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Abstract
NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) technologies are widely used in the reservoir developments as
a logging tool which provides the porosity, fluid types in the reservoir. As it is known, the
laboratory's bench-top NMR is applying to evaluate the pore size distribution in the porous media.
Moreover NMR technologies provide several parameters of the rock properties; in particular T2
relaxation time provides the fluid type (brine, oil), boundary fluid, porosity and permeability in the
porous media.
In this paper, first we show the results for the comparison of the pore size distribution with Mercury
injection and NMR T2 relaxation time distribution. Then we introduce the new approach which
integrates the NMR measurement in Amott-Harvey test and the contact angle measurement for the
better understanding of the wettability of reservoir carbonate and sandstone rocks. The result
suggests the wettability alteration with change of fluid saturation and its effects on NMR signals.
And comparison of NMR signals in the case of different wettability rocks, it was confirmed that the
NMR signals showed the different trend. This study constitutes a first step for wettability evaluation
by using NMR technologies. Additional work is required to obtain the advantage of NMR
technologies for core analysis.
1. Introduction
In oil resource development, core analysis is very important technique to obtain various properties
of target reservoir. Through SCAL (Special Core Analysis), it is possible to obtain the physical
properties needed to predict flow behavior of reservoir fluid, such as relative permeability, capillary
pressure and wettability, etc. Wettability obtained through SCAL is one of the most important
factors that have large effect on flow behavior of reservoir fluids. Large amount of oil remains in a
reservoir that water flooding has already been operated. Therefore evaluation of wettability is very
important in operation of EOR for the purpose of additional recovery of this residual oil.
Wettability study of reservoir rocks was conducted by Craig in 1971. He defined wettability as, ‘the
tendency of one fluid to spread on or adhere to a solid surface in the presence of other immiscible
fluids’. Later, wettability has been recognized as an important factor in evaluating the fluid flow in
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porous media. There are a lot of methods for wettability evaluation (Anderson). In general, these
methods are consisting of 1.Amott method, 2. USBM method and 3.Contact angle measurement.
These methods, by using two or all three methods at the same time, could evaluate comprehensive
wettability. Moreover, NMR techniques have also been applied to wettability evaluation.
The first approach by NMR utilization in oil development filed was carried out by Brown and Fatt
in 1956. First, NMR measurements were conducted using artificial sample instead of rock core
sample. After obtaining the parameters of rock core samples, rock core samples recovered from oil
reservoir have been measured and the studies have conducted comparison between the distribution
of T2 relaxation time by NMR and pore diameter distribution by mercury injection method (Kenyon,
Borgia, Kleinberg). Because the results obtained by NMR have a lot of information which includes
the properties of the rocks and fluids in the pore space, many researchers have interpreted the
relationship between permeability and wettability by comparing various sample states, lithology and
so on (Hirasaki, Hsu, Ma, Guan, Al-Mahrooqi, Freedman, Chen).
This paper discusses about application of NMR for core analysis. We conducted Amott test and
contact angle measurement and attempted to apply NMR technology as a part of wettability
evaluation.
(Eq.1)
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3. Wettability
Wettability evaluation methods are three typical tests as described above. Amott method consists of
four basic measurements (Amott).
(i) The amount of brine spontaneously imbibed, Vwsp.
(ii) The amount of brine forcibly imbibed, Vwf.
(iii) The amount of oil spontaneously imbibed, Voilsp.
(iv) The amount of oil forcibly imbibed, Voilf.
Amott-Harvey Index is calculated by following equation (Eq.2).
(Eq.2)
In USBM method, we could obtain the relationship between water saturation and capillary pressure
by using a centrifuge machine and calculate USBM Index. These two methods are able to evaluate
wettability of core samples as a whole and require long time to measure. In contrast, the time
required for contact angle measurement of droplets formed on the core surface is short. Wettability
evaluation by this method is due to the property of only surface of core and is affected by surface
roughness.
In conventional wettability evaluation methods described above, it is impossible to obtain a
distribution of fluid in pore space. When X-ray CT scanner and NMR are used together with these
methods, it is possible to obtain the change of fluid distribution in pore space during Amott and
USBM methods. In this paper, we carried out NMR measurement as a part of wettability evaluation
and examined the distribution of fluid during Amott method.
4. Experiment
Two lithology rock core samples recovered from oil reservoir, carbonate (restored, Sample1 and 2)
and sandstone (fresh, Sample3) were used for the experiments. Restored carbonate samples were
flowed by 100PV of STO for 40 days aging. Physical properties of these samples are shown in
Table1and Table2.
NMR measurement was conducted at the end of each stage of the Amott test. In addition, NMR
measurement was also carried out in brine saturated condition and irreducible brine saturation one.
For convenience, we have numbered the following each step.
Step1: Before aging (Before replacing by STO), Sw=1.0
Step2: After aging (After replacing by STO), Sw=Swir
Step3: Spontaneous brine imbibition
Step4: Forced brine imbibition
Step5: Spontaneous oil imbibition
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Step6: Forced oil imbibition
After Step1, we carried out contact angle measurement. In order to confirm correlation between
distribution of T2 relaxation time by NMR and pore size distribution by mercury inject method, we
conducted mercury inject method. Preliminary experiments were also performed. Only liquids were
used as samples (brine and oil). When mix ration of liquids was changed, we carried out NMR
measurement.
Here, we treat the integrated area of NMR signal and T2 peak value to discuss about results of
NMR measurement. T2 peak value means a peak in distribution of T2 relaxation time. NMR area
means the integral value of the distribution of T2 relaxation time (Eq.3) and it is proportional to the
amount of proton existing in pore space.
(Eq.3)
We used NMR instrument (Oxford Instruments) irradiated 2MHz frequency as same as logging
tools. Contact angle measurement (First Ten Angstroms) was measured by placing a sample in
Decane in order to evaluate wettability under reservoir condition. In Amott method, STO and n-
Decane were used as oil. Synthetic brines were also used as brine. Synthetic brines were simulated to
oil reservoir’s one. Chemical components of brines are listed in Table3. BrineA was use for
Sample1and 2, brineB was used for Sample3.
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Fig.2 shows the relationship between water saturation and NMR area. Here, NMR area means a
relative value by dividing NMR area with the value of only brine used (Eq.4).
(Eq.4)
As water saturation decreases, NMR area increases in STO and it decreases in n-Decane. These
results suggest that it is necessary to consider the effect of liquid in the pore space on NMR signal.
In this study, we carried out preliminary experiments in order to consider the effect. As a result, we
were able to reduce the effect of proton depending on fluid chemical components and saturation of
fluid. This may indicate that it is possible to obtain saturation by NMR measurements of brine and
oil, even if saturation of samples is unknown.
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with those of other operations.
6. Conclusion
We attempted to apply of NMR technique as a part of wettability evaluation. NMR spectrum of
liquid existing in pore space suggests the possibility that water saturation could be estimated. The
change of pore distribution was confirmed during Amott method. And the same change could be
observed in carbonate. From comparison of result for carbonate and sandstone, we confirmed that
there were differences in the behavior of NMR spectrum during Amott method. NMR has proven to
be helpful in evaluating wettability and analyzing cores. In this study, we performed qualitative
evaluation of wettability. Further studies are needed to find out wettability evaluation by NMR
quantitatively.
Abbreviations
AbNMR Integral values of the distribution of T2 relaxation time measured by NMR instrument
when brine was used as a sample.
ANMR Integral values of the distribution of T2 relaxation time measured by NMR instrument.
ArNMR Relative integral values of the distribution of T2 relaxation time measured by NMR
instrument.
f(t2) Functions of T2 relaxation time.
T2 Transverse relaxation time of the pore fluid.
T2bulk T2 relaxation time of the bulk fluid.
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T2surf T2 relaxation time of the pore fluid due to surface relaxation.
T2diff T2 relaxation time of the pore fluid as induced by diffusion in the magnetic field
gradient.
Voilf Volume of drained water by forcibly oil imbibition.
Voilsp Volume of drained water by spontaneously oil imbibition.
Voiltotal Total volume of drained water by spontaneously and forcibly oil imbibition.
Vwf Volume of drained oil by forcibly oil imbibition.
Vwsp Volume of drained oil by spontaneously water imbibition.
Vwtotal Total volume of drained oil by spontaneously and forcibly water imbibition.
References
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sandstone rock and fluid systems, Journal of Petroleum Science & Engineering, Vol. 39, 389-398
(2003).
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Anderson, W. G., Wettability literature survey: Part 2. Wettability measurements, J. Pet. Technol.,
1246-1262 (1986).
Brown, R. J. S. and Fatt, I., Measurements of fractional wettability of oilfield rocks by the nuclear
magnetic relaxation method, AIME, Vol. 207, p.262-264 (1956).
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of Petroleum Science and Engineering 52, 161-171 (2006).
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(2003).
Guan, H. et al., Wettability effects in a sandstone reservoir and outcrop cores from NMR relaxation
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time distributions, Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering 34, 35-54 (2002).
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Sample ID Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3
Rock type Carbonate Carbonate Sandstone
Sample state Restored Restored Fresh
Diameter mm 37.95 37.90 37.84
Length mm 65.93 70.00 63.61
Dry weight g 143.853 151.840 137.844
Pore volume mm3 21403 22744 19314
Porosity - 0.287 0.288 0.270
Air permeability md 96.34 66.15 754.48
Table1 Properties of rock core samples.
Brine A Brine B
3
Na g/m 67000 10648
3
K g/m 0 374
3
Ca g/m 20000 1658
3
Mg g/m 2500 117
3
Cl g/m 147000 19932
3
SO4 g/m 600 187
Table3 Chemical components of brines.
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Fig.1 Comparison of the distribution between T2 relaxation time by NMR (Step1) and pore
size measured by mercury injection.
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(a) Sample1 (used liquid is STO).
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(b) Sample3 (used liquid is n-Decane).
Fig.2 The effect of water saturation on ratio of NMR area.
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Fig.3 Comparison of NMR intensity between before aging and after aging (Step1 and Step2).
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Fig.5 Comparison of T2 relaxation time during Amott method (Sample3).
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(a) Sample1
(b) Sample3
Fig.6 Relationship between NMR T2 peak and water saturation.
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