Porosity

Definition of Porosity
Porosity is the fraction of the bulk volume of a
material (rock) that is not occupied by solid particles
(pore space).

Rock matrix Pore space

Significance of Porosity

Rock matrix Water Oil and/or gas

Pore Throat

Pore
Throat Pores Provide the
Volume to Store
Hydrocarbons

Pore Throats Restrict

Flow through pores

Scanning Electron Micrograph

Norphlet Formation, Offshore Alabama, USA
Cubical Packing
Porosity is 47.6%
Rhombohedral Packing
Porosity is 26%
Two Sizes of Spheres
Porosity is 14%
 Grain-Size Sorting in Sandstone

Very Well Well Moderately Poorly Very Poorly

Sorted Sorted Sorted Sorted Sorted

SORTING
Porosity
Effect of Grain Shape

High

Low Sub- Sub- Well-

Rounded Rounded
Angular Rounded
Very
Angular ROUNDNESS
Angular
Porosity
 Example: Sandstone

PORE
FRAMEWORK
CEMENT (QUARTZ) MATRIX

FRAMEWORK
(FELDSPAR)

0.25 mm
Origin of Porosity
Original Porosity (Primary Porosity)
Developed at deposition
Is generally uniform
Examples:
Intergranular sandstone porosity
Some intercrystaline limestone

Induced Porosity (Secondary Porosity)

Developed by geological processes after deposition
(compaction, cement precipitation, dissolution)
Not uniform
It may enhance or degrade reservoir quality
Examples:
Grain dissolution
Vugs and solution cavities
Fracture development
Factors Affecting Porosity
Original Porosity
Grain shape
Packing
Sorting

Induced Porosity
Cementing materials
Overburden stress (compaction)
Vugs, dissolution, and fractures
Dissolution Porosity

Partially Dissolution of
Dissolved Framework Grains
Feldspar (Feldspar, for
Example) and
Cement may
Pore Enhance the
Interconnected
Quartz Detrital Pore System
Grain
This is Secondary
Thin Section Micrograph - Plane Polarized Light
Avile Sandstone, Neuquen Basin, Argentina
Porosity
Dissolution Porosity

Dissolution Pores
May be Isolated and
not Contribute to the
Partially Effective Pore System
Dissolved
Feldspar

Scanning Electron Micrograph

Photo by R.L. Kugler
Tordillo Formation, Neuquen Basin, Argentina
 Sandstones Porosity Types
Intergranular (Primary) Interstitial Void Space Between
Framework Grains

Micropores Small Pores Mainly Between Detrital

Framework Grains or Cement

Dissolution Partial or Complete Dissolution of

or Authigenic Grains (Can Also Occur
Within Grains)

Fractures Breakage Due to Earth Stresses

PETE 311

Laboratory Determination
of Porosity
P1
P2

Core
Measuring Porosity
We have a rock, we want to measure its porosity
What Parameters do we Need?

1 - Bulk Volume
2 - Pore Volume
3 - Grain Volume We need 2 parameters

Pore Space
=
Bulk Volume
Bulk Volume Measurement

1 Direct Calculation
Applied for uniformly shaped rocks
Calculated from measured rock dimensions

2 Fluid Displacement
Applied for rocks with any shape
- Volumetric
- Gravimetric
Bulk Volume Measurement
Fluid Displacement

We should prevent fluid from entering the pores

1 Coating the surface of the rock with

an impermeable material
2 Saturating the rock with the same
fluid
3 Using mercury
 Bulk Volume Measurement
Fluid Displacement

Volumetric Method
Mark fluid level
Immerse the rock in the fluid
Measure the increase in fluid level
Bulk Volume = Volume of fluid displaced
 Bulk Volume Measurement
Fluid Displacement

Gravimetric
Based on Archimedes Principle
Up-thrust (F) = Weight of displaced fluid
Apparent weight = Real weight F

Measure the weight of the rock in the fluid

Measure the weight of the rock in air
Calculate F
Calculate volume of displaced fluid
(given fluid density)
 Examples
1 A 1-inch diameter cylindrical core is saturated
with water and immersed in a graduated cylinder
containing water. The volume of displaced water
is measured to be 50.67 cc. Calculate the length
of the core.

2 The weight of a dry core in air is 93 g. When

the core was coated with Paraffin (density = 0.9
g/cc) the weight was measured to be 94.4 g. The
weight of the coated core immersed in water is
measured to be 50.8 g. Calculate the bulk
volume of the core.