Permeability in the thin section

Numerical experimentation is an attractive complement to physical measurement of rock properties. In such experiments, a physical process is simulated in a pore space and then the corresponding property is calculated. For example, a simulation of viscous fluid flow through pores provides permeability. Many authors have used pore-scale numerical methods, such as Lattice-Boltzmann and network modeling, and showed that absolute and relative permeability can be accurately estimated. Massive and fast numerical experimentation can be used by the geoscientist and engineer in many applications, e.g., to (a) explore the effects of deposition and diagenesis on permeability by digitally altering the images of original samples; (b) estimate permeability from drill cutting and side-wall plugs which are not large enough for standard laboratory measurements; and (c) relate permeability to other properties, such as electrical conductivity, dielectric permittivity, elastic moduli, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) response. SUMMARY