Steady State Permeability Testing
Overview:
The permeability is a basic property of rocks and an important parameter for hydraulic fracturing models. Another capability of our rock mechanics system is having the technology of measuring permeability. By using this system, it is possible to flow through the sample and measure vertical and horizontal permeability with deviatoric load. This technology has many applications such as analyzing the change of permeability with stress and studying fracture permeability and its variation with stress and permeability enhancement.
Specs:
Permeability up to nano-darcy scales is measured on intact rock samples.
Permeability measurements are performed at increasing effective stress values and the final step involves hysteresis analysis with a permeability measurement at initial or reservoir stress.
The system allows permeability measurement with at least three liquids (water, brine and oil) and at least three gases (N2, CO2, He).
Experiment is conducted using supercritical fluid (N2 or CO2) under Darcy flow regimes. Supercritical fluids behave like liquids thereby avoiding Klinkenberg and Forcheimer effects.
Low fluid compressibility enables reaching steady state in short time (short duration unsteady-state transients).
Recommended Sample Dimensions:
Length: 2” Diameter: 1”
Length: 3” Diameter: 1.5”