Abstract
It is an important problem to determine the pore size distribution in porous material in order to understand the mechanism of fluid flow in enhanced recovery of oil.
For the purpose, we had developed a simple apparatus to be able to measure the distribution of macro-pore radii by means of volumetric mercury displacement.
The apparatus is mainly consisted of a sample holder, a micro-burette, a monometer and a mercury reserved bulb.
Prior to the measurement, the holder with a sample and the burette were evacuated, and then the sample was immersed into mercury under the balance of zero pressure between internal and external of pore. The displacement volumes of mercury were measured by the micro-burette when the mercury was gradually subjected to varying external pressure from 0.06 atm (6×103 Pa) to 1.6 atm (1.6×105 Pa).
From the experiment of the Berea sandstones, the following results were obtained:
(1) This apparatus can be used for the measurement of pore size distribution of a rock which will be considered having a bundle of macro-pore capillary tubes larger than 47×10-5cm in radius.
(2)The permeabilities calculated from the Burdine's equation by using the distribution function are directly proportional to the air permeabilities measured by a fundamental core analysis.
