Comparative Laboratory Wettability Study of Sandstone, Tuff, and Shale Using 12-MHz NMR T1-T2 Fluid Typing: Insight of Shale

Abstract

Summary Wettability is a fundamental parameter significantly influencing fluid distributions, saturations, and relative permeability in porous media. Despite the availability of several wettability measurement techniques, obtaining consistent wettability index results, particularly in tight reservoirs, remains a challenge. Nevertheless, obtaining accurate wettability indices is crucial for gaining a more profound understanding of rock properties and precisely identifying and evaluating oil recovery processes. This study adapts T1-T2 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in twin plugs (cores cut in half from the middle) style wettability measurement for different reservoirs. The fluid typing in different lithologies by T1-T2 NMR is proved to be effective by introducing D2O with a modified pressurization saturation process. Therefore, demarcating the regions requires multiple experiments, including sole brine, sole oil phase, and D2O imbibition processes, to define oil and water distribution regions. Such fluid typing ability enables better accuracy in wettability characterization. The weighing method shows good agreement with the T2 spectrum but lacks the ability to differentiate fluids. It is observed that the same fluid in various porous media displays different divisions of T1/T2 ratios. The wettability index of sandstone, tuff, and shale measured by weighing and T1-T2 NMR method are compared and studied to demonstrate the applicability of different methods. The weighing method and the NMR method, as modified-Amott methods, share the same fundamental principle but differ in their measurement techniques. This study’s T1-T2 NMR wettability indices are −0.52, 0.06, and 0.14, whereas the weighing wettability indices are −0.63, 0.07, and 0.34 of sandstone, tuff, and shale, respectively. In addition to the difference in shale wettability index, there are also differences in shale porosity measured by methods with/without the ability to differentiate the fluid types. The T1-T2 NMR method is more accurate in measuring the wettability of shale because it can distinguish among free water in pores, structural water, and clay-bound water in smectitic clay minerals. If the clay-related water is not treated properly, the hydrophilicity of the shale will be overestimated. Ultimately, four types of pores (water-wet, oil-wet, mixed-wet, and unconnected pores) are classified and quantified by the proposed NMR method.