On the Correlation of Electrical Conductivity Properties of Porous Systems with Viscous Flow Transport Coefficients

Abstract

Abstract This study emphasizes the role that surface conductivity plays in electrical transport processes in porous media. It shows that this term has to be included in the calculations where phase distributions or porosities are to be deducted from formation factor type measurements even in clean formations when electrolyte concentrations are low. in applying a parallel resistance model of conduction processes through porous media, it can be demonstrated that the pertinent parameters are a conductivity ratio function k s /k f = f(C) and the extent of the internal specific pore surface area S p . The conductivity ratio function will also depend on the nature of the internal surface area which determines the mechanism of charge fixation at the solid-solution interface. Based on the assumption that electrical and viscous flow paths in the porous medium are identical, the electrical transport coefficients can be -connected to viscous flow parameters by way of introducing the Kozeny-Carman hydraulic radius concept of porous interstices and linking the internal surface area term to the permeability of the medium.