DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF LABORATORY SCALED ROCK

POROSIMETER USING ACOUSTIC WAVE PROPAGATION METHOD

CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Oil and gas technology has boomed over the years and it became evident

on how efficient oil and gas companies are in obtaining information, developing

cost-effective methods for drilling, producing, and refining petroleum products,

and creating new technologies to make everything easier.

One of the most useful part of technology in oil and gas industry is the

acoustic logging. Acoustic logging uses wave propagation theory and physics for

petroleum applications like determination of porosity, identifying gas bearing

intervals and cement evaluation.

A virtual explosion in the volume of acoustic research conducted over the

past 20 years has resulted in significant advances in the fundamental

understanding of downhole acoustic measurements. These advances, in turn,

have greatly influenced practical logging technology by allowing logging-tool

designs to be optimized for specific applications. Acousticwave dataacquisition

methods cover a broad range of scales from millimeters to hundreds of meters.

We can determine porosity, gas bearing intervals, and cement evaluation.

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 Porosity is the percentage of pore volume or void space, or that volume

within rock that can contain fluids. Porosity can be a relic of deposition (primary

porosity, such as space between grains that were not compacted together

completely) or can develop through alteration of the rock (secondary porosity,

such as when feldspar grains or fossils are preferentially dissolved from

sandstones).

Porosimeter is an instrument for measuring the pore volume, and hence

the porosity, of a core sample. The term is also used for some instruments that

measure grain volume, such as the Boyle’s Law Double-Cell method. Pore

volume is then obtained from the difference between bulk volume and grain

volume. Pore volume is most commonly measured directly by Boyle's Law

Single-Cell method, summation of fluids or liquid saturation.

Acoustic logging tools can assist in evaluating porosity because the

compressional velocity of sound in fluid is less than the velocity in rock. If there is

more space in the rock, and it is fluid-filled, the acoustic energy will take longer to

get from the transmitter to the receiver (i.e., low velocity indicates high porosity).

The recorded velocity or travel time represents the sum of the velocity of: solid

part or framework of the rock (i.e., the rock matrix), rock lining the pores, fluid

filling the pore space.

To develop a laboratory scale porosimeter that uses acoustic wave

propagation can take us one step to determining porosity easier without using

much resources like water, gas etc. To address the need of a cost effective and

efficient porosimeter, the proponents of this study came up with this design of a

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laboratory scale apparatusthat will determine the porosity of the rock sample

using acoustic wave propagation. This will help petroleum engineering students

to understand porosity, acoustic logging methods and petrophysical properties of

the rocks.

Also, the researchers address the limitations of other porosimetry methods

which could damage other rock samples by the intrusion of toxic substances and

sampleswhich could give inefficient results. Another limitation that they try to

solve is measuring the porosity of soft and easily eroded rock samples without

damaging the sample itself. Some methods need to saturate or to intrude the

sample with water, gas, etc. which could harm the samples.One example of this

situation is the intrusion of mercury technique which could damage and erode

samples due to the toxicity levels of the mercury.

Objectives of the study

This study will aim to design and develop laboratory scale porosimeter

using acoustic wave propagation method.

Specifically, it aims to:

1. Fabricate a laboratory scale porosimeter using acoustic wave propagation

method considering the following:

1.1 Material specification

1.2 Layout

1.3 System components

2. Prepare the rock samples to be tested with respect to:

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 2.1 Desired standard rock sample according to ASTM D-4543

(length to diameter ratio (L/D) of 2.0 to 2.5 and a diameter of not

less than 17/8 in) of:

a) Sandstone

b) Limestone

c) Dolomite

d) Shale

2.2 Determine moisture content according to ASTM D-2216.

3. Conduct preliminary testing of the fabricated apparatus to establish the

following parameters:

3.1 Distance between transmitter and receiver using RSSI

(Received Signal Strength Indication)

3.2Operating time

3.3 Frequency

3.4 Wavelength

4. Conduct final performance testing to evaluate the performance of the

apparatus in terms of:

4.1Porosity

5. Compare the porosity of the standard value and the measured value of

porosity from the developed prototype using 1-paired two-tailed p-test.

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 6. Compare the accuracy of the resulting porosity values obtained from the

other existing porosimeters.

7. Provide an operating and maintenance manual for the fabricated

porosimeter using acoustic wave propagation.

Significance of the Study

This study will focus on the design and development of a laboratory scale

porosimeter using acoustic wave propagation and an operational manual for the

academe as instructional tool mainly for Petroleum Engineering Students whose

subjects involve the study of rock properties. The researchers will conduct this

study to provide additional equipment necessary for students to perform

laboratory exercises.

The following other sectors will benefit from this study:

To the University, the fabricated laboratory apparatus can be used as

instructional material.

To the students of the Petroleum Engineering Department, this study will

provide a better understanding of porosity and how it is being affected by working

parameters.

To the researchers themselves, this study will serve as a guide to pursue

their line of profession in understanding and undertaking the responsibility of

passing down their knowledge to others.

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 To the petroleum and geological industry, this study may serve as a

stepping stone for the future development of rock testing for obtaining

petrophysical properties.

To the future researchers, the development of this project may serve as a

guide and reference for their study and related researches.

Scope and limitations

The project study will focus mainly to the design and development of

laboratory scale porosimeter using acoustic wave propagation.This laboratory

apparatus will be used to measure the porosity of the rock sample using acoustic

wave.

Specifically, this study will cover the determination of the equipment

components, presentation of the schematic diagram and selection of the

appropriate materials to be used in the development of the prototype, including

cost estimation of the system.

The sample will be requested from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau

and other geo-focused companies where samples are locally available. The

samples to be gathered are sandstone, limestone, dolomite, and shale.The

sample shall be right circular cylinders withinthe tolerances specified and shall

have a length-to-diameter ratio(L/D) of 2.0 to 2.5and a diameter of not less than

17⁄8 in. (47mm). (ASTM D4543)The sample must be free from moisture. The

moisture content will be measured in an oven method according to ASTM D-

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2216.The sample will be tested for their standard value of porosity by the

laboratory porosimeter provided by the school.

Performance testing will be conducted to test the efficiency of the

machine. It was divided into two parts; preliminary and final testing. In the

preliminary testing, the researchers will check the distance between the

transmitter and the receiver according to RSSI (Received Signal Strength

Indication) andhow much time is needed to operate the apparatus.For the final

testing, they will test the porosity of the rock sample using interval transit time.

The researchers will compare the measured values and the standard

values in terms of porosity to find out if the apparatus is acceptable or not by the

p-test statistical treatment.The researcher’s null hypothesis will be:There is no

significant difference in terms of porosity between the standard and measured

using the developed prototype.

The output of the study will be a laboratory scale porosimeter using

acoustic wave propagation and an operation and maintenance manual to be

utilized as an instructional tool to supplement classroom lectures and laboratory

works.

Conceptual Framework

The goal of this study is to develop a laboratory scale apparatus that will

give the porosity of a rock sample using acoustic wave propagation. This

developmental project presents the research paradigm using the CDIO

(Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate) model. It includes information such as

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knowledge requirements for the design of the prototype, hardware requirements,

and the final output of the study.

In the conceive stage, the theories and concepts governing the working

principle of the prototype will be gathered to come up with an effective design of

the desired apparatus. Those will also be used to identify the parameters to be

evaluated upon achieving the objectives set for the study.

The design stage encompasses the hardware components, taking into

consideration the material specifications, design layout, and system components

of the prototype. The design will be created using software such as Solid Works

to visualize the appearance of the apparatus in 3D-view.

In implement stage, the focus is the fabrication of the apparatus

considering the hardware requirements. Collection of the rock sample is also

important as to achieve a desirable characteristic. Preliminary testing will be

conducted to establish the working parameters of the study. Final testing will

evaluate the overall efficiency of the prototype in terms of the set parameters.

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 CONCIEVE DESIGN

IMPLEMENT
Knowledge  Fabrication of the
Requirements OPERATE laboratory scale
porosimeter using
 Existing acoustic wave
porosimeter Hardware propagation
apparatus Requirements:
 Collection and
 Porosity preparation of rock Laboratory
 Fabrication on
 Factors samples scale
shop
affecting  Preliminary testing porosimeter
porosity  Material for
constructiono Distance using acoustic
 Acoustic between the wave
wave Design Variables: transmitter propagation
propagation
 Factors  Design layout and the
receiver.
affecting  Material
o Operating time
wave specification
 Final Testing
propagation  System Operation
o Porosity
 Interval components manual
 Compare standard
transit time  Dimension
and obtained values
 Time of  Solid Works
 Compare the
Flight developed prototype
Principle to the other existing
 Common porosimeters
reservoir
rocksand
shale

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Figure 1: Conceptual Framework

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Definition of Terms

The following terms were defined conceptually and operationally for better

understanding of the content of the study.

Acoustic log. A display of traveltime of acoustic waves versus depth in a

well. The term is commonly used as a synonym for a sonic log. Some acoustic

logs display velocity. (glossary.oilfield.slb.com)

Acoustic waves. It is a type of longitudinal waves that propagate by

means of adiabatic compression and decompression. Also known as sound

waves.(dictionary.com)

Boyle's Law Double Cell.A technique for measuring the grain volume of

a core sample by observing the change in pressure of helium introduced into a

chamber containing the sample. The rock sample is placed in a chamber of

known volume. Helium is held in a reference chamber at known volume and

pressure, typically 100 to 200 psi [689 to 1379 kPa]. The two chambers are

connected, causing the helium to drop in pressure as it fills the sample chamber

and the pores in the sample. The only volume not filled is the grain volume and

the isolated poresvolume and the isolated pores. Neglecting the latter, the grain

volume can then be calculated from Boyle's Law using the pressure before and

after connecting the chambers and the chamber

volumes.(glossary.oilfield.slb.com)

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 Distance between transmitter and receiver. The distance traveled by

the acoustic wave will be tested to set a standard distance in measuring the

interval transit time of the acoustic log.

Interval transit time. The amount of time for a wave to travel a certain

distance, proportional to the reciprocal of velocity, typically measured in

microseconds per foot by an acoustic log and symbolized by t or DT.

(glossary.oilfield.slb.com)

Moisture content. It is the amount of water, in any form, in a substance

(businessdictionary.com).The sample must be dry and free from moisture for

more proper results.

Obtained value. It is the value of the porosity obtained from the

researcher’s apparatus.

Operating time. It is the total duration of the acoustic wave transmitted

from the transmitter until it was received at the receiver.

Porosity. It is the ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the volume of the

pores or interstices of a substance, as a rock or rock stratum, to the total volume

of the mass. (http://www.glossary.oilfield.slb.com/en/Terms/p/porosity.aspx)

Porosimeter. The instrument for measuring the pore volume, and hence

the porosity, of a core sample.(glossary.oilfield.slb.com)

Receiver.It is an equipment that receives the acoustic wave that already

passed through from the rock sample.

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 Sample size and shape.The sample shall be right circular cylinders within

the tolerances specified and shall have a length-to-diameter ratio (L/D) of 2.0 to

2.5 and a diameter of not less than 17⁄8 in.

Standard value. It is the value of the porosity obtained from laboratory

results provided by school’s apparatus.

Transmitter. It is an equipment that transmit acoustic waves to the rock

sample.

Time of Flight Principle.The Time-of-Flight principle (ToF) is a method

for measuring the distance between a sensor and an object, based on the time

difference between the emission of a signal and its return to the sensor, after

being reflected by an object.(terabee.com)

Wave propagation. It is any of the ways in which waves travel.

(dictionary.com)

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