Pore Geometry Effects in

Carbonate Reservoirs

1
 Common Cretaceous
Carbonate Rock Textures
Unlike sandstones,
carbonate pore
systems do not
generally exhibit a
relationship between
pore throat size and
pore body size.

The connectivity
between pores in
carbonates is
generally fairly
chaotic.

2
Pore Geometry Model

Pore
Body

Hi K Plug Scale
Pore Pore
φt = φo + φe
Pore Throat Body
Pore
Body Body
Pore
Body

Low K

3
 Rock Typing Pore Geometry
Rock Type 1

•Largest pore throats

•Well connected
•Lowest Swi
•Highest K
•Intermediate porosity
•Little or no microporosity

4
 Rock Typing Pore Geometry
Rock Type 3

•Strongly Bimodal -Large

and small pore throats
•Some macro pores
connected via micropores
•Higher Swi at a given H
•Intermediate K Back-ups?
•Intermediate to low
porosity
•Abundant microporosity
within grains and matrix
(where present)

5
 Pressure @ 400 psi
Pore Body Size Pore Body Size
10000

Throat Size Throat Size

1000

100
Sw>0.0 & <=0.2
K (md)

Sw>0.2 & <=0.4

10
Sw>0.4 & <=0.6

Sw>0.6 & <=0.8

1

Sw>0.8 & <=1.0

0.1
Greater
probability of
large pore
0.01 bodies
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Phi (%)
6
 Pressure @ 2 psi
10000

1000

100
Sw>0.0 & <=0.2
K (md)

Sw>0.2 & <=0.4

10
Sw>0.4 & <=0.6

Sw>0.6 & <=0.8

1
Sw>0.8 & <=1.0

0.1

0.01
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Phi (%)

7
 Pressure @ 5 psi
10000

Winland
1000 Rock Type
f(k/φ)
100
Sw>0.0 & <=0.2
K (md)

Sw>0.2 & <=0.4

10
Sw>0.4 & <=0.6

Sw>0.6 & <=0.8

1
Sw>0.8 & <=1.0

0.1

0.01
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Phi (%)

8
 Pressure @ 10 psi
10000

1000

100
Sw>0.0 & <=0.2
K (md)

Sw>0.2 & <=0.4

10
Sw>0.4 & <=0.6

Sw>0.6 & <=0.8

1
Sw>0.8 & <=1.0

0.1

0.01
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Phi (%)

9
 Pressure @ 20 psi
10000

1000

100
Sw>0.0 & <=0.2
K (md)

Sw>0.2 & <=0.4

10
Sw>0.4 & <=0.6

Sw>0.6 & <=0.8

1
Sw>0.8 & <=1.0

0.1

0.01
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Phi (%)

10
 Pressure @ 40 psi
10000

1000

100
Sw>0.0 & <=0.2
K (md)

Sw>0.2 & <=0.4

10
Sw>0.4 & <=0.6

Sw>0.6 & <=0.8

1
Sw>0.8 & <=1.0

0.1

0.01
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Phi (%)

11
 Pressure @ 60 psi
10000

Non
1000 Winland
Behavior
100
Sw>0.0 & <=0.2
K (md)

Sw>0.2 & <=0.4

10
Sw>0.4 & <=0.6

Sw>0.6 & <=0.8

1
Sw>0.8 & <=1.0

0.1

0.01
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Phi (%)

12
 Pressure @ 80 psi
10000

1000

100
Sw>0.0 & <=0.2
K (md)

Sw>0.2 & <=0.4

10
Sw>0.4 & <=0.6

Sw>0.6 & <=0.8

1
Sw>0.8 & <=1.0

0.1

0.01
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Phi (%)

13
 Pressure @ 100 psi
10000

1000

100
Sw>0.0 & <=0.2
K (md)

Sw>0.2 & <=0.4

10
Sw>0.4 & <=0.6

Sw>0.6 & <=0.8

1

Sw>0.8 & <=1.0

0.1

0.01
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Phi (%)

14
 Pressure @ 200 psi
10000

1000

100
Sw>0.0 & <=0.2
K (md)

Sw>0.2 & <=0.4

10
Sw>0.4 & <=0.6

Sw>0.6 & <=0.8

1
Sw>0.8 & <=1.0

0.1

0.01
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Phi (%)

15
 Pressure @ 400 psi
10000 Significant
volume of
poorly
1000 connected
porosity
100
Sw>0.0 & <=0.2
K (md)

Sw>0.2 & <=0.4

10
Sw>0.4 & <=0.6

Sw>0.6 & <=0.8

1

Sw>0.8 & <=1.0

0.1

0.01
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Phi (%)

16
 Hydrocarbon Habitat
Oil in both efficient
and occluded pore
Oil in efficient volumes
pore volume
only

60 to 90 psi
Swi
Transition
Zone
Pc = 0
φt = φo + φe

17
 Pore Geometry Effects
Impact of Efficient Porosity
Efficient
•Logs & Core sense total porosity.
Porosity Total
•Efficient porosity contains
hydrocarbons at low buoyancy. Porosity
•Pores connected by efficient porosity
predominately oil wet.
•Occluded pores water wet and
charged only at high buoyancy.

Occluded Efficient

Efficient Phi
Total Phi

φt = φo + φe 18
 Pore Geometry & Formation Evaluation
What is your confidence on Sw?

a=1 m=2.03 n=1.98 Rw=0.018@FT

300

Aquifer Well
SW-OH
250 Sw-TDT
RT-1

Height Above Pc=0

RT-2
RT-3
m = 2.38
RT-4

200

δSw
150
m = 1.75

100
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Sw

Uncertainties: With confidence:

•How to vary Archie exponents as a function of rock type •Connate water properties (Rw, ρwater)
(incorporate Sw from TDT?)
•Oil properties (ρoil)
•Capillary Pressure variables (τ cos θ)
•Pc=0
•Pore Geometry effects upon wettability and water
saturation

19
 Effects of Acidization

Acid Effects
on CH CNL

20
Pore Geometry Model

Pore
Body

Hi K Plug Scale
Pore
Throat
Pore
Body
φt = φo + φe
Pore Pore
Body Body
Pore
Body

Low K

21
 Pore Geometry Model
• Conductivity Equation – conductive matrix model

Cw Cw
Ct = Sw + n
e Swo n

F e F o

φ me
φ mo
Ct = Swe +
e n n
Swo o
aRw aRw
Efficient φ Efficient φ

22
 Conductive Matrix Model
Pore Geometry Model
φ t = φ o+φ e

Assumptions:
10
Φ t = 25%
Rw =0.018
Swo = 100%
me =2.1
Swe = 20%
Resistivity

mo =1.7
Rt
1 n =2.0
Ro
φt = 25%

0.1
0% 10% 20% 30%
Efficient Porosity

23
 Conductive Matrix Model

Pore Geometry Model

φ t = φ o+φ e

10 100% Assumptions:
90%
80% Swo = 100%
70%
Resistivity

60% Rt
1 50% Ro Swe = 20%
40% Swt

φt
30%
20% = 25%
10%
0.1 0%
0% 10% 20% 30%
Efficient Porosity

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 Pore Geometry Model
Occluded φ i Occluded φ
ncreasing filling slowly
Efficient φ
with height
filled low in
column

•Multiple Rock Types can exhibit the same type

Multiple rock
of Efficient φ, making them indistinguishable at
types with
similar low buoyancy pressures.
degrees of •The high conductivity of the Occluded
Efficient φ
φ dominates the resistivity measurement,
especially at low column heights.

25
Questions & Considerations
Discussion

26
Full Cycle Impact of Pore Geometry
• Well Planning
– The position of the target interval as a function of buoyancy is a
critical factor.
• High in the column there is a greater probability that the oil is
charging the occluded pore systems.
• Near Pc=0 only the large pore systems will contain oil.
– Near the contact low drawdown is necessary to prevent coning.
• Horizontal wells that will have small drainage radii.
• Consider using MRC wells to effectively increase drainage area.
• Minimize porpoising. Sumps cut down the effective flowing cross
section, especially in low influx wells.
• Strongly consider OBM drilling fluids combined with UBD and/or
CTD. Also pre-consider the deployment of ICDs.

27
Full Cycle Impact of Pore Geometry
• Drilling the well
– Over balance drilling with non-wetting fluid introduces a relative perm dominated
skin which can be significant in low perm rock.
– Over balance drilling conveys cuttings into the large pore system further reducing
to eliminating perm by reducing or blocking pore throats.
– OBM allows you to easily detect if water is the mobile phase.
• Completions
– Acid is conveyed as ions in water suspension and will only react if they come in
contact with the rock surface. Occluded pore volumes are connected by small
pore throats and are most likely effected. Significant volumes of “trapped” water
can be mobilized.
– Acidization dramatically alters the Kv/Kh in the near wellbore region.
– Acid rinds in perforated completions can never be isolated by conventional
squeezes. The first continuous filament of water entering is conveyable through
the entire continuous perforation length.
– If required in perforated production wells, consider short perforation intervals and
numerous blanks to facilitate conformance at the well.

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Full Cycle Impact of Pore Geometry
• Formation Evaluation
– Computing total porosity is straight forward but what of efficient
porosity?
– Do you trust your Sw computations?
• Archie exponents should be a function of RRT
• Induction tools are conductivity seeking devices
• Does the Archie Sw favorably match capillary response?
• How do you measure drainage RI in oil wet rocks?
• Is there a better way to obtain Sw using logs? Limitations?
– Do you understand your flow SCAL?
• Which volume of porosity are you flowing through in the lab?
• What would your Rel-k curves look like if the occluded pore volume was
eliminated (low buoyancy model)?
• Is the hydrocarbon in the right pore geometry when you execute the test?
• Do you do Deane-Stark on results to verify flood out ROS?
• Have you made experiments that cover the entire column height range?

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Full Cycle Impact of Pore Geometry
• Recovery Process
– Do you understand the relative distributions of
hydrocarbons in the efficient and occluded pore
geometries?
– At low sweep speeds, displacement should be more
piston-like within the efficient pore system.
– Caution that water is often more mobile than the oil.
– ROS will most probably be contained within the
occluded pore volume. The higher the column, the
greater that volume.
• What mechanisms facilitate mobilizing hydrocarbons locked
in occluded pore volumes?

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backups

31
Heterogeneity at the Plug Level

Pore
Body

Plug Scale
Hi K

Pore Pore
Pore Throat Body
Pore
Body Body
Pore
Body

Low K

32
Sample Preparation for RRT
1 ½ x 3 inch host plug (Routine & SCAL)
1 ½ inch RHC
P&P @ 800 psi
P&P @ elevated PSI
FF
Kbrine, miniperm

1 inch RHC 1 inch RHC 1 inch RHC

P&P @ 800 psi P&P @ 800 psi P&P @ 800 psi
FF Miniperm Miniperm
Kbrine, miniperm TS TS spare
MICP MICP spare MICP spare
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