \ ,',, ~ ---.....~" .......... ,..
,..~ ~. \ \ \ ~ "\\ "---,. ..,,

\i\ ", ",',. ',, -~, "'~

gr

IJJ
gr 9~. '\ ,..,, - ~ ,, "\ "~ 9
9~., \ \. ",,. -.,-~. ~',
>.
gr
~J
gc
i11
\ '\ .... \ -..~.~ ~--

9\ -..... .~. .-.....~.._~.~.

"~-. ~. ...._~ ._ i

Typical Curve for Bridport Sands

Pore Lining
......................... Pore Bridging
. . . . . . . . . . . . . Discrete Particle

loo ' o~ ' 6b ' 4b ' 2'0 '

PV OCCUPIED BY Hg(~
FIG. 9. Typical air/mercury capillary pressure curve for Bridport Sands, Wytch Farm, com-
pared to those of other sandstones with differing dispersed clay morphology (modified from
Neasham, 1977, fig. 7).
52 K. A. Morris and C. M. Shepperd

reduction to water can be attributed to the adsorption and expansion of pore-lining clays.
Only small expansions of mixed-layer illite-smectites are sufficient to block or partly block
the small pore throats in this very fine-grained reservoir. Other non-expanding pore-lining
clays m a y contribute to this permeability reduction by retention of water by surface tension
forces. The permeability reduction can be up to 50% of the original air permeability in the
tighter (more compact) sandstones. This reduction is largely reversible. Air/mercury
capillary pressure curves confirm the importance of pore-lining clays in controlling pore
network properties.
The small pore throats in the Bridport Sands can also be easily restricted or blocked by
the physical movement of kaolinite particles which occur as loosely attached or free
aggregates in the pore space. This form o f permeability reduction occurs with polar or
non-polar liquids, is largely non-reversible and can account for up to 30% of the observed
reduction.
Clay minerals in the Bridport Sands show size segregation. Mixed-layer clays dominate
the finer fractions whilst m a n y kaolinite crystals are significantly larger than clay grade.
Conventional whole rock and clay analysis are often insufficient to characterize
fine-grained reservoirs. In this case the high proportion of large detrital muscovite mica
obscures the mixed-layer clays in whole rock analysis whilst the small proportions of
expanding layers in the mixed-layer clays can easily be overlooked in conventional clay
X R D analysis.
In designing water injection facilities for the Bridport Sands, account has to be taken not
only of the apparent water sensitivity of the clays but also of the very small pore throats. If
kaolinite particles of 10 # m or less can block pore throats, the injected water must contain
virtually no particulate matter, otherwise non-reversible reservoir damage will occur.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank the management of the British Gas Corporation and BP Petroleum Development Ltd. for
permission to publish this paper and to Dr V. S. Colter and Miss W. A. Matthews for their critical reading of
the manuscript. Mr R. B. Sinha provided SEM facilities. The illustrations were prepared by the
Cartographic Section of the Drawing Officeof British Gas.

REFERENCES
ALMONW.R. & DAVIESD.K. (1977) Understanding diagenetic zones vital. Oil gas J. June 6 209-216.
COLTERV.S. & HAVARDD.J. (1981) The Wytch Farm Oil Field, Dorset. Pp. 495-503 in: Petroleum Geology
of the Continental Shelf of North-West Europe (L. V. Illing & G. D. Hobson, editors). Heyden, London.
DAVIES D.K. (1969) Shelf sedimentation: an example from the Jurassic of Britain. J. Sedim. Petrol. 39,
1344-1370.
FOLKR.L. (1965) Petrology of Sedimentary Rocks. Hemphill, Texas.
FOSCOLOSA.E. & POWELLT.G. (1979) Catagenesis in shales and the occurrence of authigenic clays in
sandstones, North Sabine H-49 well, Canadian Arctic Islands. Can. J. Earth Sci. 16, 1309-1314.
GRIMR.E. (1968) Clay Mineralogy. 2nd. ed. McGraw-Hill, New York.
HINDEP. (1980) The development of the Wytch Farm Oilfield. Inst. Gas Engineers, 46th Ann. meeting, paper
1133.
MOONEY R.W,, KEENANA.G. & WOODL.A. (1952) Adsorption of water vapor by montmorillonite, Part II,
effect of exchangeable ions and lattice swelling as measured by X-ray diffraction. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 74,
1371-1374.
MORRXS,K.A. (1979) An integratedfacies analysis of Toarcian organic-rich shales and contiguous deposits in
Great Britain. PhD Thesis, Univ. Reading.
 Clay minerals in the Bridport Sands, Wyteh Farm 53
NEASHAM J.W. (1977) The morphology of dispersed clay in sandstone reservoirs and its effect on sandstone
shallness, pore space and fluid flow properties. Soc. Petroleum Engineers of AIME, Denver,
SPE 6858, 7 pp.
PEYrUOHN FJ., POTTER P.E. & SIEVERR. (1973) Sand and Sandstone, Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
REYNOLDS R.C. (1980) Interstratified clay minerals. Pp. 249-303 in: Crystal Structures of Clay Minerals
and Their X-ray Identification ((3. W. Brindley & G. Brown, editors). Mineralogical Society, London.
RotrrsoN R.C., KrrrYmcx J.A. & HOPE E.H. (1972) Interlayer hydration and broadening of the 10 ,/~ X-ray
peak in illite. Soil Sci. 113, 167-174.
SRooofi J. 0980) Precise identification of illite/smectite interstratifications by X-ray powder diffraction. Clays
Clay Miner. 28, 401-411.
TODD A.C. & TWEEDIE J. (1978) Total rock characterisation of North Sea sandstones with particular reference
to interstitial clays. Europec, London, paper 93.
WEAVER C.E. (1956) The distribution and identification of mixed-layer clays in sedimentary rocks. Am. Miner.
41,202-221.
WIER A.H., ORMEROD E.C. & EL MANSEY I.M.I. (1975) Clay mineralogy of sediments of the western Nile
Delta. Clay Miner. 10, 369-386.
WILSON M.D. & PITrMAN E.D. (1977) Authigenic clays in sandstones: recognition and influence on reservoir
properties and paleoenvironmental analysis. J. Sedim. Petrol. 47, 3-31.

R E S U M E: Les Sables de Bridport constituent une formation marine d'fige jurassique inf6rieur
tr6s r6pandue en Angleterre du Sud. Il s'agit d'une ar6nite quartzeuse de granulom&rie tr/~s fine,
caract6ris6e par l'alternance de couches friables et endurcies par un ciment calcaire. Ces sables
forment le r6servoir sup6rieur de la r6gion de Wytch Farm, Dorset, qui a une production
courante de 4000 barils par jour. Des recherches sur les mat6riaux de cette formation, en vue
d'&udier la possibilit~ d'injecter de reau pour r~cup~rer l'huiie ou le gaz, on montrb des
r&iuctions importantes de la perm6abilit6 aux liquides par rapport ~, la perm6abilit~ h rair. Ces
r~.ductions varient de 30% au moins darts le r~servoir de meilleure qualit6 h plus de 70% dans
les gr6s peu perm6ables. Les min6raux argileux des sables de Bridport comprennent
essentieUement la kaolinite et des interstratifi6s illite-chlorite et illite-smectite. On y trouve aussi
des faibles quantit6s de vermiculite et de chlorite. La kaolinite se trouve sous forme de particules
discr&es, peu li6es, alors que les interstratifi6s forment par chevauchement les rev&ements des
pores. Les r6ductions de perm~abilit6 peuvent s'expliquer par (i) l'adsorption de l'eau et le
gonflement des interstratiii6s mal cristallis6s du type illite-smectite, provoquant le blocage de
respace des pores (cette r6duction est essentiellement r6versible), (ii) le d6placement des agr6gats
de kaolinite authig6ne encombrant les orifices des pores (r6duction pratiquement irr6versible). La
distribution des tailles de pore, les tallies des particales d'argile, la distribution des argiles dans
l'espace poreux et la composition des argiles sont tous des facteurs importants dans le contr61e
des relations porosit6-perm~abilit6 et des r6ductions de perm6abilit6 dans les intervalles friables
du r6servoir des Sables de Bridport.

K U R Z R E F E R A T: Die Bridport Sands sind ein weitverbreiteter marine-Sandstein des unteren

Jura in Siidengland. Er setzt sich aus sehr fein gek6rntem, gelegentlich sortiertem Quarz-Arenit
zusammen und ist dutch den Wechsel yon spr6den und batten, kalkverkrusteten Schichten
gekennzeichnet. Die Sandsteine bilden die obere Speicherschicht im Wytch Farm Fieldl Dorset,
welches gegenwiirtig eine Produktionsleistung yon 4000 Barrel pro Tag besitzt. Die
Erforschung des Kernbereiches zur Absch~itzung der M6glichkeit einer Wasserinjektion f'tir die
Gas/OI-Gewinnung zeigte, dab signifikante Abnahmen tier Fliissigkeitspermeabilit~it im
Vergieich zur Luftpermeabifit~it auftreten. Dieser Verlust vafiiert yon 30% oder weniger im
Speicher mit bester Qualit~it, his zu 70% und dariiber in gering permeablen Sandsteinen.
Die Tonminerale der Bridport Sands bestehen hanptsiichlich aus Kaolinit und Illit-Chlorit
sowie Illit-Smectit WechseUagerungsmineralen. Nebenbei sind noch geringe Mengen
Chlorit und Vermiculit enthalten. Kaolinit kommt in Form von locker gebundenen
Einzelteilchen vor, wechselgelagerte Tonminerale dagegen bilden unregelm~ii3ige Porenbel~ige
aus. Die Permeabilitlltsabnahmen k6nnen erkl~.rt werden durch: (i) Wasseradsorption und
Expansion von schlecht kristallisierten IUit-Smectit Wechsellagerungen, wodurch eine Blockade
54 K. A. Morris and C. M. Shepperd
des Porenraumes entsteht (weitgehend reversibler Vorgang) und (ii) die physikalische Bewegung
authigener Kaolinitkristallaggregate, wodurch Poreng~inge blockiert werden (dies ist ein
gr6Btenteils irreversibler Vorgang). Die Porengr6Benverteilung, die Teilchengr6Be des Tones, die
Verteilung des Tomes innerhalb der Porenvolumina und dessen Zusammensetzung, sind alles
wichtige Faktoren dfir die Kontrolle yon Porosit/its/Permeabilit~its-Beziehungen und
Permeabilit~itsverminderungen der spr6den Abschnitte in den Speicherschichten der Bridport
Sands.

R E S U M E N : Las arenas Bridport son unas areniscas marinas del jur/tsico inferior que se
encuentran ampliamente difundidas en el sur de Inglaterra. Son unas areniscas cuarciferas de
tamafio muy fino, con una moderada heterometria y que se caracterizan por una alternancia de
niveles, con cemento calcareo, deleznables y compactos. Las arenas forman la parte superior del
campo petrolifero de Wytch Farm, que produce unos 4000 barriles diarios. La investigaci6n de
materiales procedentes de los testigos de sondeo, para estudiar la conveniencia de utilizar
inyecciones de agua para la recuperaci6n de gas y petroleo, ha mostrado qae se producen
reducciones significativas en la permeabilidad a los liquidos cuando se las compara frente a la
permeabilidad al aire. Estas reducciones varian desde el 30% o menos, en el yacimiento de mejor
calidad, hasta mas del 70% en las areniscas de mas baja permeabilidad. Los minerales de la
arcilla presentes en las areniscas Bridport son, esencialmente, caolinita e interestratificados
ilita-clorita e ilita-esmectita. Tambien se encuentran pequefias cantidades de vermiculita y
clorita. La caolinita se encuentra como particulas discretas apiladas libremente, mientras que los
interestratificados forman agregados que recubren los poros. Las reducciones en la per-
meabilidad se pueden explicar por: (1) la adsorcion de agua y expansi6n de los interestratificados
ilita-esmectita, pobremente cristalinos, que bloquean los espacios porosos (esta reducci6n es
claramente reversible), y (2) el movimiento de agregados de cristales de caolinita autig6nica que
bloquean los orificios de entrada de los poros (esta reducci6n no es reversible). La distribuci6n
del tamafio de poros, los tamafios de particula de las arcillas, la distribuci6n de las arcillas dentro
del espacio poroso y la composicion de las arcillas son los factores mas importantes en el control
de las relaciones porosidad/permeabilidad yde las reducciones de permeabilidad en los niveles
friables de los yacimientos petroliferos en las arenas Bridport.