Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS

Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering Department

Reservoir Rock and Fluid properties Laboratory

Lab Experiment No. 4: Permeability Test (Liquid)

1.

Objective:
To determine the permeability of core plug sample by using the Benchtop
Permeability System (BPS-805).
2.

Introduction

The BPS-805 is a set of benchtop components for performing flow tests on core
samples to determine specific, effective, and relative permeability. The system can be
configured to use liquids and gases at ambient temperatures. The standard plug size
coreholder can be utilized to 10000 psig confining pressure and up to 9500 psig pore pressure
with 1 inch and 1.5 inch diameter samples that are up to 4 inches long. Full diameter options
are also available. Standard material of construction is 316 stainless steel.
2.

Major Components

The BPS-805 system consists of six major components

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
3.
1.

HPLC pump for fluid delivery.

Hassler type core holder.
Confining pressure system.
Differential pressure measurement system.
Dome loaded backpressure regulator.
Optional data acquisition system consisting of BPS-805 software program.
Operating Procedure

Loading a core sample in the core holder

1. Open the confining bleed valve on the panel and set the pump reservoir cap to the
close position.
2. Close the three-pronged relief valve on the side of the pump.
3. Generate a vacuum on the core sleeve by pumping the hand-held vacuum pump.
4. Insert the saturated core sample in the downstream end of the holder.
5. Flow the core sample with the downstream and piece with spacer and downstream cap
end.
6. Screw the downstream end cap all the way on while aligning the outlet tubes with the
two 1/8 bulkhead fittings on th front panel.
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7. Select the appropriate upstream spacer to be used with the core sample being loaded.
8. Insert the upstream end piece with the appropriate spacer into the core. Make sure the
spacer is properly aligning on the end piece.
9. Gently guide the axial nut over the inlet tube fittings
10. Open the downstream isolate valve.
11. Close the confining bleed valve.
12. Open the confining isolate valve.
13. Set the pump reservoir cap to the vent position.
14. Pump the confining fluid system to the desired confining pressure
15. Close the confining isolate valve.
16. Connect the fittings to the inlet and outlet tubes.
2.

Measuring liquid permeability

The following procedure describes the basic operation of the BPS-805.

1. After loading the core sample and confining pressure on the core sample.
2. Set the dP transducers bypass valve to the bypass position.
3. If the test is to be run at elevated pore pressure, set the backpressure regulator to the
desired setting.
4. Set the pump direction pump on the front panel to the core position.
5. Open the downstream isolate valve.
6. Zero the delta-P transducer indictor by the pressing the >/T are bottom on the
display meter.
7. Open the upstream isolate valve.
8. Start the injection pump with a low flow rate.
9. The flow rate can be changed at any time by entering a new value from the pump
control.
10. Once the flow is stabilized monitor the upstream pressure.
11. Record the stable delta-P value versus flow rate for permeability calculation.
12. Stop the pump.
13. Unload the core sample and warp in plastic warp
14. Clean the core holder annulus and flow tubing.
3.

Permeability calculations

The permeability is calculated by using the flow rate and differential pressure that
were recorded from the previous step. The permeability for a specific fluid can then be
calculated by the following equation:
K

Where

14700 * * Q * L
A * P

(1)

K = liquid permeability in millidarcy, md

= the viscosity of the flowing liquid centipoises, cp
Q = liquid flow rate cc/sec
L = length of the core sample centimeter, cm
A = area of the core sample square centimeter, cm2
P = differential pressure across the core sample, psi
14700 = conversion factor, converts psi to atmospheres and from Darcy to millidarcy.
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4.

Results and discussion

From the results reported by BPS-805, manually, select and calculate three different
values of permeability and then evaluate the average permeability for the used core sample.
The permeability is may calculated by the following equation.
K

14700 * * Q * L
A * P

In this equation, all the parameters are known except the area, so you ca calculate the
area of the core sample by using the following equation
A

* D2
4

When you finish calculation, key in the results in the Table.

Calculations:

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Laboratory Report for Exp. No 4: Permeability Test

Universiti Teknologi Petronas

Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering Department
Reservoir Rock and Fluid properties Laboratory
Key in parameters
Core plug sample ID
1

Core plug sample diameter (D)

cm

Core plug sample length (L)

cm

Core plug sample weight (W)

Room temperature (T)

Co

Confining pressure (P)

psi

Fluid flow rate (Q) (divide it by 60 sec)

Fluid viscosity ()

cc/sec
cp

Permeability Calculations
First permeability value
8

Area of the core sample (A)

Pressure differential (dP)

cm2
psi

10 First permeability value (K)

md

Second permeability value

11 Pressure differential (dP)

psi

12 Second permeability value (K)

md

Third permeability value

13 Pressure differential (dP)

psi

14 Third permeability value (K)

md

15 Average permeability value

md
Date

GA name:

Signature

Discussions:
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Conclusions:
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Do not submit the information pages with the Lab report5