Petrophysical Characterization of Gas Reservoir Rock Samples using High Resolution Micro-CT Images

Petrophysical Characterization of Gas Reservoir Rock Samples using High Resolution Micro-CT Images

Krassakopoulos, G.

Zitha, P.L.J. (mentor)
Kosack, C. (mentor)

Civil Engineering and Geosciences

Geoscience & Engineering

Petroleum Engineering

2013-12-18

Petrophysical analysis of reservoir rocks constitutes an integral part of hydrocarbon exploration and production. Properties such as porosity and permeability greatly influence decision making in all phases of planning and execution of oil and gas activities. Furthermore, the industry and academia are equally interested in the in-depth investigation of pore network properties of porous rock in order to advance studies on flow and solid-fluid phase interaction. Typically, petrophysical analysis is conducted through ‘analog’ testing of rock samples using equipment that derive the aforementioned properties through direct physical interaction. Such methods share limitations derived from a non-integrated, non-standardized overall methodology, manifesting as variable error of measurements. The present thesis proposes a digital image based petrophysical analysis method that aims to mitigate such limitations through detailed monitoring. Through the application of an integrated scan-to-measurements process, 3D X-Ray images of five core plugs originating from a Dutch gas offshore field are thoroughly analyzed. Petrophysical properties such as porosity and permeability are quantified, but the methodology also assesses and quantifies pore network features such as grains, pores and pore throats. All steps of this process are thoroughly described, along with - where applicable - alternate relevant approaches. The results of this image based petrophysical analysis are compared to measurements obtained through the use of conventional core analysis methods, as well as relevant literature. The outcome of this comparison illustrates the strengths and areas of improvement of the proposed methodology. Conclusively, the reasoning for transitioning from ‘analog’ to image based petrophysical analysis is validated, and a future outlook is also presented.

petrophysics
micro-CT
image analysis

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:1b194dd6-5f08-4187-958c-e5d096da144a

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2013 Krassakopoulos, G.