The objective of this test is to determine the bulk volume, grain volume, pore volume and effective porosity of interconnected pores of a core sample with the use of liquid saturation method.

1. Koya University
Faculty of engineering
Petroleum department
Reservoir engineering laboratory
(Porosity by saturation method)
Dec.17th
.2015
Lab EXP.(3)
Supervised By Prepared By
Mr. Haval Bakhtiar star m.
Mr. Barham
Submitted on: Dec. 21th
2015

2. Table of Contents
Objective…………………………………………………………………………………………………………3
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………….4
Theory ……………………………………………………………………………….5
Introduction of experiment …………………………………………………………..6
Procedure ……………………………………………………………………………..7
Calculation ……………………………………………………………………………8
Discussion………………………………………………………………………….....9&10
Reference ……………………………………………………………………………..11

3. Objective
The objective of this test is to determine the bulk volume,
grain volume, pore volume and effective porosity of
interconnected pores of a core sample with the use of liquid
saturation method.

4. Abstract
Porosity is the best known physical characteristic of an oil
reservoir. It determines the volume of oil or gas present, and
all recovery computations must be based on knowledge of its
value. Porosity of a material is defined as that fraction of the
bulk volume of this material that is not occupied by the solid
framework of the material.In oil reservoirs,the porosity
represents the percentage of the total space that is available
for occupancy by eighter liquids or gases.
Core plug sample saturator is a system that consists of a
pressure control panel, a core Plug holder vessel, a pneumatic
pump to drive water into the sample saturation chamber, and
a vacuum pump. The system allows complete saturation of
core plug samples at pressures up to 2000 psi. The Core plug
sample saturator permits to perform a sequence of vacuum
And saturation cycles on plug size samples. The standard
apparatus includes a plug sized core cell, a vacuum pump, an
hand operated pressure pump (2,000 psi output), a saturant
vacuum tank and necessary hand operated valves and
plumbing.

5. Theory
The manual saturator permits to perform a sequence of
vacuum and saturation cycles on plug size samples. The
standard apparatus includes a plug sized core cell, a vacuum
pump, an hand operated pressure pump (2,000 psi output), a
saturate vacuum tank and necessary hand operated valves and
plumbing. A larger capacity cell to accommodate full size
core samples is also available.
A technique for measuring the pore volume of a core sample
from the difference in its weight when dry and when saturated
with a liquid. A clean, dry sample is weighed and then
evacuated for several hours in a vacuum chamber, flushing
with CO2 to remove remaining air if necessary. A de-aerated
liquid is introduced into the chamber and pressured to ensure
complete saturation. The saturated sample is then weighed
again. The difference in weight divided by the density of the
liquid is the connected, or effective, pore volume. It is also

6. common to measure the weight of the sample when immersed
in the liquid. The grain and bulk volume can then be
calculated as in the buoyancy method and then we can find
the porosity of a sample.
We can do the saturation for a core sample by different ways
One of the way that used for this purpose called (manual
saturating method) Harwood, Laurence M.; Moody, Christopher J. (13
Jun 1989)

7. Introduction of experiment
Equipment and sample requirements
1- Caliper
2- Stopwatch
3- Vacuum pump
4- Brine
5- Core saturator
6- Analytical balance
7- Core sample
Caliper Stopwatch

8. Vacuum pump
Core saturator
Analytical balance Core sample

9. Procedure
1- Record the temperature in the laboratory.
2- Measure each dimension three times to take the average dimensions of
the core samples and record.
3- Measure the weight of the dry core sample.
4- Wait till the weight reading will stabilize, and record.
5- Put the core plug in the core cell chamber sample.
6- Turn on valve No.1 between the vacuum pump and core sample
container.
7- Close the valve No.2 between the core sample container and the brine
reservoir.
8- Turn on the vacuum pump.
9- When the vacuum pressure will be stable, wait for 2 minute and then turn
off vacuum pump.
10- Open valve No.2 to allow brine to flow to the core sample container.
11- Once the liquid level in the saturant vacuum tank takes it is stabile level,
then turn off valve No.2. and vacuum pump.
12- Start to pressurize the core chamber cell manually and slowly up to 2000
psi.
13- Monitor and keep the pressure on 2000psi till it will stabilize on this
value.
14- Waite for 5 minute.
15- Open valve. No.2 and wait for the pressure gauge to go back to Zero
pressure reading.
16- Gently take out the core sample and wipe out the liquid on the sample
surface by rolling it on a piece of paper.
17- Measure and record the weight of the saturated core sample.
18- Measure the difference and find the pore volume and Porosity.

10. DISCUSION
After cleaning of the core we should be performed a saturating
method to find a porosity from a pore volume and bulk
volume of a core.
Some point in this experiment we noticed, we can discuss like that:
1-One of important point we just have to get attention about
the vacuum process because there shouldn’t be air or water
in the cylinder where we put the core inside it.
2-We found the effective porosity of a sample because we
used a saturation method for finding porosity of a sample,
because just a pore that connected together will saturate, if we
have a pore which not connect with another pore not saturated
3- We have to keep the pressure on or up to 2000psi
during the time we counting on because it will be more
efficient like that.

11. Q-why we don’t use mercury for saturation?
Mercury does not enter in a sample filled by air if no
pressure is applied. The mercury pycnometer method
consists in measuring the volume of mercury without and
with the core immersed.
Due to safety reasons, this method is no longer used in
most of laboratories
How we find pore volume?
At the first we weigh the sample (w1) and then put it in a
manual saturating in order to take out all of the air in a void
of a rock by vacuum process later we increase the pressure
until the water enter all of the pore space of a rock and then
we weigh a sample (2) so we can find a pore volume of a rock.
At the end we can find porosity by pore volume and bulk
volume.

12. References
1.Eslinger, E. and Pevear, D. “Clay Minerals for Petroleum
Geologists and Engineers”, SEPM Short Course No. 22,
1988.
2.Worthington, P.F. “Conjunctive interpretation of core and
log data through association of effective and total porosity
models” In: Harvey, P.K. & Lovell, M.A. ( eds), Core-
LogIntegration, Geological Society, London, Special
Publications, 136, 213-223.
3.Adams, S., “Porosity—Total vs Effective”, WellEval.com
website, 2005
4.Bush, D.C. and Jenkins, R.E., “Proper Hydration of Clays
for Rock Property Determination”, SPE 2589, JPT, July
1970, 800-804.
5. Hill, H.J., Shirley, O.J., Klein, G.E. “Bound Water in Shaly
Sands—Its Relation to Qv and Other Formation
Properties”, Log Analyst, May–June, 1979.
6. Juhasz, I. “Conversion of routine air permeability data into
stressed brine-permeability data” Tenth European
Formation Evaluation Symposium, paper Y, 1986.