ABSTRACT

We need to study the porosity and permeability of reservoir rocks before proceeds to
the other steps in upstream industry. As a petroleum engineer we have to know these
properties. To know whether the rock have both this properties, we have to conduct an
experiment. During this experiment, the porosity of rocks can be determined by using Liquid
Saturating Method. We were given two different type of rocks in this experiment namely
sample 1 which is sandstone and sample 2 is shale.
In this experiment, the determination of effective liquid porosity of porous plug is the
initial part of the measurement of capillary pressure using liquid saturating method methods
in core laboratories. Before the capillary pressure is determined, the volume of the saturating
liquid which is brine in the core must be known. Thus, the effective liquid porosity of core
can be calculated in the beginning of capillary pressure measurement.
In the end of the experiment, we can determine which types of rock sample have
higher effective porosity by calculating the percentage of effective porosity for both of the
rock sample. By referring to data that we have collected, sandstone which is core sample 1
have higher percentage of porosity compared to core sample 2 which is shale rock.

INTRODUCTION
The most important properties of a reservoir rock are porosity and permeability.
Porosity is a measure of storage capacity of a reservoir. Permeability of a rock is a measure of
the resistance to the flow of a fluid through a rock. It is defined as the ratio of the pore
volume to bulk volume and is may be expressed as either a percent or a fraction. In equation
form, porosity can be expressed as:

pore volume
bulk volume

bulk volumegrain volume

bulk volume

Two types of porosity may be measured: total or absolute porosity and effective
porosity. Total porosity is defined as the ratio of the volume of all the voids to the bulk
volume. Effective porosity, is the ratio of interconnected void spaces to the bulk volume.
Thus, only the effective porosity contains fluid that can be produced from wells. For granular
material such as sandstone, the effective porosity may approach the total porosity, however,
for shales and for highly cemented or vugular rocks such as limestone, large variation may
exist between effective and total porosity.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the interconnecting pore volume and effective porosity of core samples

by Liquid Saturating Method.

To determine the percentage of effective porosity of the core samples.
To determine which of the core samples have higher effective porosity.

THEORY
Porosity is a measure of storage capacity of a reservoir. It is defined as the ratio of the
pore volume to bulk volume, and is may be expressed as either a percent or a fraction. There
are two type of porosity that can be measured, total/absolute porosity and effective porosity.
The definition of total porosity is the ratio of all the pore spaces in a rock to the bulk volume
of the rock. For effective porosity, e it is the ratio of interconnected void spaces to the bulk
volume. Therefore, to extract the fluid from a reservoir, we must study the rocks effective
porosity.
In this experiment, we will be studying the porosity of Sandstone and Limestone. For
granular materials such as sandstone, the effective porosity may approach the total porosity,
however, and for highly cemented or vugular rocks such as some limestones, large variations
may exist between effective and total porosity.
The method to calculate and determine the percentage of effective porosity is called
the fluid saturation method. Based on this general equation

By using fluid saturation method, we need to determine the bulk volume (Vb) by Volumetric
methods which is to measure the change in volume when the sample is immersed in fluid,
then we need to determine the dry sample (Wdry), saturated sample (Wsat), so that we can
calculate the brine weight (Wbrine). From the brine weight, we can determine the pore
volume (Vp). From all the measurement that we got, lastly, we can determine the effective
porosity,e.

DISCUSSION
The sample rocks pores, which is red gypsum and white marble does not completely
filled with brine throughout the entire process of because not all the pores are interconnecting
with each other. There are some part of the empty space does not interconnecting with each
other, thus not all brine solution can be reached at every corner of the pores in the rock. This
apply in the real life application with symbolize that not all petroleum can be entirely filled
up all the pores in the rock. The pores does not have same characteristic among themselves.
The mineral in the local rock structure sometimes contain pores that have water or brine.
Both of the sample rock which is red gypsum that have cylindrical shape rock and white
marble which have imperfect cubical shape has lower porosity compare to the sandstone. The
arrangement of grain in both rock are vary thus the porosity of the rock are different as well.
The sandstone has more space and it is more interconnected. As the result, the bigger the
space of pores and interconnectivity in the rock, the higher the porosity, which lead to brine
occupying the pores.
The porosity of a rock can be a major aspect to contain the amount of hydrocarbon.
Porosity consists of small space which can be kept the hydrocarbon in that particular rock.
This indicate that the higher the porosity, the higher the ability of the rock to store
hydrocarbon. Vice versa, if the rock does not porous, hydrocarbon cannot be located in the
rock because not tiny space for the hydrocarbon to be kept properly. Porosity is a crucial
aspect to determine the oil and gas contain the certain rock, which lead to extraction of
hydrocarbon in that particular area containing abundant of that type of rock.
The effectiveness of porosity are yield by measuring the pore volume. There is a
massive number of methods from insertion on fluid into the pores to extraction of fluid from
the rock. One of the methods is helium technique which employed Boyles Law. Helium, is
one of the molecule that has small size can easily penetrate through the small pores. Not only
that, the inert characteristic of Helium does not react with the rock surface unlike the air
might do. Helium also has optimum pressure and temperature for the test and high diffusivity.
The use of Helium is crucial in determining the porosity of the rock because of the
characteristic that has been stated. Brine is much bigger than Helium but still, it can penetrate
into the pores of the rock and give accurate results. This is because, the concentration of 36
g/l of NaCl are used due to the same saturation as the salt water. The usage of brine instead of
Helium makes the maximum saturation varies.

Liquid Saturating Method is a method by filling the rock sample with brine, when
saturated in subsurface to determining the volume of the rock. The rock is wholly filled with
brined and proceeding to volume calculation by using water displacement method.

REFERENCES
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3. Nontechnical guide to Petroleum Geology, Exploration Drilling and Production. 2nd
Edition. 2001. Norman J Hyne, Ph. D. Penn Well Corporation. Tulsa, Oklahoma.
4. Elements of Petroleum Geology. 2nd Edition. 1998. C.S. Richard. Department of
Geology Imperial College, London, United Kingdom.
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relationships in three-phase porous media systems, Journal of Contaminant
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