Abstract
Unconsolidated sandstone has the characteristics of poor cementation, loose structure, and low intensity. It is difficult to obtain representative cores, and coring from reservoirs is expensive. Thus, artificial cores have been widely used in core flooding experiments instead of natural cores. We found that, during the process of making artificial cores, formation water has an important influence on the physical properties of artificial cores; this factor has been neglected in making of artificial cores thus far. This study investigated the influence of formation water on the cementation and pore throats of artificial cores. In this research, river sand with a similar size distribution to the reservoir samples was chosen as the granule of framework. The results show that the addition of a certain amount of formation water better controls the degree of cementation of artificial cores, and the cores do not need to expand the pores and are relatively easy to mould under the same size composition and dosage of cementing agent. This research demonstrates that formation water is a main factor in making artificial cores of unconsolidated sandstone by comparing parameters such as the porosity, permeability, method of cementing, cementation exponent, and seepage characteristics of natural and artificial cores. The cementation, porosity, and permeability of artificial cores with formation water are better, and the cores have high similarity with natural cores. Consequently, the artificial cores can be used in laboratory experiments instead of natural cores.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Elradi, A.; Fahmi, A.: Experimental investigation of low salinity hot water injection to enhance the recovery of heavy oil reservoirs. In: North Africa Technical Conference and Exhibition. Society of Petroleum Engineers, SPE164768 (2013)
Wang, Z.H.; Bai, Y.; Zhang, H.Q.; Liu, Y.: Investigation on gelation nucleation kinetics of waxy crude oil emulsions by their thermal behavior. J. Pet. Sci. Eng. 181, 106230 (2019)
Saboorian-Jooybari, H.; Dejam, M.; Chen, Z.X.: Heavy oil polymer flooding from laboratory core floods to pilot tests and field applications: half-century studies. J. Pet. Sci. Eng. 142, 85–100 (2016)
Simandoux, P.: Dielectric measurements on porous media:application to the measurement of water saturations study of the behavior of argillaceous formations. Revue de L Institu: Francais du Petrole 18, 193–215 (1963)
Hum, B.W.: Process for making artificial rocks. United States Patent, Aug. 23, pp. 1–10 (1977)
Tang, R.Q.; Yue, L.: The manufacture and study of LC artificial rock sample. Oil Drill. Prod. Technol. 11(5), 75–79 (1986)
Pei, Y.C., Yang, Q.Y., Zhao, Q., Ma, Z.G., Shen, H.: Study on the effect of water saturation on acoustic properties for two phase medium based artificial cores. Prog. Geophys. 32(3), 1236–1242 (2017)
Xu, H.B.; Liu, L.; Li, J.G.: The manufacturing methods of artificial sandstone core in Daqing oil field. Sci. Technol. Eng. 11(30), 7344–7348 (2011)
Lin, Q.; Lin, Y.P.; Zhang, Y.M.; Song, D.B.: Research and application of sand grain matching of artificial rock. Drill. Prod. Technol. 24(1), 30–33 (2001)
Xu, H.B.; Sun, L.W.; Hu, J.X.; Li, J.G.: Research and evaluation of the manufacturing methods of the mineral-wide simulated core in sandstone reservoir. Offshore Oil 29(3), 19–25 (2009)
Pi, Y.F.: Technology and application of artificial quartz epoxy cement cores. Sci. Technol. Eng. 10(31), 6998–7000 (2010)
Han, X.H.; Yang, L.; Hou, Q.Y.; Li, F.B.; Wang, H.L.: A new method for making artificial rock of unconsolidated sandstone cemented by dispersed shale. Prog. Geophys. 28(6), 2944–2949 (2013)
Narayan, A.; Awoleke, O.O.; Ahmadi, M.; Liu, J.: An investigation into the cold heavy oil production with sand process using synthetic cores and designed experiments. Society of Petroleum Engineers, SPE-180373 (2016)
Jiang, Z.B.; Tang, H.M.; Xie, X.Y.; Liao, J.J.: Preparation methods of simulated rock sample of the unconsolidated sandstone. J. Southwest Pet. Univ. 29(3), 32–34 (2007)
Gueguen, Y.: Sedimentary petrology: an introduction to the origin of sedimentary rocks-m. e. tucker. Methods 44(1), 61–72 (2014)
Winsauer, W.O.; Shearin, H.M.; Masson, P.H.; Williams, M.: Resistivity of brine-saturated sands in relation to pore geometry. Bull. Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol. 36, 253–277 (1952)
Jackson, P.D.; Taylor, S.D.; Stanford, P.N.: Resistivity porosity particle shape relationships for marine sands. Geophysics 43(6), 1250–1268 (1978)
Biella, G.; Tabbacco, I.: The influence of grain size on the relations between resistivity, porosity, and permeability in unconsolidated formations. Boll. Geofis. Teor. Appl. 23, 43–58 (1981)
Salem, H.S.: The electric and hydraulic anisotropic behavior of the Jeanne d’ Arc basin reservoirs. J. Pet. Sci. Eng. 12(1), 49–66 (1994)
Archie, G.E.: The electrical resistivity log as an aid in determining some reservoir characteristics. Trans. Am. Inst. Mech. Eng. 146(1), 54–61 (1942)
Ma, W.G.; Wang, P.; Wang, J.: The study of Daqing oilfield class II reservoirs pore throat ratio using conventional pressure mercury method. In: International Conference on Applied Mechanics, Materials and Manufacturing, vol. 423–426, pp. 622–625 (2013)
Jin, L.; Wang, G.W.: Fractal analysis of tight gas sandstones using high-pressure mercury intrusion techniques. J. Nat. Gas Sci. Eng. 24, 185–196 (2015)
Erle, C.D.; Djebbar, T.: Petrophysics. Gulf Professional Publishing, Houston (2003)
Xiong, Y.; Xu, H.G.; Wang, Y.Q.; Zhou, W.S.; Wang, L.; Feng, K.: The variation mechanism of petrophysical properties and the effect of compaction on the relative permeability of an unconsolidated sandstone reservoir. Mar. Pet. Geol. 92, 754–763 (2017)
Wang, H.M.; Liu, Y.; Song, Y.C.; Zhao, Y.C.; Zhao, J.F.; Wang, D.Y.: Fractal analysis and its impact factors on pore structure of artificial cores based on the images obtained using magnetic resonance imaging. J. Appl. Geophys. 86, 70–81 (2012)
Zhang, L.H.; Tong, J.; Xiong, Y.; Zhao, Y.L.: Effect of temperature on the oil–water relative permeability for sandstone reservoirs. Heat Mass Transf. 105, 535–548 (2017)
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of this work from the China Important National Science and Technology Specific Projects (2011ZX05024-002-005). We also gratefully acknowledge the technical support of the State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Geology and Exploitation, with whom we are working.
Funding
China Important National Science and Technology Specific Projects, Grant Number: 2011ZX05024-002-005.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wang, G., Xu, H., Wu, L. et al. Preparation and Evaluation of Artificial Cores of Unconsolidated Sandstone Considering the Effect of Formation Water. Arab J Sci Eng 46, 6809–6815 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-020-04974-w
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-020-04974-w