Energy & Mineral Engineering:Petroleum Geology

Brooke Abrams Jesus Ramos Austin Jacob

Aaron Womack

SEEMS Team K

Why study Petroleum Geology?

• Shortage in natural resources• Majority come from rocks Hypothesis: Fluid flow through fractured porous media is

greater than fluid flow through unfractured porous media

Fluid Flow through Porous Media

• Fluids–Gas

• Natural Gas• CO2

–Liquids • Water• Oil

• Porous Media– Sand– Soils– Rocks

• Sedimentary Rocks– Limestone– Shale – Sandstone– Coal

Alluvial EnvironmentRAIN

Ocean

Organics/soils

Sandstone

Limestone/Shale

BouldersStone

Organic Detritus

Shale Coal

Dead Sea LifeSand

Beach

Swamps

Porosity

Sorting

Definition: Measure of pore space in porous media.

Packing

Grain Shape

High Low

Helium Porosimeter •Boyle’s Law:

•Relation of P & V

•Pressure readings to get Volume measurements

Darcy’s Law

Q= Flow Rate [cc/s]K= Permeability [D]∆P= Difference in Pressure [atm]

•For Liquid Flow

•Relates Rocks and Fluid Properties to Pressure Difference and Flow rate

= Viscosity [cP]L= Length [cm]

Absolute Permeability Experiment

Bead Pack Experiment:

Set upVacuumPumpMeasure

Set:Flow Rate (Q)Measure:Pressure Difference (∆P)

Absolute Permeability Results

∆P (psi) ∆P (atm) Q (mL/mn) Q (cm3/s) QµL

2.8 0.19 2.6 0.043 3.01

2.95 0.201 3 0.05 3.5

3.1 0.211 4 0.067 4.69

3.35 0.228 5 0.083 5.81

3.45 0.235 5.6 0.092 6.44

= Slope

Gas Permeability

(P1) Higher Pressure(V1) Smaller Volume

Gas flows from high to low P

Gas expands from high to low P

Boyle’s Law

Darcy’s Law

Porous Media

(P2) Lower Pressure(V2) Larger Volume

Boyle’s LawP1V1=P2V2

Gas Permeameter

Measure: ∆PMeasure: Q

Measurements MadeUnfractured Rock Fractured Rock

∆P [atm] Q [cc/sec] K [D]

.25 4.0 .97

.5 10.0 1.09

1.00 50 2.26

∆P [atm] Q [cc/sec] K [D]

.25 6.0 1.46

.5 9.0 .98

1.00 62.0 2.82

Average K: Unfractured

Average K:Fractured

1.44 [D] 1.74 [D]

Example: Sandstone

IMPROVEMENT FROMFRACTURE: 0.30 [D]Example: Shale

What does this mean?

Fractured increase can be applied to any rock!

Average K: Unfractured

Average K:Fractured

1.44 [D] 1.74 [D]

Average K: Unfractured

Average K:Fractured

0.00001 [D] 0.30001 [D]

Effects

Positive Negative

Acknowledgements

• College of Earth & Mineral Sciences• Dr. Zuleima Karpyn

• Chris Landry• Alton Aydin

• Ms. Jody Markley• Mr. Derek James

Penn State View