Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology

Abstract

A Novel Approach for Determining Permeability in Porous Media

Aminu MD and Ardo BU

Permeability can be grouped into three different types; absolute permeability, relative permeability, and effective permeability. Rocks have different permeability properties; some rocks permit the flow of fluids through its pores effectively, others only do so nominally. The permeability of rocks equally relates to the rock’s capacity to allow the flow of petroleum, water and gas through it. Unlike porosity, which is a function of the volume of voids over the total volume of rock fabric (usually expressed in percentage), permeability concentrates only in the simplicity that petroleum encounters as it flows between interconnected rock pores. In real life scenarios however, because of the multiphase flow (that is because not only one fluid would flow between the interconnected rock pores), different types of permeability can be encountered such as absolute permeability, relative permeability and effective permeability. In part A of this paper, absolute permeability is what is in study because it is the permeability that is dependent on reservoir rock, not taking into cognizance, the compressibility of fluid (liquid) that flows through the rock. Effective permeability is a measure of the ability of rock particle distribution and its function to allow the flow of petroleum due to different shapes that makes the rock fabric material. Finally, relative permeability describes the percentage of fluids flowing in a competitive multiple phase flow as compared to the flow of the same fluid at 100 percent saturation.