Digital Examination of Pore Space Characteristics and Structural Properties of a Gas Condensate Field Reservoir on the Basis of μCT Images

The paper presents the results of digital studies of pore space and rock matrix properties of gas reservoirs using ProCon X-Ray CT-MINI high-resolution scanner of the Institute for Problems in Mechanics RAS. The studies included analysis of heterogeneities, cavernosity, initial fracture formation, spatial distribution of matrix granules, digital pore size distribution, granulometry of the rock matrix, and computer modeling of filtration processes. The results of modeling of filtration flows and porosity calculation showed good agreement with experimental data, which indicates the correctness of the applied methodology. It was determined that the rocks are practically isotropic in terms of filtration properties. The granulometric composition of the rocks was determined and the homogeneity of the matrix and pore space was shown. The non-destructive methods described in this work allow to simplify the data acquisition on core material characteristics. Application of the obtained results in combination with geomechanical tests of rocks is intended to expand the existing approaches to complex analysis of core material of gas and gas condensate reservoirs, as well as to complement and clarify the mathematical and operational models of the studied objects. The obtained pore and granule size distributions are important data for filling the reservoir model and can be used to solve the problems of sand manifestation, loss of well stability, as well as reduction of permeability during technical works on wells.