Geofluids (Jan 2022)

Analysis of Microstructure and Low Permeability with 3D Digital Rock Modeling

  • Jinsui Wu,
  • Min Xing,
  • Shangxian Yin,
  • Ciyuan Zhang,
  • Xuexi Chen,
  • Sihai Yi,
  • Huiqing Lian,
  • Dongyu Xie

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/2462652
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2022

Abstract

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The sandstone microstructure and permeability are important parameters for quantitative evaluation of groundwater/oil/gas resources and prediction of flow rates of water/oil/gas. In this study, we applied seven low-permeability sandstone samples obtained from North China to research the microstructure and permeability based on digital core technology. Rock images were collected by X-ray microcomputed tomography (μCT), and then software (Avizo) was applied to analyze the microstructure and calculate the parameters such as porosity, connected porosity, average equivalent diameter, tortuosity, and shape factor. By introducing the shape factor into the Kozeny–Carman equation, we modified the Kozeny–Carman equation and found that the modified equation is a function of porosity, diameter of particles, tortuosity, and particle shape factor.