Porosity and pore size distribution of shales: a case study of the Carynginia Formation, Perth Basin, Western Australia
M. Nadia Testamanti A B , Reza Rezaee A and Jie Zou AA Department of Petroleum Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: m.testamanti@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
The APPEA Journal 57(2) 660-663 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ16182
Accepted: 17 March 2017 Published: 29 May 2017
Abstract
The evaluation of the gas storage potential of shale reservoirs requires a good understanding of their pore network. Each of the laboratory techniques used for pore characterisation can be applied to a specific range of pore sizes; but if the lithology of the rock is known, usually one suitable method can be selected to investigate its pore system.
Shales do not fall under any particular lithological classification and can have a wide range of minerals present, so a combination of at least two methods is typically recommended for a better understanding of their pore network. In the laboratory, the Low-Pressure Nitrogen Gas Adsorption (LP-N2-GA) technique is typically used to examine micropores and mesopores, and Mercury Injection Capillary Pressure (MICP) tests can identify pore throats larger than 3 nm. In contrast, a wider range of pore sizes in rock can be screened with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), either in laboratory measurements made on cores or through well logging, provided that the pores are saturated with a fluid.
The pore network of a set of shale core samples from the Carynginia Formation was investigated using a combination of laboratory methods. The cores were studied using the NMR, LP-N2-GA and MICP techniques, and the experimental porosity and pore size distribution results are presented. When NMR results were calibrated with MICP or LP-N2-GA measurements, then the pore size distribution of the shale samples studied could be estimated.
Keywords: gas adsorption, mercury injection, nuclear magnetic resonance, pore size distribution, shale.
M. Nadia Testamanti is a PhD candidate in the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Curtin University. Her research focuses on the characterisation of the pore network and gas flow properties in shale reservoirs. Concurrent with her PhD studies, she has worked as Teaching Assistant for the Petrophysics and Formation Evaluation units at Curtin University. She has over 5 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry and before beginning her doctoral studies, she worked as a reservoir engineer for Pan American Energy (2011–14) in Argentina. She holds a Bachelor’s degree and a Diploma in Petroleum Engineering from ITBA University, Argentina. |
Professor Reza Rezaee of Curtin’s Department of Petroleum Engineering has a PhD degree in Reservoir Characterisation. He has over 26 years’ experience in academia being responsible for both teaching and research. During his career, he has been engaged in several research projects supported by major oil and gas companies and these commissions, together with his supervisory work at various universities, have involved a wide range of achievements. He has received a total of more than $2.2M of funds through his collaborative research projects. He has supervised over 70 MSc and PhD students during his university career to date. He has published more than 130 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers, and is the author of four books on petroleum geology, logging and log interpretation and gas shale reservoirs. His research has been mostly on integrated solutions for reservoir characterisation, formation evaluation and petrophysics. Currently, he is focused on unconventional gas including gas shale and tight gas sand studies. As a founder of the Unconventional Gas Research Group of Australia, he has established a unique and highly sophisticated research laboratory at the Department of Petroleum Engineering, Curtin University. This laboratory was established to conduct research on petrophysical evaluation of tight gas sands and shale gas formations. He is also the winner of Australian Gas Innovation Award for his innovation on tight gas sand treatment for gas production enhancement. |
Jie Zou is a PhD student at Curtin’s Petroleum Engineering Department. His research topic is focused on the assessment of gas adsorption capacity in shale formations. He holds a Bachelor’s degree of Petroleum Engineering from China University of Petroleum (East China) and a Master’s degree of Petroleum Engineering from China University of Petroleum (Beijing). |
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