SPE-177327-MS

New Approach for the Classification of Rock Typing Using a New

Technique for Iso-Pore Throat Lines in Winland’s Plot
Khaled J. Al-Qenae, and Salman H. Al-Thaqafi, Al-Khafji Joint Operations

Copyright 2015, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Annual Caspian Technical Conference & Exhibition held in Baku, Azerbaijan, 4 – 6 November 2015.

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Abstract
The new approach aids in assigning the location of the iso-pores throat lines on Winland’s plot. The
approach was verified with a total number of conventional core analysis data that exceeded 1960 data
points from three different sandstones reservoirs. The utilization of the R35 plot will guide through the
number of rock types and their corresponding pore-throat ranges which will aid us in minimizing the
human error while optimizing these iso-pore throat lines locations. Winland’s equation is one of the
powerful methods used to utilize the reservoir properties to classify the number of rock types in a
reservoir. Winland’s plot is a semi-log plot of permeability versus porosity overlaid by the iso-pore throat
lines, R35. These iso-pore throat lines could be shifted based on the reservoir characterizations. The
simplicity of the new approach makes it a must step in every analysis prepared on Winland’s plot. Plotting
a semi-log of sorted R35 versus serial numbers; then, observing the change in the slope of the line, each
change in the slope indicates a new rock type. When applying this approach on three different sandstone
reservoirs, Reservoir A; showed seven detailed rock types. Eight detailed rock types were indicated in
reservoir B and nine detailed rock types were indicated in reservoir C. It also gives the engineers and
petro-physicists the choice of combining similar rock types together resulting in an optimum rock system.
These rock types were confirmed with the static models and proves the solidity of the new approach in
categorizing the optimum number of rock types. The value added in the new approach aids in the
determination of where these iso-pore throat lines should be placed to give the optimum classification on
the rock typing, as a substitute to the current subjective approach. An automated process was programmed
to assist the user in the classification of the rock types and it automatically displays the values for any
given reservoir.
Introduction
H. D. Winland developed an empirical relationship among porosity, air permeability, and the pore
aperture corresponding to a mercury saturation of 35% (R35) for a mixed suite of sandstones and
carbonates. Winland ran regressions for other percentiles (30, 40, and 50), but the best correlation (highest
R) was the 35th percentile (1). The Winland equation was used and published by Kolodzie (1980) (2).
Winland Equation
Log (R35) ⫽ 0.732 ⫹ 0.588Log (Kair) ⫺ 0.864Log (␾)
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Winland’s equation is a one of the powerful methods used to utilize the reservoir properties as
permeability and porosity to classify the number of rock types available in a reservoir. Winland’s plot
helps engineers and petro-physicists to understand their reservoirs’ rock properties.
Winland’s plot is a semi-log plot of permeability versus porosity overlaid by the iso-pore throat lines
that represents the pore throat radius corresponding to the 35th percentile of the non-wetting phase
saturation, R35. These iso-pore throat lines could be shifted upwards or downwards based on the reservoir
permeability, porosity data and the available pore throat radiuses.

Value Added
Here, the new approach aids in the determination of where these iso-pore throat lines should be
placed to give the optimum classification on the rock typing, as a substitute to the current subjective
approach.
The simplicity of the new approach makes it a must step in every analysis prepared on Winland’s
plot. Plotting a semi-log of sorted R35 (ascending order) versus serial numbers; then, observing the
change in the slope of the line, each change in the slope indicates a new rock type. Figure. 1 shows
an illustration diagram on how this approach is plotted and it indicates the different slope change.
Figure. 2 shows and illustration diagram on how this approach is plotted in a Cartesian Plot. Cartesian
Plot could be plotted too but the semi-log plot represents the small change in the data in more detail.

Figure 1—New Approach Semi-log Plot Diagram

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Figure 2—New Approach Cartesian Plot Diagram

After the slopes are indicated, their ranges are inserted and used in the Winland’s plot to place the iso-pore
throat lines. Figure. 3 shows an illustration diagram of Winland’s plot showing the iso-pore throat lines.

Figure 3—Winland’s Plot illustration Diagram

Methodology

The procedure for this new approach is as follows:

1. Calculate R35 for all permeability and porosity available for the reservoir
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2. Sort these calculated R35 from the smallest to the largest value.
3. Plot semi-log R35 (x-axis) vs. serial numbers (Figure 1).
4. Observe the slope change in the plot and note down their range of R35.
5. Enter these R35 values in Winland’s plot for the iso-pore throat lines (Figure 3).
Step 3 can be repeated on a Cartesian plot (Figure. 2) to cross check the number of rock types available
in the reservoir, number of slope from both plots must be comparable disregarding the boundary limits.
Case Studies and Results
Case A (Sandstone Reservoir)
This case study is about a sandstone reservoir considered one of the biggest reservoirs in the area. Figure.4
shows Case (A) applied to the new approach, subdividing the reservoir into seven detail rock types,
engineering sense showed that more than one rock type can be combined together resulting in only five
rock types instead of seven and the plot supports this engineering sense. Figure.5 is exactly the same plot
as the previous plot but plotted on a Cartesian plot. When comparing both plots, it results in more
understanding of the reservoir’s porosity and permeability and it clearly shows that both plots are
comparable. As shown in figure.10, the iso-pore throat lines are perfectly placed between the data points
categorizing the rock types from one to seven. The above case study contains more than 700 data points
from the same reservoir. Figure 4 and 5 indicates the exact number for rock types.

Figure 4 —Semi-log Plot for Case A

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Figure 5—Cartesian Plot for Case A

Table 1—Lower and Upper Boundaries for Case A

Rock Type Lower Boundary Upper Boundary

1 43 –
2 22 43
3 9.5 22
4 5.5 9.5
5 1.4 5.5
6 0.35 1.4
7 – 0.35

Case B (Sandstone Reservoir)

This case study is about another sandstone reservoir located in the same area. Figure.6 shows Case (B)
applied to the new approach, subdividing the reservoir into eight detail rock types, engineering sense
showed that more than one rock type can be combined together resulting in only four rock types instead
of eight and the plot supports this engineering sense. Figure.7 is exactly the same plot as the previous plot
but plotted on a Cartesian plot. When comparing both plots, it results in more understanding of the
reservoir’s porosity and permeability and it clearly shows that both plots are comparable. As shown in the
plot in figure.11, the iso-pore throat lines are perfectly placed between the data points categorizing the
rock types from one to eight. The above case study contains more than 290 data points from the same
reservoir. Figure 6 and 7 indicates the exact number for rock types.
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Figure 6 —Semi-log Plot for Case B

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Figure 7—Cartesian Plot for Case B

Table 2—Lower and Upper Boundaries for Case B

Rock Type Lower Boundary Upper Boundary

1 32 –
2 20 32
3 8 20
4 2.8 8
5 0.9 2.8
6 0.3 0.9
7 0.15 0.3
8 – 0.15

Case C (Sandstone Reservoir)

This case study is about a sandstone reservoir considered the second biggest reservoir in terms of structure
in the area. Figure.8 shows Case (C) applied to the new approach, subdividing the reservoir into nine detail
rock types, engineering sense showed that more than one rock type can be combined together resulting
in only five rock types instead of nine and the plot supports this engineering sense. Figure.9 is exactly the
same plot as the previous plot but plotted on a Cartesian plot. When comparing both plots, it results in
more understanding of the reservoir’s porosity and permeability and it clearly shows that both plots are
comparable. As shown in the plot in figure.12, the iso-pore throat lines are perfectly placed between the
data points categorizing the rock types from one to nine. The above case study contains more than 950
data points from the same reservoir. Figure 8 and 9 indicates the exact number for rock types.
8 SPE-177327-MS

Figure 8 —Semi-log Plot for Case C

SPE-177327-MS 9

Figure 9 —Cartesian Plot for Case C

Table 3—Lower and Upper Boundaries for Case C

Rock Type Lower Boundary Upper Boundary

1 58 –
2 45 58
3 30 45
4 16 30
5 5 16
6 2.4 5
7 1.3 2.4
8 0.3 1.3
9 – 0.3
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Figure 10 —Winland’s Plot with the Iso-pore Throat Lines from the New Approach

Figure 11—Winland’s Plot with the Iso-pore Throat Lines from the New Approach
SPE-177327-MS 11

Figure 12—Winland’s Plot with the Iso-pore Throat Lines from the New Approach

Generated Program
An automated process was programmed to assist the user in the classification of the rock types. The user
enters the reservoirs permeability and porosity then the program does the following:
1. Calculates R35,
2. Sorts the values ascending,
3. Calculates the slope between each two points,
Then the generated program gives the user the number of rock types and their corresponding ranges
which could then be used in Winland’s plot for further analysis. Figure.14 shows a preview example of
this generated program.

Representing Winland’s Plot on a log-log Scale

This log-log representation of Winland’s plot is used by the reservoir engineers and the petro-physicists
as a quick indication look to observe the dispersion of data in the reservoir and gives an idea of where the
majority of the data falls in, showing what rock type dominates in the reservoir by studying the cluster
density of each rock type. Figure.13 is a log-log Winland’s plot of case (B) showing that rock type one
and eight have a low percentage of data compared to the other rock types therefore the reservoir engineers
and the petro-physicists after using the new approach to determine the iso-pore throat line then this
quick-look plot can be used to observe the possibility of merging one or more rock types due to their
occurrence in that plot.
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Figure 13—Log-Log Winland’s Plot

Figure 14 —Generated Program Preview Window

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Assigning Capillary Pressure Curves for each Rock Type

Having eight (8) samples of capillary pressure data for case (B); shown in figure.15, of which two (2)
samples were grouped due to their similarity resulting in seven (7) different types of capillary pressures
available in this sandstone reservoir, analysis was done assigning each Pc curve to rock type analysis was
completed and resulted as follows:

Figure 15—Pc Curves for Case (B)

Rock Type Corresponding Pc Curve Swirr

1 A 1.82
2 A 1.82
3 B 5.9
4 C 9.5
5 D⫹E 12.3
6 F 16.9
7 G 27.4
8 H 31.82

Conclusions and Recomendations

● The new approach assisted in the elimination of the human error as it gives a unique solution for
these iso-pore throat lines locations, providing us the capability of combining different rock types
together if needed.
● The new approach assisted us in the classification of the rock types in our reservoirs and it gave
us the capability of dividing the reservoir into detail and fine rock typing according to the small
slopes.
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● Reservoir management team may choose to overlook the slightly tilted slope and only confirm the
highly tilted slope.
● This approach was done for each separate well in the reservoir and the slopes were noted, then they
were compared with another plot that was comprised of all the data from all wells; the results were
comparable among both, therefore it was concluded its more time-efficient to plot all the
reservoir’s data in a single plot and division based on the slope change could be done on this single
plot rather than doing the same process for each separate well in each reservoir which could be in
a degree of hundreds wells.
● The new approach gave us the major guidelines in rock typing categorizing, afterwards reservoir
engineering and petro-physical senses plays a great role in combination of rock typing using the
new approach plots and the log-log representation of Winland’s plot for identifying out the
more/less dense rock types and their corresponding weight of the total data to end with an realistic
rock typing study of the reservoir.
● Using the new approach on a semi-log plot for iso-pore throat lines boundary limits is more
sensible compared to the Cartesian plot, but both plots are used to find the number of rock types
available in the set of data and are again used while the combination of more than one rock type
takes place.
● The more porosity-permeability data are available from conventional core analysis the better the
analysis defines the reservoir condition.
● The generated program was programmed by us to capture the slope change in the reservoir’s data,
and it automatically outputs the number of rock types the reservoir have.
● When comparing with the analytical approach, the difference was minimal. When using this
generated program both reservoir engineering and petro-physical senses are necessary to combine
rock types if needed.
● Currently we are upgrading the generated program to tie the boundary limits with the iso-pore lines
on Winland’s plot, in other words; as soon as we insert the reservoirs raw data (porosity and
permeability) it calculates all necessary calculations and it generates the final product of Winland’s
plot from the read boundary limits from the program analysis database.
● The assigning of capillary pressures to the rock types was done by assigning the best available
capillary pressure curve to the best rock type. More detail analysis approach is needed to verify
exactly which curve should be assigned to which rock type but this was not the primary objective
of this study.
● The new approach also stands for other percentiles regressions and for any other porosity-
permeability related classification correlations i.e. Pittman.

Nomenclature
R35 ⫽ Pore throat radius corresponding to the 35th percentile of the non-wetting phase saturation.
Kair ⫽ Permeability
Pc ⫽ Caperilly Pressure.
Swirr ⫽ Irredicable water saturation.

Greek Letters
␾ ⫽ Porosity

Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Al-Khafji Joint Operations (KJO) for providing us with the opportunity to
document and share our analysis and findings to the industry.
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References
F. Ferrer, M. Vielma, A. Lezama, ⬙Permeability Model Calibration and Pore Throat Radius Deter-
mination Using Core analysis and NMR Data in Mixed-Lithology Reservoirs⬙, 2007
Stanley Kolodzie Jr., Amoco Production Company, ⬙Analysis Of Pore Throat Size And Use Of The
Waxman-Smits Equation To Determine OOIP In Spindle Field, Colorado⬙, 1980. SPE 9382
Gunter, G. W. et al., 2010, NExT, Integrated Reservoir Analysis Course Notes, NExT-SLB, Chpts 4.
Al-Qenae, K. Al-Sultan, A and Al-Kandary T, 2012, KJO, ⬙Petrophysical and Log Analysis Study on
Well K-abc⬙ Internal Project.