Developing a Generalized Correlation to Obtain Steady-State Based Permeability Using a Probe Permeameter

Abstract

The importance of permeability cannot be under-stimated. It is used in crucial equations used to determine quantities analysed by reservoir, drilling, and production engineers. Using permeability along with other properties is important to understanding reservoir behaviour when wells are drilled, to calculate the rate of the fluid flow, as illustrated by Darcy's equation that relates fluid flow to permeability. Measuring permeability in the laboratory with the conventioanl available steady-state equipment can be time consuming, especially if it was done by gas injection which requires measuring at different pressure points to satisfy Klinkenberg equation. A quick measuring equipment called the prob permeameter have been used for many years, it quantitatively performs a permeability point measurement as a function of position on either a whole core, slabbed core or a rock slab. However, despite of its prompt and easy measurement, most of the results represents a general idea about the actual permeability and sometimes even falls out of the range, which makes it unrelaiable. Series of experiments were conducted for a variety of rock samples with a wide range of permeability ranging from tight to permeable, to compare the generated results between both of the above equipment. The results were graphed and been compared using different point of views, mathematicalwise, petroleum engineeringwise, and geologicalwise. Ultimately, an equation to correlate between the results was developed graphically and using logistic regression techniques.