On Permeability Prediction From Complex Conductivity Measurements Using Polarization Magnitude and Relaxation Time

Authors

Judith Robinson, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lee Slater, Rutgers University‐Newark
Andreas Weller, Technische Universität Clausthal
Kristina Keating, Rutgers University‐Newark
Tonian Robinson, Rutgers University‐NewarkFollow
Carla Rose, University of Guelph
Beth Parker, University of Guelph

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-2018

Keywords

permeability, complex conductivity, polarization magnitude, time constant, sedimentary rocks

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1002/2017WR022034

Abstract

Geophysical length scales determined from complex conductivity (CC) measurements can be used to estimate permeability when the electrical formation factor F is known. Two geophysical length scales have been proposed: (1) the specific polarizability normalized by the imaginary conductivity and (2) the time constant multiplied by a diffusion coefficient . The parameters and account for the control of fluid chemistry and/or varying minerology on the geophysical length scale. We evaluated the predictive capability of two CC permeability models: (1) an empirical formulation based on or normalized chargeability and (2) a mechanistic formulation based on . The performance of the CC models was evaluated against measured ; and further compared against that of well‐established estimation equations that use geometric length scales. Both CC models predict permeability within one order of magnitude for a database of 58 sandstone samples, with the exception of samples characterized by high pore volume normalized surface area . Variations in and likely contribute to the poor model performance for the high samples, which contain significant dolomite. Two observations favor the implementation of the ‐based model over the ‐based model for field‐scale estimation: (1) a limited range of variation in relative to and (2) field measurements are less time consuming to acquire relative to . The need for a reliable field‐estimate of limits application of either model, in particular the model due to a high power law exponent associated with .

Rights Information

Terms of use for work posted in Scholar Commons.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

No

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Water Resources Research, v. 54, issue 5, p. 3436-3452

© 2018. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Scholar Commons Citation

Robinson, Judith; Slater, Lee; Weller, Andreas; Keating, Kristina; Robinson, Tonian; Rose, Carla; and Parker, Beth, "On Permeability Prediction From Complex Conductivity Measurements Using Polarization Magnitude and Relaxation Time" (2018). School of Geosciences Student Publications. 17.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/geo_studpub/17