POROSITY AND PERMEABILITY OF RESERVOIRS AND CAPROCKS IN THE EROMANGA BASIN, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Abstract

When effective porosity and permeability are measured at simulated overburden pressure, and grain size variation is taken into account, two distinct relationships are evident for Eromanga Basin reservoirs. Reservoirs in the Hutton Sandstone and Namur Sandstone Member behave such that significant porosity reduction can be sustained with retention of high permeability, whereas permeability of reservoirs in the Birkhead Formation and Murta Member is critically dependent on slight porosity variations. Logging tool responses are compared with core-derived data to show in particular the effects of grain size and clay content on the gamma ray, sonic, and density tools, where clay content is assessed from cation exchange capacity measurements. Sonic and density crossplots, constructed to provide comparison with a water-saturated 'reference' reservoir, are advantageous in comparing measured effective porosity from core plugs at overburden pressure with porosity calculated from logs. Gamma ray and sonic log responses of the Murta Member in the Murteree Horst area are clearly distinct from those of all other reservoirs, perhaps partly due to differences in mineralogy and shallower depth of burial compared with other formations.