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Carbonate Classification

This document discusses carbonate rock classification based on pore space and particle size. It divides carbonate rocks into three classes based on their pore structure and permeability. Class 1 rocks have large vuggy pores or large crystalline dolomite and high permeability. Class 2 rocks have moderate sized interparticle pores or medium crystalline dolomite. Class 3 rocks have small pores between mud or fine crystalline dolomite and lower permeability. Equations are provided relating porosity, permeability, water saturation, and reservoir height for each class.

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Arpit Upadhyay
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71 views

Carbonate Classification

This document discusses carbonate rock classification based on pore space and particle size. It divides carbonate rocks into three classes based on their pore structure and permeability. Class 1 rocks have large vuggy pores or large crystalline dolomite and high permeability. Class 2 rocks have moderate sized interparticle pores or medium crystalline dolomite. Class 3 rocks have small pores between mud or fine crystalline dolomite and lower permeability. Equations are provided relating porosity, permeability, water saturation, and reservoir height for each class.

Uploaded by

Arpit Upadhyay
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Carbonate Classification

Carbonate Classification by Vuggy Pore Space

Vuggy Pore Space


Vuggy porosity is pore space that is within grains or crystals or that is significantly larger than
grains or crystals; that is, pore space that is not interparticle. This definition deviates from the
restrictive definition of vugs used by Choquette and Pray (1970) as nondescript, nonfabric-selective
pores, but it is consistent with the Archie terminology and with the widespread and less restrictive
use in the oil industry of the term "vuggy porosity" in referring to visible pore space in carbonate
rocks. Vuggy porosity is divided into two classes based on the manner in which the vugs are
connected. Separate vugs are interconnected only through the interparticle porosity. Common
examples are as leached grains and fossil chambers. Touching vugs form a interconected pore
system of significant extent. Common examples are solution enlarged fractures and large, irregular
cavities. Fracture porosity is included as a type of touching-vug porosity to be inclusive.

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Carbonate Classification

Carbonate Classification by Interparticle Pore Space

CLASSIFICATION BY INTERPARTICLE PORE SPACE

In the absence of vuggy porosity, pore-size distribution in carbonate rocks can be described in
terms of particle size, sorting and interparticle porosity. The approach to size and sorting used in
this petrophysical classification is similar to the grain-/mud-support principle upon which the
Dunham's (1962) classification is built. Dunham's classification, however, is focused on
depositional texture, whereas petrophysical classifications are focused on contemporary rock
fabrics which include depositional and diagenetic textures. Therefore, minor modifications must be
made in Dunham's classification before it can be applied to a petrophysical classification.

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Carbonate Classification

Instead of dividing fabrics into grain support and mud support as in Dunham's classification, fabrics
are divided into grain-dominated and mud-dominated. The important attributes of grain-dominated
fabrics are the presence of open or occluded intergrain porosity and a grain-supported texture. The
important attribute of mud-dominated fabrics is that the areas between the grains are filled with
mud even if the grains appear to form a supporting framework.

Grainstone is clearly a grain-dominated fabric, but Dunham's packstone class bridges a boundary
between large intergrain pores in grainstone and small interparticle pores in wackestones and
mudstones. Some packstones have intergrain pore space and some have the intergrain spaces filled
with mud. The packstone textural class must be divided into two rock-fabric classes: grain-
dominated packstones that have intergrain pore space or cement and mud-dominated packstones
that have intergrain spaces filled with mud.

Dolomitization can change the rock fabric significantly. In limestones, fabrics can usually be
distinguished with little difficulty. If the rock has been dolomitized, however, the overprint of
dolomite crystals often obscures the precursor limestone fabric. Precursor fabrics in fine-crystalline
dolostones are easily recognizable. However, as the crystal size increases, the precursor fabrics
become progressively more difficult to determine. Grainstones and grain-dominated packstones are
usually composed of grains much larger then the dolomite crystal size so that dolomitized
grainstones are readily identified.

Dolomite crystals (defined as particles in this classification) commonly range in size from several
microns to >200 microns. Micrite particles are usually <20 microns in size. Therefore,
dolomitization of a mud-dominated carbonate fabric can result in an increase in particle size from
<20 microns to >200 microns, and a corresponding increase in permeability as dolomite crystal size
increases.

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Carbonate Classification

Three petrophysical classes are defined when data from limestone and dolomite rock fabrics are
combined. The fabrics that make up the Class 1 field are (1) limestone and dolomitized grainstones
and (2) large crystalline (>100 microns) grain-dominated dolopackstones and mud-dominated
dolostones. The upper grain size limit of 500 microns is not well defined. An upper limit to this
permeability field is imposed because as the grain size increases the slope of the porosity-
permeability transform approaches infinity and porosity has little relationship to permeability.

Fabrics that make up the Class 2 field are (1) grain-dominate packstones, (2) fine to medium
crystalline grain-dominated dolopackstones, and (3) medium crystalline mud-dominated
dolostones.

Fabrics that make up the Class 3 field are characterized by mud-dominated fabrics (mud-dominated
packstone, wackestone, and mudstone) and fine crystalline mud-dominated dolostones.

Each class is characterized by a specific porosity-permeability transform and porosity-saturation-


reservoir height equation based on capillary pressure data. Reduced major axis (RMA) porosity-
permeability transforms are presented below for each petrophysical class. The transform for the
Class 2 field is slightly skewed to the field boundaries and a transform that is more compatible with
the field boundaries is presented and recommended:

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Carbonate Classification

Class 1 k = (45.35 x 10^8) x Øip^8.537 | r = 0.71

Class 2 k = (1.595 x 10^5) x Øip^5.184 | r = 0.80 (recommended Class 2 k = (2.040 x 10^ 6) x


Øip^6.38)

Class 3 k = (2.884 x 10^3) x Øip^4.275 | r = 0.81

To quantify the saturation characteristics of the three petrophysical classes, capillary pressure
curves with different interparticle porosities from each classes are compared. Each group of curves
is characterized by similar displacement pressures and a systematic change in curve shape and
saturation characteristics with changes in interparticle porosity. Equations relating water saturation
to porosity and reservoir height are developed using a multiple linear regression with the log of
water saturation as the dependent variable and the logs of capillary pressure and porosity as
independent variables. Mercury capillary pressure is converted to reservoir height using generic
values.

Class 1: Sw = 0.02219 x H^-0.316 x Ø^-1.745

Class 2: Sw = 0.1404 x H^-0.407 x Ø^-1.440

Class 3: Sw = 0.6110 x H^-0.505 x Ø^-1.210

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