Determining multiple length scales in rocks
Carbonate reservoirs in the Middle East are believed to contain about half of the world's oil. The processes of sedimentation and diagenesis produce in carbonate rocks microporous grains and a wide range of pore sizes, resulting in a complex spatial distribution of pores and pore connectivity....
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Published in | Nature (London) Vol. 406; no. 6792; pp. 178 - 181 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
London
Nature Publishing
13.07.2000
Nature Publishing Group |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Carbonate reservoirs in the Middle East are believed to contain about half
of the world's oil. The processes of sedimentation and diagenesis
produce in carbonate rocks microporous grains and a wide range of pore sizes,
resulting in a complex spatial distribution of pores and pore connectivity. This heterogeneity makes it difficult to determine by conventional
techniques the characteristic pore-length scales, which control fluid transport
properties. Here we present a bulk-measurement technique that is non-destructive
and capable of extracting multiple length scales from carbonate rocks. The
technique uses nuclear magnetic resonance to exploit the spatially varying
magnetic field inside the pore space itself-a 'fingerprint'
of the pore structure. We found three primary length scales (1-100 µm)
in the Middle-East carbonate rocks and determined that the pores are well
connected and spatially mixed. Such information is critical for reliably estimating
the amount of capillary-bound water in the rock, which is important for efficient
oil production. This method might also be used to complement other techniques for the study of shaly sand reservoirs and compartmentalization
in cells and tissues. |
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Bibliography: | erratum ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-2 ObjectType-Feature-1 |
ISSN: | 0028-0836 1476-4687 |
DOI: | 10.1038/35018057 |