Carbonate Porosity

A few definitions…..

Porosity - The amount of the rock that consists of openings.

Usually is expressed as a percent of the bulk volume.
Comes from visual estimation, log interpretation, or
laboratory measurement

Pore - Discrete individual openings in a sediment or rock.

Usually can measure size, shape, distribution visually

Pore Throat - Constricted openings that serve to connect pores.

Contribute to only a small fraction of total pore volume,
but exert major control on flow (permeability).
Difficult to visually assess – typically use capillary pressure
measurements

Pore System - All of the voids in a rock. Includes pores and pore throats
Carbonate Porosity

Carbonate porosity and

permeability
relationships are much
more complicated to
classify, measure, and
predict than in
siliciclastic reservoirs
Carbonate Porosity

This is the one we’re going

to talk about
Porosity classifications

Choquette and Pray’s Classification…

Widely used in industry since publication in 1970’s

Gives precise definition of porosity types, sizes
Gives information on timing and genesis of different pore types
Not the best for petrophysical characterization

Lucia’s Classification…

Takes a different approach than C&P

Stresses petrophysical characterization, not genesis
Looks at what the rock is like now, not what the rock was like earlier
What controls permeability and capillarity of a carbonate?
Carbonate Porosity
 Carbonate Porosity

Pore Size Modifiers

Classes Millimeters
256
Megapore Large
Size 32
cut-offs Small
largely
based 4
on Mesopore
method Large
of 1/2
observation Small
1/16
Micropore

Choquette and Pray, 1970

 Carbonate Porosity

Carbonate Pore Types

Fabric Selective NotFabric Selective Fabric Selective or Not

Fracture Breccia
Interparticle

Intraparticle Channel Boring

Intercrystal Vug Burrow

These
form Moldic Cavern Shrinkage
earlier
(usually) Fenestral
Grain

Shelter These Porosity

form Matrix
Growth-Framework later Red = Commonly Seen P ore Type
(usually)
Choquette and P ray, 1970
Carbonate Porosity
Carbonate Porosity
Carbonate Porosity

Vugs

Stages in Evolution of Moldic and Vug Porosity

Progressive Solution

Solution
Initial
Mold Enlarged Vug
State
Mold

Fabric Selective Not Fabric Selective

Choquette and Pray, 1970

 Carbonate Porosity

Lucia’s Classification
• Takes a different approach to classification than Choquette and Pray
• Stresses petrophysical characterization, not genesis.
• Looks at what the rock is like now, not what the rock was like earlier
• What controls permeability and capilarity of a carbonate?

• Considers pore type, particle size and particle sorting

• Two types of pores

• Interparticle pores
• Vuggy pores (Lucia’s use of “vug” is different than Choquette and Pray’s)
 Carbonate Porosity

Lucia’s Pore Types

Interparticle

Pore space located between particles, but not significantly larger than
the particles of the rock.

Vug

Pore space larger than or within the particles of the rock

Separate Vug Vuggy pore space connected through the

interparticle pore space

Touching Vug Vuggy pore space that forms an interconnected

pore system
 Carbonate Porosity

Interparticle

Pore space located between particles, but not significantly larger than
the particles of the rock

Interparticle porosity in a limestone Interparticle porosity in a dolostone

Doesn’t matter if it is a limestone or a dolostone – it is still interparticle porosity!

From F. J. Lucia
 Carbonate Porosity

Separate Vug

Vuggy pore space connected through the interparticle pore space

Separate Vug (Intraparticle Pore) Separate Vug (Moldic Pore)

Doesn’t matter if it is primary or secondary – it is still a separate vug!

Adds to the pore volume, but not much contribution to permeability
 Carbonate Porosity

Touching Vug
Vuggy pore space that forms an interconnected pore system

Selective Dissolution/Compaction Fractures/solution enlarged

Crushing & microfracture fractures/karst
enhancement of matrix permeability Large-scale pore systems

Permeability enhanced Difficult to evaluate due to large size

over matrix by 5-10x Typically low porosity-high
permeability
From F. J. Lucia
 Carbonate Porosity

Composite Porosity-Permeability Relationship

For Non-Vuggy Limestones and Dolostones
Class 1
•Lime grainstone
1000 •Dolomitized grainstones
•Large xln grain-dominated
dolopackstones
Class 1 Class 2 •Mud-dominated dolostones
100
Class 2
Permeability (md)

Class 3 •Grain-dominated packstones

•Fine to medium xln
10 grain-dominated
dolopackstones
•Medium xln mud-dominated
dolostones
1
Class 3
•Mud-dominated limestone
•Fine xln mud-dominated
0.1 dolostones
10 20 30 40

Interparticle Porosity (%)

Carbonate Porosity

Petrophysical Classes

From F. J. Lucia
 Carbonate Porosity

Interparticle
Pores

From F. J. Lucia
 Carbonate Porosity

Vugs

From F. J. Lucia