Permeability Prediction of Sandstones Based on Mercury Intrusion Method

Abstract

The use of the mercury intrusion method has been one of the most relevant trends in determining the permeability of porous media in the past decades. In this paper, general knowledge of sandstone reservoir evaluation is delineated including the pore distribution of sandstones and air permeability measurement. Based upon the paradigmatic study conducted by Purcell, a schematic diagram illustrating apparatus used in mercury intrusion is shown and introduced, and the relevant procedure is also outlined. Four significant permeability prediction models are described respectively and compared based on researches focusing on tight rocks. By doing so, this article reveals that the performance of the models is different despite the painstaking analysis and the significance of these studies. The contribution of this present study is providing a general reference of permeability prediction by mercury intrusion method as well as its previous momentous studies, giving a comparison among the given models.