Core-scale characterisation of flow in tight Arabian formations

Production from tight reservoirs usually requires enhancement due to problems associated with very low permeability. The collection of the fundamental knowledge database needed to fully understand the key mechanisms affecting flow behaviour in tight formation is still sparse. In this paper, we applied a new technique of measuring flow properties in porous media to characterise flow behaviour in core samples of tight carbonate formations. A high-pressure automatic mercury injection apparatus was used to directly estimate basic routine data of tight core samples. The result of this experimental study showed that entry capillary pressure required for the mercury to intrude the pore-space, is strongly dependent on pore-size distribution; typically high (≈13.79 MPa) for average pore-size of about 70 nm and low (<0.07 MPa) for average pore-size of 1 μm in the carbonate core samples. Moreover, the permeability of the samples is higher for the core samples obtained vertically through the parent rock.