Losses of porosity and permeability in lithic sands assessed with compaction experiments
Conference
·
· AAPG (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.) Bull.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6186437
Compaction experiments with Recent lithic sands indicate that in addition to grain rearrangement, ductile grain deformation can significantly reduce porosity and permeability in sandstones. Compacted artificial mixtures of quartz and potentially labile rock fragments demonstrate, as expected, that the lithic grain content can control the amount of compaction and porosity loss at depth. Using a triaxial deformation apparatus, simulated overburden experiments were conducted with a Recent lithic sand from the Eagle River, Alaska, containing approximately 55% argillaceous sedimentary rock fragments. Additional experiments were conducted with artificial mixtures of quartz grains and varying percentages of shale fragments. Water-saturated samples were compacted at a constant strain rate of 10/sup -4/ under maximum uniaxial stress levels ranging from 1500 to 9000 psi (equivalent to burial depths of 3000 to 18,000 ft). Porosity loss due to compaction was calculated from volume reduction. Vertical permeability for each experiment was measured in situ at the maximum simulated overburden stress level. Results indicate that the porosity of these lithic sands initially declines almost linearly with increasing overburden pressure. At higher pressures (in excess of 5000 psi) the porosity decline gradient is greater for sands with a greater percentage of lithic fragments. This relationship may be attributed to continued porosity reduction due to mechanical deformation of ductile grains. Thin-section analysis of the Eagle River sands indicates that deformation of labile grains is important in reducing porosity to 7% and vertical permeability to 3.2 md at a simulated overburden pressure of 9000 psi.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Miami, FL
- OSTI ID:
- 6186437
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-870606-
- Conference Information:
- Journal Name: AAPG (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.) Bull.; (United States) Journal Volume: 71:5
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Compaction of lithic sands: Experimental results and applications
Lithic reservoir diagenesis of Cretaceous Carmopolis MemberSergipe-Alagoas basin, Brazil
Experimental assessment of porosity reduction through ductile grain deformation in sandstones
Journal Article
·
Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991
· AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)
·
OSTI ID:5849495
Lithic reservoir diagenesis of Cretaceous Carmopolis MemberSergipe-Alagoas basin, Brazil
Conference
·
Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990
· AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (USA)
·
OSTI ID:6681793
Experimental assessment of porosity reduction through ductile grain deformation in sandstones
Conference
·
Fri May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987
· AAPG (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.) Bull.; (United States)
·
OSTI ID:6204793