Research on the Relationship between Electrical Parameters and Relative Permeability of Tight Sandstone

Abstract

The relationship between the electrical properties and relative permeability of tight sandstones with complex pore-throat structures is still unclear. In this study, a relationship model between the electrical parameters and pore-throat structure and the relative permeability of tight sandstone based on experimental data was established by combining theoretical derivation and experimental comparison. The model has typical three-terminal element characteristics. Porosity had little effect on relative permeability, whereas saturation index had a significant control effect on relative permeability. The relative permeability curve deduced based on the electrical parameters was quite different from the experimental fitting curve. Because irreducible water could conduct electricity but not flow, the relative permeability of the gas phase derived from the theory was higher than the experimental one, while the relative permeability of the water phase was lower. The isotonic point saturation of the phase permeability curve derived from the rock electrical parameter theory was larger than that obtained from the experiment. This research could help us obtain accurate relative permeability curves through electrical parameters and provide a basis for the fine evaluation of tight sandstone two-phase flow.