Permeability

• Theory of permeability
What is permeability?, Darcy’s Law, units and
dimension for permeability
• Absolute Permeability
Concept of absolute permeability
• Permeability measurements
Absolute permeability using non-reactive liquid and gas. Factor
influencing permeability measurement.
• Averaging permeability values
Layers in series, layers in parallel, randomly distributed
• Permeability-porosity relationship
Correlating permeability and porosity to give a general
correlation for a particular formation.
 Permeability
Theory
Rock with interconnected pores will be able to flow fluid through its pores.

The ability a porous rock to allow fluid to flow through it is known as permeability.
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law
Darcy 1856
Water flow through sand pack.
He observed that

h1  h2
Q 
L
Q  A

Q = flowrate of water
A = cross sectional area of the sandpack
(perpendicular to flow)
L = sandpack height
H1 & h2 = water level height from standard datum
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law

Darcy’s Law
Darcy 1856
Water flow through sand pack.

The following can be written

h1  h2
Q  KA
L
K  a constant of proportionality
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law

The constant K can written as

k
K
u
u  viscosity of water (liquid)
k  a property of rock alone

h1  h2 k dp
Q  KA v
L  ds
Q k h1  h2
 v
A  L dp
 pressure gradient
v  flux velocity of the liquid ds
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law

k dp
v
 ds

In general, Darcy’s Law states that the velocity of a

homogeneous fluid in a porous medium is
proportional to the driving force and inversely
proportional to the fluid viscosity.

k is known as the permeability of the porous media.

 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law
The general equation for Darcy’Law is written as
1.0133 *106 coefficient for unit conversion
k  dP g dz  Q
vs     * 10 6   6 dynes
  ds 1.0133 ds  A 1 atm / cm  1 .0133 * 10 2
cm
cm
s  distance in direction of flow an is always positive, cm
v s  (apparent velocity) volume flux across a unit area of
th e porous medium in unit time along flow path s, cm sec
z  vertical coordinate, considered positive downward, cm
  density of the fluid, gm/cc
g  acceleration of gravity, 980.665 cm sec 2
dP
 pressure gradient along s at the pont to which v s refers,
ds
atm/cm
  viscosity of the fluid, cp
k  permeability of the medium, darcy
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law

k  dP g dz  Q
vs     * 10 6  
  ds 1.0133 ds  A
Q  volume rate of flow, cc/s
A  cross - sectional area perpendicular to direction of flow, sq.cm
v s  positive in the direction of posotive s

k  dP g  Q
vs     sin  *10 6  
  ds 1.0133  A

  angle between s and horizontal

 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law

k  dP g dz 6  Q
vs     * 10  
  ds 1.0133 ds  A

v s  positive in the direction of posotive s (apparent velocity)

vs k  dP g dz  Q
   * 10 6    va
   ds 1.0133 ds  A
v a  actual velocity which include tortuosity of flow paths
by including porosity in its calculation
 Permeability
The dimensions of permeability

k  dP g dz  Q L k  M M L
vs     *10 6     2 2  3 2
  ds 1.0133 ds  A T M LT L T 
L  length LT
M  mass kLT  M M L
  2 2  3 2
M LT L T 
T  time
k  L2
L M M
vs  ,  ,  3
T LT L
M dP M L
P ,  , g  k  L2
LT 2 ds L2T 2 T2
dz
 dimensionless
ds
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law
Units for permeability
SI system - cm2
English - ft2
These units are too large a measure for porous
medium, so the petroleum industry used Darcy as
the unit for permeability.
1 Darcy
A porous medium has a permeability of one darcy when a single-phase
fluid of one centipoise viscosity fills the void of the medium will flow
through it under condition of viscous flow at a rate of 1 cm3/s per cm2
cross-sectional area under a pressure or equivalent hydraulic gradient of
1 atm/cm.

1 Darcy = 1000 miliDarcy

1 Darcy ~ 10-8 cm2 (10-6 mm2)
1 miliDarcy ~ 10-11 cm2 (10-9 mm2) (10-15 m2)
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law

Darcy’ Law applies under the following condition:

1. Viscous flow – flow rate is proportional to

pressure gradient/hydraulics gradient
2. Permeability, only the property of the porous
media
3. Porous media saturated 100% with flowing
fluid
4. Fluid and porous media do not reacted each
other.
Under these conditions the k is the absolute permeability.
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law
Q k  dP g dz 
 vs     *10 6 
Applications of Darcy’s Law A   ds 1.0133 ds 
Horizontal linear flow Q k  dP g dz 
 vs     * 10 6 
A   ds 1.0133 ds 
incompressible fluid
k dP
(density does not change with change in pressure) vx  
 dx
Steady state flow (mass rate in = mass rate out)
Q k dP
Horizontal linear flow dz dP dP  
 0,  A  dx
ds ds dx
Q k
dx   dP
A 
Q L k P2
A 0  P1
dx   dP

Q
 L  0   k  P2  P1   k  P1  P2 
A  

kA  P1  P2 
Q 
 L
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law
Q k  dP g dz 
 vs     *10 6 
Applications of Darcy’s Law A   ds 1.0133 ds 
Horizontal linear flow (cont.)
compressible fluid
(density change with pressure)
Steady state flow (mass rate in = mass rate out)
k dp
k dP Differentiate with respect to x v x   
v x     dx
 dx d dp
 c o e cP Q k  1 d 
EOS for slightly compressible fluid dx dx     
A   c dx 
   o e cP d dp
 c Q  m (mass flow rate)
c  fluid compressibility dx dx
1 d dp m k  1 d 
P  pressure     
c dx dx A   c dx 
 o  original density
m k
dx   d
A c
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law
Q k  dP g dz 
 vs     *10 6 
A   ds 1.0133 ds 
Horizontal linear flow (cont.)
compressible fluid (density change with pressure)
Steady state flow (mass rate in = mass rate out)

m k If
dx   d Slightly compressible
A c 1   0   0 cP1
fluid
m l k 2  2   0   0 cP2
A 0 c 1
dx   d
 1   2   0 c P1  P2  kA  P1  P2 
Q0 
m  L
 L  0    k   2  1 
A c therefore
kA  1   2  kA  0 c P1  P2 
m m   0 Q0 
c L c L
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law
Q k  dP g dz 
 vs     *10 6 
Horizontal linear flow (cont.) A   ds 1.0133 ds 
Compressible fluid (density changes with pressure).

Ideal gas under isothermal condition.

Steady state flow (mass rate in = mass rate out)
k dP
vx    Qb k  P  dP
 dx    b   Qb k 1
  Pb  dx
L P2
 
b
A dx   PdP
Q k dP A 0  Pb P1
   Pb Qb k dP
A  dx  P Qb k 1  P2  P12 
2
A  dx L
constant tenperature
Qb
A  Pb  2 

k 1 dP
Q  bQb  P
A  Pb dx
Q & Qb at flowing temperature kA  P1  P22 
2
Qb k 1 Qb   
P dx   PdP 2L  Pb 

   b   , Pb base pressure A  Pb
 Pb 
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law
Q k  dP g dz 
 vs     *10 6 
Horizontal linear flow (cont.) A   ds 1.0133 ds 
Compressible fluid (density changes with pressure).
Ideal gas under isothermal condition.
Steady state flow (mass rate in = mass rate out)
If average pressure is defined as
kA  P1  P22 
2
Qb    P1  P2
2 L  Pb 
 P
2
and Q flow rate at average pressure P

 PQ  Pb Qb 
kA 2

2 L P1 P2
 
2

P1  P2
2
Q
kA
2 L P 1
 
 P2 P1  P 2 
Q 
kA P  P 
1 2

 L
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law
Horizontal radial flow
incompressible fluid re
Steady state (constant mass flow rate) Pe
rw

Pw

Positive r
direction

h
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law
Horizontal radial flow (cont.)
incompressible fluid re
Steady state (constant mass flow rate) Pe
rw
k  dP g dz 
vs     * 10 6  linear flow
  ds 1.0133 ds 
k  dP  Pw
v s     horizontal linear flow
  ds 
Positive r
direction
So, for horizontal radial flow
dz
ds  dr and  0
ds
k  dP 
vr     fluid velocity positive in the positive r direction h
   dr 
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law re
rw Pe

Horizontal radial flow (cont.)

Pw
incompressible fluid a ra h r positif

Steady state (constant mass flow rate)

k  dP  h
vr    
   dr 
Q  flow rate, cc
Q Q
  vr k  permeability, darcy
A 2rh
Q k  dP  h  formation thickness, cm
 vr    
2rh    dr    fluid viscosity, cp
Q k  dP  Pe  external boundary pressure re , atm
  
2rh   dr  Pw  internal boundary pressure rw , atm
re  external boundary radius, cm
rw  internal boundary radius, cm
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law re
rw Pe

Horizontal radial flow

Pw
Slightly compressible fluid a ra h r positif

Steady state (constant mass flow rate)

 e w 
h
2hk
m
c  re  Q  flow rate, cc
ln
r  
 w k  permeability, darcy

Qo 
2hk  Pe  Pw  h  formation thickness, cm
c  re    fluid viscosity, cp
ln
r 

 w  Pe  external boundary pressure re , atm
Qo at Po and  o Pw  internal boundary pressure rw , atm
re  external boundary radius, cm
rw  internal boundary radius, cm
 Permeability
Theory (cont) Darcy’s Law re
rw Pe

Horizontal radial flow

Pw
Ideal gas a ra h r positif

Steady state (constant mass flow rate)

P 
h
hk 2
 Pw
2
Qb  e

Pb ln
r
 er 
 Q  flow rate, cc
 w 
k  permeability, darcy
h  formation thickness, cm
  fluid viscosity, cp
Q
2hk  Pe
 Pw  Pe  external boundary pressure re , atm
 ln re 
 r  Pw  internal boundary pressure rw , atm
 w 

 Pe  Pw  re  external boundary radius, cm

Q at rw  internal boundary radius, cm
2