fractal geometry applied for researching reservoirs (i)
Fractal dimensions are the main quantity in
Nguyen Van Phon
University of Mining and Geology
Abstract
During the last twenty years (since 1982),
Fractal Geometry has been applied widely in a
vareity of sciences, including Earth's sciences.
However, long before that period (since 1942), in
Physics of Rocks people did use the parameters a,
m and n of Archie equations with the significance of
Fractal dimension. In this article, the author will
analyse the fractal properties of those parameters.
Introduction
Since 100 years ago, mathematicians
discovered the "strange" aggregates having
extraordinary characteristics and strange
complicated shapes that classical geometry
was not able to describe or explain. In 1982,
mathematician B. Manproposed a new
concept “Fractal” and establish a general
mathematical framerwork to study the strange
aggregate. Within a very short time, Fractal
has been widely applied in diverse disciplines
in both Technological and Socical sciences,
including Earth's sciences [1].
In this paper, the author clarify Fractal'
nature of micro structures in petroleum reservoir
rocks through a, m, n coefficients in the
Archie equations.
I. The term “Fractal Dimensions”
The definitions and nature of Fractal are
described in details in references [3, 5]. The
the Fractal geometry to study the sophisticated
structures in the nature.
In Petrophysics, there is a parameter called
specific surface area (S) of sedimentary rocks
and it is emphasized that it (S) is inversely
proportioned with grain size and fracture
surfaces…, but unfortunately it has not been
emphasized that this surface is not ordinary
surface. When applying this parameter in
Petrohysics, the specific surface varied with
differential grain size of the rocks is often
considered but the micro strucure of it has not
been properly considered.
The specific grain surface area of the
rocks is approximately the total surface area
of pore space within the rock as is very
sophisticated depending on the micro structure
of the pore space. Similarly, the fractures
also make pore space between their two
opposite sides. These sides are rough so
the specific surface of fractured rocks has
sophisticated micro-structure. Fractal geometry
proposed a convenient approach that can
easily describe and study sophisticated abnormal
surfaces by its dimensions - Fractal dimensions.
The term of “fractal dimension” can be
introduced in the following simple fashion.
Suppose a reference volume V0 is composed
of N smaller elementary volume rD, that is,
N=V0/rD. The smaller volume rD is the reference
volume used for measurement. For example,
with D = 1, a segment of unit length can be
decomposed into N smaller segment of length
r, N= l/r. In two dimension (D=2), a surface of
unit area can be decomposed into N smaller
areas 1/r2. Generalizing this procedure, a
dimension D can be defined as follow:
D = logN/log(1/r) = - logN/log r (1)
This definition allows the notion of D
dimension or fractional dimension which is
petrovietnam preview vol.2-2007 23
not only the integer but also the fraction, expresed the relationship between F and
which is Fractal dimension - the dimension porosity  as follow: F = 1m (4)
of fractures, tortuous/zigzag … N is the 
number of elementary elements necessary and called the exponent m is cementation
to cover the unit length, surface, curve, or factor of reservoir rocks.
volume. A equivalent formulation of this Based on the results measured on different
result is that r = N (-1/D) is the similarity sandstone samples, Archie determined that
variable between the elementary element the factor "m" was approximately equal to 2
and the whole. Thus, in the case where the and had made assumption that the resistivity
fractal curve has length L when measured with of porous reservoir rocks are subject to ion
L movement in the formation water, while matrix
log( ) is non - conducting.
 In the reservoir, the rocks are only partially
a rule of length , D= .
1 water saturated (Sw<1), the rest bears oil and
log( )
 gas. Archie proposed a formula expressing
the real relationship between the true resistivity
Solving for L: L() = 1-D (2) (Rt) of the rock and its resistivity R0 when the
In Euclidean geometry, (D = 1), L is a rock is aquifer. Rt = RI. Ro (5)
constant independence of . When D 1, the Where RI is called the resistivity index.
length of the curve depends on the choice  Based resistivity results measured on samples
and similarly to the surfaces and blocks. with various water saturation Sw, Archie found
the relationship between the RI and the water
II. The specific grain surface of n

rock is a natural Fractal saturation Sw as follow: RI  S w (6)

It should be emphasized again that the
surface of pore space within rocks is a natural
Fractal and it is totally random.
In fact, before the term Fractal and the
mathematic framework has been a fully
described (1982), the researchers of Petro-
n is called the saturation exponent of variuos
value around to 2 for all samples.
The equations (4) and (6) are exponential
function so Archie determined m and n using
dual logarithmic paper (Fig.1).
10000 10000

physics gradually introduced different petro-

physical parameters (1942) that are similar to 1000 1000

Fractal dimensions to calculate the porosity,

RI
F

saturation, permeability of reservoir rock 100 100

samples based on their conductivity [4, 6, 8,
9]. The formation factor F, resistivity index RI,
cementation factor (m), saturation exponent 10 10

(n), and coefficient a in the formation evaluation

are examples of such parameters. 1 1
1 10 100 1 10 100
In clean sandstone, Archie [4] stated  (%) S w (%)
that the resistivity R0 of aquifer (S w = 1) (a) (b)
directly proportional to the formation water Figure 1. The relationship between F and ;
resistivity Rw: R0 = F.Rw (3) RI and Sw on the log-log graph paper to identify
Archie called the propotional coefficient F the cementation coefficient “m” (a) and the
as a Formation Factor and has given an equation saturation exponent “n”; (b) by Archie’s way

24 petrovietnam preview vol.2-2007

 On the dual logarithmic plot, the trendline
on figure (a) and (b) is a line. In this case,
angular coefficients are all negative:
log F
m
log 
It is, therefore, the simple regression
analysis on the dual logarithmic graph could
be used to identify the “m” and “n”. According
to definition (1), the “m” and “n” are fractal
dimensions of pore space in sandstone and
oil/water distributions in the reservoirs.
The burried processes and sedimentation
have made the porosity of the rocks decreased
and therefore the coefficient m increased
accordingly. Similarly, the coefficent n depends
on the pore micro-structure, reservoir pressure
and temperature as well as water distribution
in pore space.
log RI III. The parameters “m”, “n”
; n
log S w represents microstructure
settings in reservoir rock
In order to study the relationship between
the parameter m and microstructure (grain size,
sorting, erosion, consolidation, etc) of the
reservoir rock, Wyllie and Gregory [9] carried out
experiments on artificial samples compressing of
glass grains of various size and roundness
with silicagen. The measured F and  values on
these artificial rock samples are displayed
on the dual logarithmic paper (Fig.2).

140
n = 1.64 n = 4.2
120
100 Glass Sphere Mixture
(Grade No.7 & 3)
80 Glass Sphere Mixture 100
(Grade No.5 & 9)

60 Glass Sphere Mixture

(Grade No.5 & 12)
Glass Spheres
Resistivity Index, RI

Glass Spheres
40
Beach Sand
Factor, F
Factor,F
Formation

10
Formation

20

14 Fluid Porosity, %
12
Oil 30
10 Air 25-30
Gas 25-30
8
Kerosene 25-30
OIl 20
6 Oil 15
1
Unconsolidated Oil 25
Scneres Oil 20
4
2 5 10 20 50 100
10 20 40 60 80 100
Saturation, SW (%)
Porosity, (%)

Figure 3. Relationship between RI and Sw of

Figure 2. Relationship between F and  of the rocks with various porosities and fluids
the rock samples with various grain size and saturation (according to the data of USSR’s
degree of consolidation (After [9]) researchers [7])

It’s shown in the Figure that the line’s than that of the lines of the well sorted grain
angular coefficient (fractal dimension) of samples. Having the same formation factor
unconsolidated samples is smaller than that of (F), samples with larger-granulometric grade,
consolidated samples. The line of the poorly well sorting (grains are uniform), will have
sorted grains samples have angular higher porosity. Similarly, in his paper [7],
coefficient or fractal dimension is smaller Guyod H. (1948) published the result of

petrovietnam preview vol.2-2007 25

USSR’s researchers on the determination of micro pore space microstructure and the
of the relationship between resistivity index RI oil/water distributions within pore space of the
and water saturation Sw that carried out since reservoir, they could be determined by simple
1941 even before Archie equation (6) (Archie regression on the dual logarithmic graph paper.
II) published. The formation of pore space, water, oil
It’s shown from the Figure 3 that the and gas distributions within the reservoir
saturation exponent n could vary in a wide largely depend on many factors in the deposition
range from 1.64 to 4.2, depending on the and sedimentation processes, sedimentary
hydrocarbon saturation and the porosity of rocks. rocks pressure and temperature so that the
The lines show that if water saturation is more fractal dimensions m or n will vary in a range
than 50% then exponet n of water wet instead of having constant value for a rock.
samples is smaller than oil-wet samples, to Identifying fractal dimensions of the reservoir
the contrary if water saturation is less than rocks in a location has allowed to infer their
50% then exponentn of oil-wet samples is petrophysical characteristics of the rock in larger
smaller than water wet samples. area because of fractal’s similarity in the nature.
In the second part, the author will analyze
IV. DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS the changes of the m, n, and a parameters in
Before Fractal geometry introduced, in the Oligocene and Lower Miocene reservoirs
the Petrophysics, the petrophysical parameters in Cuu Long basin, subjected to depositional
(F, RI, m, n and a) were used to study the environment and geological development
reservoir properties the porous reservoir rock history in the region.
that having fractal settings in its space. The paper is an extract from the result of
The cementation factor “m” and the a fundamental research subject, supported by
saturation exponent “n” is the fractal’s dimension the Ministry of Science and Technology.
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