Lab 3

Technical College Of Engineering
Petroleum and Energy Engineering Department

Reservoir Rock Properties laboratory
Second stage
(2021 – 2022)
Lab.3
Porosity Measurement
Lecture : Hardy Jalal

Miss. Govan Sdiq
Porosity Measurement
Porosity may be measured in two ways: directly from cores,
indirectly from geophysical well logs. One method in which
porosity is determined is by laboratory measurements of Core
Samples brought to the surface during drilling.
Measurement of porosity in the laboratory is part of Routine
Core Analysis .Core samples are rock samples that are cut from
the reservoir formation using specialized Coring Bits. The
extraction of core samples is a very complicated process and
requires a lot of planning.
the porosity of a sample of porous material can be determined
by measuring any two of the three quantities: Bulk volume, pore
volume or grain volume.
1- Bulk volume
A)) Regular samples : by direct measurement
The simplest direct method for determining bulk volume of a

consolidated sample with a well design geometric shape is to
measure its dimensions.
VB = πr2h VB = H*W*L
B)) Irregular samples :by displacement method
The main disadvantages of the displacement method is the

entrance of the measuring liquid in the pore spaces.
To avoid liquid entrance in to the pore spaces there are 3

strategies to do that:
1- Wax Coating the rock sample : ( wax with known density )

2- Saturating method :the core sample is saturated with the
same liquid used for displacement method
3- using mercury : which according to its high surface tension
and wettability characteristics does not tend to enter to
pore spaces.
Example 1 : A core sample coated with paraffin immersed in a

container of liquid displaced 10.9 cm3 of the liquid. The weight
of the dry core sample was 20.0 g, while the weight of the dry
sample coated with paraffin was 20.9 g. Assume the density of
the solid paraffin is 0.9 g/cm3.
Calculate the bulk volume of the sample.
Solution : Weight of paraffin = Weight of dry core sample
coated with paraffin - Weight of dry core sample
Weight of paraffin = 20.9 - 20.0 = 0.9 g
Volume of paraffin = Weight of paraffin / density of paraffin
V paraffin = 0.9 g / 0.9 g/cm3 = 1.0 cm3
Bulk volume of core sample = (Volume of water displaced) –

(volume of paraffin)
VB = 10.9 cm3 – 1.0 cm3 = 9.9 cm3
Example 2 :
Dry sample immersed in mercury pycnometer.

weight of dry sample in air = 30 g
weight of pycnometer filled with mercury at 20 oC = 360 g,
weight of pycnometer filled with mercury and sample at 20 oC =
245.9 g
mercury density = 13.546 g/cm3
Calculate the Bulk volume .
Solution :
weight of sample + weight of mercury filled pycnometer = 30 +

360 = 390 g
Weight of mercury displaced = 390- 245.9 = 144.1 g
Volume of mercury displaced = = 144.1 / 13.546 =10.6 cm3
Bulk volume of rock = Volume of mercury displaced =10.6 cm3

2- Pore volume
There are methods to measure the pore volume of the rock

sample directly with no need to determine the grain volume.
Actually, all these methods measure effective porosity.
A)) injection method:

Means injection fluid into pore spaces by two ways:
1- Saturation with brine :We can use salt water as saturation

liquid to prevent clay swelling.
2- Mercury injection : pore volume is determined in this

method . The tested sample is placed in a chamber filled to a
certain level with mercury. When the pressure of mercury is
increased by a volumetric pump, the mercury penetrates the pore
space of the sample.
B)) Gas expansion method:

This method is based on the Boyle-Marriote Gas Law. It may be
the most widely used method for determine porosity. The test
usually carried out at the constant temperature.
Example 3:
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3- Grain volume
The grain volume can be determined from the dry sample
weight and the grain density.
Another method of determining the grain volume is crushing the

sample after determining the bulk volume, thus removing all
pores including the non-interconnecting ones. The volume of
solids is then determined by fluid displacement in a pycnometer.
Example 4 :
Exercise …………
1 )) An irregular piece of sandstone is 35.25 grams in

mass. When coated with varnish, its mass increased to
36.55 grams. if the coated sample displaces 15.7 ml of
water when fully submerged.
ρw =1.00 g/cm3, ρv = 1.80 g/cm3
calculate the bulk volume ……
2)) Assume that we have a core sample height =4.2 cm ,

diameter=3.6 cm ,weight of dry sample =124.7 gm ,
weight of saturated sample = 131.2 gm and density = 1
gm/cm3
Calculate porosity …….

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Technical College Of Engineering

Petroleum and Energy Engineering Department

Lecture : Hardy Jalal

The simplest direct method for determining bulk volume of a

The main disadvantages of the displacement method is the

To avoid liquid entrance in to the pore spaces there are 3

1- Wax Coating the rock sample : ( wax with known density )

Example 1 : A core sample coated with paraffin immersed in a

Weight of paraffin = 20.9 - 20.0 = 0.9 g

Volume of paraffin = Weight of paraffin / density of paraffin

V paraffin = 0.9 g / 0.9 g/cm3 = 1.0 cm3

Bulk volume of core sample = (Volume of water displaced) –

VB = 10.9 cm3 – 1.0 cm3 = 9.9 cm3

Dry sample immersed in mercury pycnometer.

weight of sample + weight of mercury filled pycnometer = 30 +

Weight of mercury displaced = 390- 245.9 = 144.1 g

Volume of mercury displaced = = 144.1 / 13.546 =10.6 cm3

Bulk volume of rock = Volume of mercury displaced =10.6 cm3

There are methods to measure the pore volume of the rock

A)) injection method:

1- Saturation with brine :We can use salt water as saturation

2- Mercury injection : pore volume is determined in this

B)) Gas expansion method:

Another method of determining the grain volume is crushing the

1 )) An irregular piece of sandstone is 35.25 grams in

2)) Assume that we have a core sample height =4.2 cm ,

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