Cairo University
Petroleum & Energy Engineering Department
Module Name: Reservoir Rock Properties
Sheet (3) - Permeability
1. Define the following: Permeability – Absolute Permeability – Effective Permeability –
Relative Permeability.
2. Brine is used to measure the absolute permeability of a core plug. The rock sample is 4 cm
long and 3 cm2 in cross section. The brine has a viscosity of 1.0 cp and is flowing at
constant rate of 0.5 cm3/sec under a 2.0 atm pressure differential. Calculate the absolute
permeability. Rework the same example assuming that an oil of 2.0 cp is used to measure
the permeability. Under the same differential pressure, the flow rate is 0.25cm 3/sec.
Comment on both results.
3. Radial flow takes place in a core of external radius of 5.6 cm and internal radius of 1 cm
with rate of 100 cc/min .the boundary pressure is 15 psig, and the internal boundary is 0
psig. The fluid viscosity is 0.86 cp. The core thickness is 10 cm. Calculate the rock
permeability of this sample.
4. What is the equivalent linear permeability of four parallel beds having equal widths and
lengths under the following conditions?
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5. What is the equivalent permeability of four beds in series, having equal formation
thicknesses for a linear system?
6. A r e s e r v o i r o f e x t e
of the well. Calculate the well radius that realize your request.
7. What is the equivalent Radial permeability of the given three parallel beds?
8. What is the equivalent permeability of four beds in series having equal formation thickness
under the following conditions: For a radial system if the radius of the penetrating wellbore
is 6 in and the radius of the effective drainage is 2000 ft.
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9. A stratified reservoir is shown in the figure. It has the following data:
μ = 0.75cp, fissure radius = 3 in and fissure length = 450 ft. Calculate the oil flow rate.
10. A producing formation consists of two strata, one 15 ft thick and 150 md in permeability;
the other 10 ft thick and 400 md in permeability.
a) What is the average permeability?
b) What is the capacity of the formation?
c) If during well work over the 150 md strata permeability is reduced to 25 md out to a
radius of 4 ft, and the 400 md strata is reduced to 40 md out to an 8-ft radius, what is the
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average permeability after well work over, assuming no cross-flow between beds? (r e =
500 ft. and rw = 0.5 ft).
11. A producing formation consists of three strata: the first is 20 ft thickness & 200 md in
permeability, the second is 10 ft & 400 md, and the third is 40 ft & 500 md.
a- What is average permeability?
b- What is the capacity of the formation?
c- If a stimulation job was carried out on this formation so that the 200 md stratum is
increased to 300 md out to a radius of 10 ft. & 400 md stratum is increased to 500 md out
to a radius of 20 ft, calculate the average permeability of this formation and its capacity
after the stimulation job? (re = 500 ft. and rw = 0.5 ft).
12. Calculate the equivalent liquid permeability for a core sample taken from a sandstone
formation. Nitrogen was used to obtain the following data:
Mean Measured
Pressure Permeability
(atm) (md)
1.192 3.76
2.517 3.04
4.571 2.76
9.484 2.54
13. Using the following laboratory data, determine the absolute permeability for a core sample
taken from a sandstone formation. The test fluid was nitrogen having an average viscosity of
0.017 cp. The atmospheric pressure, which we will use as standard condition pressure, is
14.60 psia. Assume z = 1.0 and Tsc = Tlab = 520oR.
Core Dimensions: Length = 2.7813 cm, Diameter = 2.5324 cm.
Upstream core pressure Downstream core Nitrogen flow rate at
(psig) pressure standard conditions
(psig) (cm3/sec)
40.0 10.0 97.2
35.0 15.0 80.0
30.0 20.0 59.7
27.5 22.5 29..9
