"EMPIRICALLY DERIVED CAPILLARY PRESSURE DATA

FROM CORE ANALYSES: APPLICATIONS TO MODELLING

PORE GEOMETRY IN CARBONATE RESERVOIRS,
SOUTHEASTERN SASKATCHEWAN"

D. KENT M. YURKOWSKI E. STRACHAN

this article begins on the next page F

PETROLEUM SOCIETY OF CIM AND CANMET -5scl3 -12, PAPER NO. 12 THIS IS A PREPRINT - SUBJECT TO CORRECTION EMPIRICALLY DERIVED CAPILLARY PRESSURE DATA FROM CORE ANALYSES: APPLICATIONS TO MODELLING PORE GEOMETRY IN CARBONATE RESERVOIRS, SOUTHEASTERN SASKATCHEWAN D. Kent M. Yurkowski E. Strachan University of Regina PUBUCATION RIGHTS RESERVED THIS PAPER IS TO BE PRESENTED AT THE FIFTH PETROLEUM CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH SASKATCHEWAN SECTION, THE PETROLEUM SOCIETY OF CIM, HELD WITH CANMET IN REGINA OCTOBER 18-20,1993. DISCUSSION
OF THIS PAPER IS INVITED. SUCH DISCUSSION MAY BE PRESENTED AT THE TECHNICAL MEETING AND WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR PUBLICATION IN CIM JOURNALS IF FILED IN WRITING WITH THE TECHNICAL PROGRAM CHAIRMAN PRIOR TO THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEETING. ABSTRACT Mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) analyses applied to modelling reservoir rock pore systems was popularized a little more than a decade ago. However, MICP analyses are time consuming and there is a need to utilize existing MICP databases to determine the pore geometry parametersfor
unanalyzed reservoir rocks. Recent studies have demonstrated that pore throat sorting and displacement pressure are two MICP parameters that may be used to characterize reservoir pore systems. These two parameters can be quantified by one value, R35, the pore throat size at 35% mercury saturation in an MICP analysis. The relationship between R35 and porosity andpermeability may be determined using multiple regression, making data_from core analyses a useful means of quantifying pore geometry in a reservoir interval and graphs of R35 vs core analyses depths can be used to
characterize pore geometry variations in those intervals. Two hundred and thirty five MICP analyses from reservoir studies in Saskatchewan make an excellent database to characterize the pore geometry of reservoir and non-reservoir rocks using R351depth plots. The combination of these plots and detailed lithologic studies, including facies and diagenetic analyses, promote a better understanding ofthe factors influencing reservoir quality in some Afiddle Devonian Winnipegosis and Mississippian Frobisher andmidale reservoirs. _ INTRODUCTION The implementation of enhanced
recovery techniques to improve reservoir productivity mitigates that the geology of the reservoir rocks, is well understood. Two elements of the geology, litho@s and diagenesis, can significantly influence reservoir pore geometry, and thus reservoir quality. Pore geometry can be characterized using components of mercury injection capillary pressure analyses (MICP), particularly unifo@ty of pore throat sizes and displacement pressure (entry pressure). Mercury injection capillary pressure analyses have been an integral part of carbonate rock hydrocarbon reservoir studies carried out
by graduate students and faculty of the Department of Geology, University of Regina, during the past 16 years. From the beginning, it was anticipated that by including this procedure in the reservoir studies, it would helped, firstly, to develop a better understanding of the geometi), of an assortment of pore networks in carbonate reservoir rocks; and secondly, it would establish a database
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PETROLEUM SOCIETY OF CIM AND CAN MET PAPER NO 12

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THIS IS A PREPRINT - SUBJECT TO CORRECTION

EMPIRICALLY DERIVED CAPILLARY PRESSURE DATA FROM CORE

ANALYSES: APPLICATIONS TO MODELLING PORE GEOMETRY IN
CARBONATE RESERVOIRS, SOUTHEASTERN SASKATCHEWAN

D. Kenl
M. Yurkowski
E. SLrachan
University of Regina

PUBLICATION RIGHTS RESERVED

THIS PAPER IS TO BE PRESENTED AT THE FIFTH PETROLEUM CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH SASKATCHEWAN SECTION, THE
PETROLEUM SOCIETY OF CIM, HELD WITH CANMET IN REGINA OCTOBER 15-20, 1993. DISCUSSION OF THIS PAPER IS INVITED.
SUCH DISCUSSION MAY BE PRESENTED AT THE TECHNICAL MEETING AND WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR PUBLICATION IN CIM
JOURNALS IF FILED IN WRITING WITH THE TECHNICAL PROGRAM CHAIRMAN PRIOR TO THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEETING.

j
'. ,"

ABSTRACT including Jacies and diagenetic analyses, promote a better

Mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) analyses
applied to modelling reservoir rock pore systems was
popularized a little more than a decade ago. However,
MICP analyses are time consuming and there is a need to
utilize existing MICP databases to determine the pore
geometry parameters for unanalyzed reservoir rocks-
Recent studies have demonstrated that pore throat
sorting and displacement pressure are two MICP
parameters that may be used to characterize reservoir pore
systems. These two parameters can be quantified by one
value, R35, the pore throat size at 35% mercury saturation
in an MICP analysis. The relationship between R35 and
porosity and permeability may be determined using multiple
regression, making data from core analyses a useJul means
of quantifying pore geometry in a reservoir interval and
graphs of R35 vs core analyses depths can be used to
characterize pore geometry variations in those intervals.
Two hundred and thirty jive MICP analyses from
reservoir studies in Saskatchewan make an excellent
' .. database to characterize the pore geometry a/reservoir and
non-reservoir rocks using R35/depth plots. The
combination of these plots and detailed lithologic studies,
understanding ofthe factors influencing reservoir quality in
some Middle Devonian JVinnipegosis and Mississippian
Frobisher and Midale reservoirs.
INTRODUCTION
The implementation of enhanced recoveI)' techniques to
improve reservoir productivity mitigates that the geology of
the reservoir rocks, is well understood. Two elements of the
geology, lithotypes and diagenesis, can significantly
influence reservoir pore geometry, and thus reservoir
quality. Pore geometry can be characterized using
components of mercury injection capillary pressure analyses
(MICP), particularly uniformity of pore throat sizes and
displacement pressure (entry pressure).
MetcuI)' injection capillary pressure analyses have been
an integtal part of carbonate rock hydrocarbon reservoir
studies carried out by graduate students and faculty of the
Department of Geology, University of Regina, during the
past 16 years. From the beginning, it was anticipated that by
including this procedure in the reservoir studies, it would
helped, firstly, to develop a better understanding of the
geometry of an assortment of pore networks in carbonate
reservoir rocks; and secondly, it would establish a database

of MICP components that. in the future. might be employed.
in some way, in the evaluation other carbonate reservoirs.
The intent of this paper is to employ an empirical meLhod
based on an exisLing MlCP dntabase Lo characterize
carbonate reservoir pore networks, llsing core analyses dala.
The dntabase consisLs of 230 MICP analyses from studies
done at the University of Regina on carbonate reservoirs
from the Mississippian of souLheastern SaskaLchewan. The
empirical procedure in this study is applied to reservoir
rocks from three straLigraphic levels: the Middle Devonian
Winnipegosis in the Tableland-Hitchock-Macoun area, and
Mississippian Frobisher and Midale Beds in the SouLh
Workman Pool and the North Tatagwa area, respectively.
Background to MICP Analyses
Figure I demonsLrates the basic elements of an MICP
analysis and the principles are listed below:
I) - MICP analyses are conducLed on core-plugs, 20em in
diameter by 40cm long. The plug is placed in the
stainless steel pycnometer of a mercury porosimctcr
and mercury is incrementally injected into the pore
system of the specimen. The volume of mercury
injected at each increment of pressure is recorded up
La the ma.ximum pressure aLlainable for the
pycnometer [145 kg/cm2 (2000psi) for the instrument
used in studies at the University of Regina].
Dccrcmcntal release of pressure resulls in ejection of
mercury from the pore system, the volume of which
can also be measured
2) - A compleLe analysis consists of injecLion, ejection
and re-injecLion and the resulLs of all Lhree phases
can be ploUed as graphs of the percentage of porosity
saturated (x-axis) at each pressure increment or
ejecLed at each decrement (both are recorded on the
y-axis) (Fig. I).
l) - Each pore system consists of pores connected by pore
throaLs. In carbonates the geomeLry of the pore
throats is eiLher Lube-like (IimesLones") or slit-like
(dolomites"). There is a mathematical relationship
between pore throat size and injection pressure,
Det = 4(H8) c050/(9.805 x 105) pc·
Det = 2(478) cos 8,/(9.805 x 10') Po"
\\-'here Del = pore throat size (microns), cos sa =
mercury contact angle, and Pc = incremental
injection pressure.
~) - The curves obtained from ploLting mercury saturaLion
and pressure increments or decrements can be used to
identify specific characteristics of the pore system.
For example, Lhe initial inflection point on the
mjection curve is considered to represenL lhe
displacement pressure of the largest pore throats, and
the penultimate point of the cun:e is recognized as
the unsaturated pore volume at the maximum
pressure attainable ""th the instrument used (Fig. I).
In addition. the lowest inIlecLion point on the ejecLion
cun:e is considered to represent the largest pore siLe
from which mercury can be exLruded (Wardlaw e/
al.)(2) (Fig. I) and the flatness of Lhat portion of the
injection curve lying bCt\""'cen 20% and 80% mercury
saturation is an indication of the degree of unirormity
of pore throat sizes (Fig. I). A flat plaLeau represents
a high degree of uniformity, two or more plateaus
indicate the distribution of pore throat sizes is
polymodal: and a sLeep slope represents poor
uniformity.
5) - Uniformity of pore throat size and displacement
pressure are significant parameters ror characterizing
a reservoir rock, since Lhey define the geomeLI)' of Lhe
flow paLh which inIluences the permeabiliLy.
MATHEMATICAL MODELLING OF CARBONATE
RESERVOIR ROCKS
Introduction
In the past twenty years Lwo papers. Wardlaw and
Taylo,.(3) and Wardlaw and Cassan(41, Lhrough the
application of mercury injection capillary pressure
techniques. have emphasized the principle Lhat porosity is.
in fact, a three-dimensional network of pores and pore
throats. The pores are proportionalely large openin£s in Lhe
network and the pore throats are the flow paths connecting
them. Since permeability is a measure of Lhe abillLy of Lhe
rock to transport fluids, then iL ""II be inIluenced by boLh the
dimensions of the pore LhroaLs and the uniformiLy of the size
of the pore throats. Pore throat geomeLI)' also conLrols the
ability of a rock Lo accept hydrocarbons, this is evaluaLed
through the entI)' or displacement pressure of an MICP
analysis. In this sludy, the mathematical model is focussed
at establishing a relationship belween porosiLy, permeabiliLy
and pore geometry.
Winland's Empirical Procedure
H.D. Winland of Amoco Production Company while
studying the reservoir seal characteristics of both carbonate
and siliciclasLic rocks, appears Lo have been the firsL
researcher to develop an empirical method to detennine pore
Lhroat geomeLI)' using an existing database of MICP
analyses (Kolodzie('); PiLLman(6»). He condUCLed multiple
regression analyses to identify an equaLion LhaL demonsLrated
the statistical relationship between the 35% mercury
saturaLion points (Fig. I) for his MICP dntabase and
porosities and penneabilities, as detcnnined for each
analyzed specimen. His calculations indicated that the