Factors Affecting

Permeability Determination

Non-Darcy Flow
Some figures in this section are from Fundamentals of Core Analysis, Core Laboratories, 1989.
Some slides in this section are from NExT PERF Short Course Notes, 1999.
Some slides appear to have been obtained from unknown primary
sources that were not cited by NExT. Note that some slides have a notes section.
Air Permeability Measurement
Measurement of permeability in the laboratory is most commonly
done with air
Convenient and inexpensive
Problem: low values of mean flowing pressure
downstream pressure, p
atm

upstream pressure, just a few psi higher than p
atm


At low mean flowing pressure, gas slippage occurs
Diameter of flow path through porous media approaches the mean free
path of gas molecules
mean free path is a function of molecule size
mean free path is a function of gas density
Increasing mean flowing pressure results in less slippage
as p
mean
, we obtain absolute (equivalent liquid) permeability

Non-Darcy Flow - Gas Slippage
Liquid flow and gas flow at high mean flowing pressure is laminar
Darcys Law is valid
flow velocity at walls is zero



At low mean flowing pressure gas slippage occurs
Non-Darcy flow is observed
flow at walls is not zero



Klinkenberg developed a method to correct gas permeability
measured at low mean flowing pressure to equivalent liquid
permeability
Non-Darcy Flow - Klinkenberg Effect
As p
mean
, gas permeability approaches absolute permeability
Non-Darcy Flow - Klinkenberg Effect
Klinkenberg correction for k
air
depends on mean flowing pressure
correction ratio shown is for p
mean
= 1 atm
Non-Darcy Flow - Klinkenberg Effect
Klinkenberg correction for k
air
is more important for low absolute
permeability
Non-Darcy Flow - High Flow Rates
In the field, gas wells exhibit non-Darcy flow at high flow rates
At high flow velocity, inertial effects and turbulence become
important, and cause non-Darcy flow
inertial effect
Non-Darcy Flow - Turbulence
Recalling Darcys equation for gas flow, (z
g
)=Constant



For laboratory flow experiments we can assume T=Tsc and z=1



For Darcy flow, plotting (q
g,sc
p
sc
)/A vs. (p
1
2
-p
2
2
)/(2L) results in
straight line.
line passes through origin [when q
g,sc
=0, then (p
1
2
-p
2
2
)=0]
slope = k/
g

behavior departs from straight line under turbulent flow conditions (high
flow velocity)

( )
2
2
2
1
g sc
sc
sc g,
p p
z 2
1
p T
T
L
A k
q
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
( )
2L
p p
p
A

k
q
2
2
2
1
sc g
sc g,

|
|
.
|

\
|
=
Non-Darcy Flow - Turbulence
Slope =
k

0
0 (p
1
2
- p
2
2
)
2 L
q p
sc

A
Darcy
flow
Non-Darcy
flow
Non-Darcy Flow - Forchheimer Equation
Forchheimer proposed a flow equation to account for the non-
linear effect of turbulence by adding a second order term




Note that unit corrections factors would be required for non-coherent unit
systems.
As flow rate decreases, we approach Darcys Law (2nd order term
approaches zero)


2
g
g
g g
A
q

A
q
k

ds
dp
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
=

Non-Darcy Flow - Forchheimer Plot

Based on Forchheimers Equation a plotting method was
developed to determine absolute permeability even with
Non-Darcy effects
(1/k
gas
) vs. q
g,sc
k
gas
determined from Darcys Law (incorrectly assuming Darcy flow)
and is a function of q
g,sc

intercept = (1/k
abs
); absolute permeability
(
1
/
k
g
a
s
)
,

(
1
/
m
d
)

Intercept = [1/k
abs
]
Slope = [(|
g,sc
)/(
g
A)]
q
g,sc
Non-Darcy Flow - Forchheimer Equation
Non-Darcy Coefficient, |, is an empirically determined function of
absolute permeability
For Travis Peak (Texas)
NOB=Net
Overburden