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Estimating formation permeability

Journal Article · · Hart's E&P
OSTI ID:20082199

According to a recent US national Petroleum Council survey, development of a permeability logging technique is one of the oil and gas industry's top research and development priorities. Researchers have developed a method to compute values of permeability for medium- to low-permeability (0.001 to 20 md) gas reservoirs using logging data. The method incorporates knowledge from prior research at Texas A and M University and a mudcake model developed earlier. The program models mud filtrate invasion from the time the zone is penetrated by the but until it is logged. An improvement over methods to compute permeability from time-lapse logging, it: includes an experimentally verified model for predicting the thickness and permeability of the mudcake during static and dynamic filtration conditions; and uses data from an array induction tool (AIT) log to reconstruct the invasion profile and does not require multiple time-lapse logging runs. The paper describes the methodology, data requirements, expected accuracy, a field example from a Wilcox gas zone, and an array induction tool log.

Research Organization:
S.A. Holditch and Associates Inc., TX (US)
OSTI ID:
20082199
Journal Information:
Hart's E&P, Journal Name: Hart's E&P Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 73; ISSN 1527-8322
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English