Digital Rock Physics in Cuttings Using High-Resolution Thin Section Scan Images

Digital rock physics (DRP) has undergone significant advancements in the use of various imaging techniques to acquire three-dimensional volumes and images of rock samples for the computation of petrophysical properties. This study focuses on developing a DRP workflow using high-resolution thin secti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Minerals (Basel) 2023-09, Vol.13 (9), p.1140
Main Authors: Caja, Miguel Ángel, Castillo, José Nicolás, Santos, Carlos Alberto, Pérez-Jiménez, José Luis, Fernández-Díaz, Pedro Ramón, Blázquez, Vanesa, Esteve, Sergi, Campos, José Rafael, Bover-Arnal, Telm, Martín-Martín, Juan Diego
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Computation
Core analysis
cuttings
Digital imaging
digital rock physics
Epoxy resins
Feasibility studies
Gas wells
Helium
High resolution
Image acquisition
Image resolution
Imaging techniques
Laboratories
Oil wells
Permeability
Physics
plugs
Pore size
Porosity
pseudo-cuttings
Quarries
Rocks
routine core analysis
Sandstone
Scanning electron microscopy
Sediment samples
Sedimentary rocks
thin sections
Tomography
Workflow
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Summary:Digital rock physics (DRP) has undergone significant advancements in the use of various imaging techniques to acquire three-dimensional volumes and images of rock samples for the computation of petrophysical properties. This study focuses on developing a DRP workflow using high-resolution thin section scans for computing porosity and permeability in cuttings samples. The workflow was tested on quarry sandstone plug samples and artificially generated pseudo-cuttings before applying it to real cuttings from oil and gas wells. The results show that the porosity and permeability values obtained through the DRP workflow are statistically equivalent to those obtained through conventional routine core analysis (RCAL). The workflow was also able to handle the presence of various lithologies in real cuttings samples. The study demonstrates the feasibility of obtaining porosity and permeability values in cutting samples using the DRP approach, offering a fast and cost-effective methodology that provides additional data and allows linking petrophysical properties to image data from the cuttings.
ISSN:2075-163X
2075-163X
DOI:10.3390/min13091140