Digital characterization and fractal quantification of the pore structures of tight sandstone at multiple scales

Abstract Pore structures determine reservoir storage capacity, control rock transportation characteristics and represent microscopic properties of the rock. Therefore, characterization quantification pore tight oil gas are primary importance for quality evaluation successful production these unconventional resources. In this study, we obtained X-CT images with two resolutions same sandstone studied heterogeneity using digital technology combined fractal theory. traditional Euclidean space, image analysis shows that structure is mainly flat, isolated pores occupy a large number ratio in high-resolution volume low-resolution images. Most seepage channels composed pores. The porosity 2D 3D suggests representative elementary 300 voxels, axial stronger than bulk heterogeneity. non-Euclidean parameters indicate dimension (FD) 2.6548, 2.6194, FD insensitive to imaging resolution. lacunarity obviously larger rock, which can be used analyze heterogeneous similar precisely.