Modern laboratory methods for studying capillary pressure in rock samples of oil and gas reservoirs

About the authors:

Vitaliy Sergeevich Druchin, PhD in Geology and Mineralogy, Head of Geological support for projects in the Western Siberian Region, LUKOIL-Engineering LLC , Kogalym, Russia; Head of Department, Department of oil and gas systems modeling, Educational center of Kogalym, branch of the Federal Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education “Perm National Research Polytechnic University”, Kogalym, Russia; Vitaliy.Druchin@lukoil.com

Timur Railevich Galiev, Head of Department, Department of petrophysical research, Center of laboratory and research works, , LUKOIL-Engineering LLC , Kogalym, Russia; Timur.Galiev@lukoil.com

Kseniya Yanovna Gilmanova, geologist of the 2nd category, Department of industrial reserve estimation of the Kogalym District, Department of geological Modeling and industrial reserve estimation of the West Siberian region, LUKOIL-Engineering LLC, Tyumen, Russia; postgraduate, department of applied geophysics, Federal State Budget Educational Institution of Higher Education “Industrial University of Tyumen”, Tyumen, Russia;
Kseniya.Gilmanova@lukoil.com, https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1188-9865

Tatyana Vladimirovna Volkova, engineer, Department of petrophysical research, Center of laboratory and research works, LUKOIL-Engineering LLC, Kogalym, Russia; tatyana.v.volkova@lukoil.com

Abstract:

Currently, capillary pressure curves on core samples are obtained using various laboratory methods: mercury porometry, centrifugation, and semi-permeable membrane (in atmospheric conditions or conditions similar to reservoir conditions). Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Experimental data obtained by centrifugation can also be processed in various ways. As a result, both the values of residual water saturation (with an error of up to 30% relative) and the calculated heights of the deposits (with differences of up to 2-3 times in the height of the deposit above the zero level of capillary pressure, with the same values of critical water saturation) differ significantly. After the analysis, it was found that the most accurate data for terrigenous hydrophilic reservoirs can be obtained using the semi-permeable membrane method in the “individual capillarimeter” modification during experiments under thermobaric conditions. The other methods are express and aimed at obtaining mass data in a short time.

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