Porosity Estimation of the Permo-Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group Using BNRM and Petrophysical Models

S. Oguntade; U. Ofterdinger; J.-C. Comte; R. Gee; Myles Kynaston; Robert Raine

doi:10.5194/adgeo-65-189-2025

Porosity Estimation of the Permo-Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group Using BNRM and Petrophysical Models

S. Oguntade^* (Corresponding Author)
, U. Ofterdinger
, J.-C. Comte
, R. Gee
, Myles Kynaston
, Robert Raine

^*Corresponding author for this work

Geography & Environment

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

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Abstract

The Permo-Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group is an important aquifer with potential for both shallow and deep geothermal energy use in the UK. This study investigates the hydrogeological properties of the shallow buried Sherwood Sandstone Group in Northern Ireland, with a focus on its porosity, using borehole nuclear magnetic resonance (BNMR) and petrophysical models (Archie and Waxman-Smits). BNMR and downhole geophysical logging (resistivity, EC, temperature and natural gamma) were carried out on three boreholes drilled into the lower Sherwood Sandstone Group aquifer at depths of about 100 m on Queen's University Belfast campus. The results showed that the porosity calculated from BNMR and the Waxman-Smits model are comparable, demonstrating the relationship between BNMR and petrophysical-derived porosity. The average porosity of the Sherwood Sandstone Group at this location ranges between 14.9 % and 17.6 %, with maximum values ranging between 33.7 % and 40.4 %. However, the results from the Archie model are significantly larger than those of BNRM, confirming its unsuitability for lithologies containing clays, even in small amounts. This study confirms storage capacities in the lower Sherwood Sandstone Group that make it suitable for ATES systems.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	189-197
Number of pages	9
Journal	Advances in Geosciences
Volume	65
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-65-189-2025 https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-65-189-2025-supplement
Publication status	Published - 18 Mar 2025

Bibliographical note

The authors appreciate the technical assistance of the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland and Advanced Logic Technology (ALT) in providing access to WellCAD software. We also thank Joseph Ireland for assisting with the data collection and three anonymous reviewers who provided valuable comments.

Data Availability Statement

Code and data availability
The BNMR and Petrophysical models porosity results are provided in the Supplement. The MATLAB code for visualising these data can be provided by the contact author upon request.

Supplement
The supplement related to this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.5194/adgeo-65-189-2025-supplement.

Funding

This research has been supported by the UK Research and Innovation through the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) QUADRAT Doctoral Training Programme (DTP) (grant no. R1079NBE/40386285).

Funders	Funder number
Natural Environment Research Council	R1079NBE/40386285

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Cite this

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title = "Porosity Estimation of the Permo-Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group Using BNRM and Petrophysical Models",

abstract = "The Permo-Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group is an important aquifer with potential for both shallow and deep geothermal energy use in the UK. This study investigates the hydrogeological properties of the shallow buried Sherwood Sandstone Group in Northern Ireland, with a focus on its porosity, using borehole nuclear magnetic resonance (BNMR) and petrophysical models (Archie and Waxman-Smits). BNMR and downhole geophysical logging (resistivity, EC, temperature and natural gamma) were carried out on three boreholes drilled into the lower Sherwood Sandstone Group aquifer at depths of about 100 m on Queen's University Belfast campus. The results showed that the porosity calculated from BNMR and the Waxman-Smits model are comparable, demonstrating the relationship between BNMR and petrophysical-derived porosity. The average porosity of the Sherwood Sandstone Group at this location ranges between 14.9 \% and 17.6 \%, with maximum values ranging between 33.7 \% and 40.4 \%. However, the results from the Archie model are significantly larger than those of BNRM, confirming its unsuitability for lithologies containing clays, even in small amounts. This study confirms storage capacities in the lower Sherwood Sandstone Group that make it suitable for ATES systems.",

author = "S. Oguntade and U. Ofterdinger and J.-C. Comte and R. Gee and Myles Kynaston and Robert Raine",

note = "The authors appreciate the technical assistance of the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland and Advanced Logic Technology (ALT) in providing access to WellCAD software. We also thank Joseph Ireland for assisting with the data collection and three anonymous reviewers who provided valuable comments.",

year = "2025",

month = mar,

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doi = "10.5194/adgeo-65-189-2025",

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volume = "65",

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AU - Ofterdinger, U.

AU - Comte, J.-C.

AU - Gee, R.

AU - Kynaston, Myles

AU - Raine, Robert

N1 - The authors appreciate the technical assistance of the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland and Advanced Logic Technology (ALT) in providing access to WellCAD software. We also thank Joseph Ireland for assisting with the data collection and three anonymous reviewers who provided valuable comments.

PY - 2025/3/18

Y1 - 2025/3/18

N2 - The Permo-Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group is an important aquifer with potential for both shallow and deep geothermal energy use in the UK. This study investigates the hydrogeological properties of the shallow buried Sherwood Sandstone Group in Northern Ireland, with a focus on its porosity, using borehole nuclear magnetic resonance (BNMR) and petrophysical models (Archie and Waxman-Smits). BNMR and downhole geophysical logging (resistivity, EC, temperature and natural gamma) were carried out on three boreholes drilled into the lower Sherwood Sandstone Group aquifer at depths of about 100 m on Queen's University Belfast campus. The results showed that the porosity calculated from BNMR and the Waxman-Smits model are comparable, demonstrating the relationship between BNMR and petrophysical-derived porosity. The average porosity of the Sherwood Sandstone Group at this location ranges between 14.9 % and 17.6 %, with maximum values ranging between 33.7 % and 40.4 %. However, the results from the Archie model are significantly larger than those of BNRM, confirming its unsuitability for lithologies containing clays, even in small amounts. This study confirms storage capacities in the lower Sherwood Sandstone Group that make it suitable for ATES systems.

AB - The Permo-Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group is an important aquifer with potential for both shallow and deep geothermal energy use in the UK. This study investigates the hydrogeological properties of the shallow buried Sherwood Sandstone Group in Northern Ireland, with a focus on its porosity, using borehole nuclear magnetic resonance (BNMR) and petrophysical models (Archie and Waxman-Smits). BNMR and downhole geophysical logging (resistivity, EC, temperature and natural gamma) were carried out on three boreholes drilled into the lower Sherwood Sandstone Group aquifer at depths of about 100 m on Queen's University Belfast campus. The results showed that the porosity calculated from BNMR and the Waxman-Smits model are comparable, demonstrating the relationship between BNMR and petrophysical-derived porosity. The average porosity of the Sherwood Sandstone Group at this location ranges between 14.9 % and 17.6 %, with maximum values ranging between 33.7 % and 40.4 %. However, the results from the Archie model are significantly larger than those of BNRM, confirming its unsuitability for lithologies containing clays, even in small amounts. This study confirms storage capacities in the lower Sherwood Sandstone Group that make it suitable for ATES systems.

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DO - 10.5194/adgeo-65-189-2025

M3 - Article

VL - 65

SP - 189

EP - 197

JO - Advances in Geosciences

JF - Advances in Geosciences

ER -

Porosity Estimation of the Permo-Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group Using BNRM and Petrophysical Models

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Data Availability Statement

Funding

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