ROCK
COMPRESSIBILITY
Petrophysics
Introduction
A reservoir thousands of feet underground is
subjected to an overburden pressure caused by the
weight of the overlying formations.
Overburden pressures vary from area to area
depending on factors such as depth, nature of the
structure, consolidation of the formation, and
possibly the geologic age and history of the rocks.
Depth of the formation is the most important
consideration, and a typical value of overburden
pressure is approximately one psi per foot of depth.
The weight of the overburden simply applies a
compressive force to the reservoir.
The pressure in the rock pore spaces does not
Introduction
A typical pore pressure, commonly referred to as the
reservoir pressure, is approximately 0.5 psi per foot
of depth, assuming that the reservoir is sufficiently
consolidated so the overburden pressure is not
transmitted to the fluids in the pore spaces.
The pressure difference between overburden and
internal pore pressure is referred to as the effective
overburden pressure.
During pressure depletion operations, the internal
pore pressure decreases and, therefore, the effective
overburden pressure increases. This increase causes
the following effects:
Introduction
These two volume changes tend to reduce the pore
space and, therefore, the porosity of the rock.
Compressibility typically decreases with increasing
porosity.
Typical values for the formation compressibility range
from 3 × 10−6 to 25 × 10−6 psi−1
Types of Compressibility
Geertsma (1957) points out that there are three
different types of compressibility that must be
distinguished in rocks:
1. Rock-matrix compressibility, Cr:
Is defined as the fractional change in volume of the
solid rock material (grains) with a unit change in
pressure. Mathematically, the rock compressibility
coefficient is given by,
Types of Compressibility
2. Rock-bulk compressibility, Cb:
Is defined as the fractional change in volume of the
bulk volume of the rock with a unit change in pressure.
The rock-bulk compressibility is defined mathematically
by:
Types of Compressibility
3. Pore compressibility, Cp:
The pore compressibility coefficient is defined as the
fractional change in pore volume of the rock with a
unit change in pressure and given by the following
relationship:
This equation can be expressed in terms of the
porosity φ by noting that φ increases with the
increase in the pore pressure; or:
Formation Compressibility
For most petroleum reservoirs, the rock and bulk
compressibility are considered small in comparison
with the pore compressibility cp.
The formation compressibility Cf is the term
commonly used to describe the total compressibility
of the formation and is set equal to Cp.
where ΔVp and Δp are the change in the pore volume
and pore pressure, respectively.
Effect of Compressibility on
Porosity
The reduction in the pore volume due to pressure
decline can also be expressed in terms of the
changes in the reservoir porosity.
Effect of Compressibility on
Porosity
Using the expansion series and truncating the series
after the first two terms, gives:
Total Compressibility
It should be pointed out that the total reservoir
compressibility Ct is extensively used in the transient
flow equation and the material balance equation as
defined by the following expression:
Compressibility Measurement
In reservoirs, overburden pressure is constant and
the pressure of fluid in pores changes, resulting in
pore volume change.
In the laboratory, we change the confining pressure
on the core plug (overburden) while holding the pore
pressure constant. The net compaction pressure on
the matrix is the difference between the overburden
and pore pressures, so the net effect is the same in
both cases. This allows us to obtain useful results in
the laboratory.
The laboratory procedure: Core plug is 100%
saturated with brine. Core plug is placed in rubber or
soft copper sleeve. As pressure outside sleeve is
Compressibility Measurement
Example 1
Given the following lab data, calculate the pore volume
compressibility for a sandstone sample at 4,000 and
6,000 psi.
Compressibility Measurement
Measurement of Change in Pore Volume
Measurement of Change in Porosity
Compressibility Correlations
Hall Correlation:
Hall (1953) correlated the pore compressibility with
porosity as given by the following relationship:
Compressibility Correlations
Newman Correlation:
Newman (1973) used 79 samples for consolidated
sandstones and lime stones to develop a correlation
between the formation compressibility and porosity.
The proposed generalized form of the equation is:
Compressibility Correlations
Example:
Estimate the compressibility coefficient of a
sandstone formation that is characterized by a
porosity of 0.2, using:
a. Hall’s correlation
b. Newman’s correlation
