The main aim of this Thesis is to examine how the rock mass and intact rock properties influence the excavatability of rock in surface mine. One of the most important decisions in the design of surface mine is the selection of mine equipment and plant. Now that increasing effort is being invested in the design and manufacture of continuous surface miners it is appropriate to examine how their performance can be related to the physical properties of the rock mass and intact rock.Over the years many attempts have been made to develop a means of assessing the excavatability of rock. Most of them are based on an empirical rating system whilst some authorities still propose the use of seismic velocity as a direct predictor of the rippability of a rock mass. On the other hand there are a number of classical models which have been developed to define the cutting force required at the pick or tooth of continuous miners.Whilst these methods have been applied with various degrees of success to the design of excavation systems there is no generally acceptable method of defining the excavatability or cuttability of a rock mass in terms of the machine power required to generate a particular rate of production.An attempt is made to overcome this deficiency by recording the intact and rock mass properties at Limestone quarry in Retznei, Austria; Openpit Gold Mines in Meekatharra and Mt Gibson of Western Australia and Openpit Coal Mine in Air Laya, Indonesia, where VASM-2D and Bucket Wheel Excavator O&K SchRs(800/1.2)15 or O&K S630 were in use in the first mine sites and Air Laya respectively to use this data to examine the relationships between the relevant dimensionless groups developed from a dimensional analysis of the problem.The dimensionless groups are obtained by examining the factors which influence the productivity of a surface miner. These include intact rock and rock ++ / mass properties, and machine power required for a particular rate of production and lead to the development of dimensionless groups namely, Rock Cuttability Index (RCI), Rock Mass Factor (RMF), Brittleness Index (BI), Rock Excavatability Index. The monitoring of machine power was carried out at Mt. Gibson and Air Laya mines.As a part of this study, field seismic tests were carried out at Mt. Gibson and Air Laya with the intention of seeking the most appropriate method of this type of test and analysis for excavation purposes. The test results indicate that borehole tests are the most promising and the output of seismic velocity obtained from a built-in program seismograph needs further thorough examination.The analysis of field data at all the sites proved that the most appropriate measure of discontinuities in the rock mass is the mean distance between discontinuities in a direction parallel to the cutting direction of the machine.Since the lateritic rock mass is different to other ordinary rock masses, a modified RMR is proposed. This is done by adjusting classification criteria on spacing and condition of discontinuity. The results proved that the discontinuity spacing obtained from the proposed method warrants wide application of the power cutting model developed.The RMR, Q-System and Excavatability Index are used to assess the performance of the continuous surface miners investigated. The results indicated that the Excavatability Index is the most acceptable criterion for the excavatability assessment.The outcome of this research has confirmed the significance of the RCI as a predictor of cutting performance of mechanical machines. The relationship between the RCI and REI can be used to good effect in analysing the performance of operating machines. A good example of this is given in the analysis of the performance of the BWE at the Mae Moh mine in Thailand.

Conventional and unconventional reservoirs are both critical in oilfield developments. After waterflooding treatments over decades, the petrophysical properties of a conventional reservoir may change in many aspects. It is crucial to identify the variations of these petrophysical properties after the long-term waterflooding treatments, both at the pore and core scales. For unconventional reservoirs, the productivity and performance of hydraulic fracturing in shales are challenging because of the complicated petrophysical properties. The confining pressure imposed on a shale formation has a tremendous impact on the permeability of the rock. The correlation between confining pressure and rock permeability is complicated and might be nonlinear. In this thesis, a series of laboratory tests was conducted on core samples extracted from four U.S. shale formations to measure their petrophysical properties. In addition, a special 2D microfluidic equipment that simulates the pore structure of a sandstone formation was developed to investigate the influence of injection flow rate on the development of high-permeability flow channels. Moreover, the multiple linear regression (MLR) model was applied with the predictors based on the development stages to quantify the variations of reservoir petrophysical properties. The MLR model outcome indicated that certain variables were effectively correlated to the permeability. The 2D microfluidic model demonstrated the development of viscous fingering when the injection water flow rate was higher than a certain level, which resulted in reduced overall sweep efficiency. These comprehensive laboratory experiments demonstrate the role of confining pressure, Klinkenberg effect, and bedding plane direction on the gas flow in the nanoscale pore space in shales. / Master of Science / Conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs are both important in oil-gas development. The waterflooding treatment is the injection of water into a petroleum reservoir to increase reservoir pressure and to displace residual oil, which is a widely used enhanced oil recovery method. However, after waterflooding treatments for several decades, it may bring many changes in the properties of a conventional reservoir. To optimize subsequent oilfield development plans, it is our duty to identify the variations of these properties after the long-term waterflooding treatments, both at the pore and core scales. In unconventional reservoirs, hydraulic fracturing has been widely used to produce hydrocarbon resources from shale or other tight rocks at an economically viable production rate. The operation of hydraulic fracturing in shales is challenging because of the complicated reservoir pressure. The external pressure imposed on a shale formation has a tremendous impact on the permeability of the rock. The correlation between pressure and rock permeability is intricate. In this thesis, a series of laboratory tests was conducted on core samples to measure their properties and the pressure. Moreover, a statistical model was applied to quantify the variations of reservoir properties. The results indicated that certain reservoir properties were effectively correlated to the permeability. These comprehensive investigations demonstrate the role of pressure, special gas flow effect, and rock bedding direction on the gas flow in the extremely small pore in shales.

No description available.

In this thesis I address the problem of determining fracture properties of subsurface rocks from geophysical surface seismic and vertical seismic profile (VSP) data. In the first part of this thesis I perform multi-attribute analysis, including frequency content, amplitude, travel time and angle of rotation studies on field VSP data from two different carbonate fields, both containing time-lapse surveys. I compare the findings to independent data available in the region and find that the interpreted fracture orientations from the attribute analyses correlate with independent fracture studies in the area, the principal axis of major faults, or the maximum horizontal stress of the area studied. Although I show the existence of these correlations, due to the limited knowledge of the rock properties, these correlations are only qualitative. A more robust inversion of fracture properties requires more knowledge of the physical properties of the medium and forward modelling of the seismic response. A rock physics theory would be required to model the elastic response of the fractured rock; hence a more quantitative fracture characterisation is necessary. In the second part of this thesis I address this need by developing and testing a method for fracture density inversion. Linearised approximations are commonly used in azimuthal amplitude versus offset (AVO) analysis. However, these approximations perform poorly at large angles of incidence where the effect of fractures is more significant. The method proposed here uses a model based approach that does not use these approximations but calculates the exact azimuthal AVO response based on prior knowledge of the elastic constants of the medium, assumed to be known, and a range of fracture densities. A rock physics theory is used for modelling the elastic constants of the fractured rock. I then create a linearized relationship for a specific model that separates the effect due to fracture density from the modelled AVOZ responses. This separation is key to the method, as it provides both a new set of orthogonal basis functions that can be used to express the AVOZ response of field data, and a set of coefficients that are related to fracture density. In general, the inversion is based on these coefficients. The coefficient or coefficients which present the highest correlation with fracture density must be determined on a case by case basis, as they will vary depending on the contrast between the elastic constants across the boundary of interest. I develop and test the method on synthetic surface seismic data and then apply it to seismic data acquired from a laboratory-scale physical geological model. Due to the prior knowledge of the rock properties and structure of the physical geological model, I am able to corroborate that the inverted fracture density from the seismic data matches that of the physical model within the error. I compare the inversion for two different levels of uncertainty in the velocities and densities of the modelled reflection coefficients and show that the inversion results are more precise and accurate when there is less uncertainty in the rock properties of the modelled reflection coefficients. In both the synthetic and physical geological model studies I find that the inversion is optimal for a certain range of offsets/angles of incidence. This means that the optimal range for inversion must be found on a case by case basis, as it depends on the behaviour of the data. Finally, as the inversion relies on the input modelled azimuthal AVO curves, a careful choice of the input rock properties is essential for the inversion process. The inverted fracture density values will only be valid if the rock properties of the field data fall within the range of the modelled ones. This is a limitation of the method, as adequate knowledge of the rock properties is not always available.

Geothermal energy is being explored as a supplement to traditional fossil fuel resources to meet growing energy demand and reduce carbon emissions. Geothermal energy plants harvest heat stored in the Earth’s subsurface by bringing high temperature fluids to the surface and generating steam to produce electricity. Development of geothermal resources is often inhibited by large upfront risk and expense. Successful mitigation of those costs and risks begins with efficient characterization of the resource before development. A typically successful geothermal reservoir consists of a fractured reservoir that conducts hydrothermal fluids and a cap rock seal to limit convective heat loss through fluid leakage. The controls on the system include the density and orientation of fractures, mechanical rock properties, and the local stress field acting on those rocks. The research presented in this dissertation utilizes diverse data sets to characterize core, wireline borehole logs, and laboratory data to describe the distribution of fractures, rock properties, and the orientation and magnitude of stresses acting on the borehole. The research demonstrates there is a potential resource in the region and describes the controls on the vertical extent of the hydrothermal fluids. The distribution of fractures is controlled by the distribution of elastic rock properties and rock strength. A cap rock seal is present that limits hydrothermal fluid loss from a fractured artesian reservoir at 1,745 m (5,726 ft). In addition to characterization of the resource, this research demonstrates that an equivalent characterization can be used in future exploration wells without the expense and risk of collecting core. It also demonstrates that multiple methods of analysis can be utilized simultaneously when some data are not available. Data collection from deep wellbores involves risk and data loss or tool failure is a possibility. In these cases, our methods show that successful characterization is still possible, saving time and money, and minimizing the financial risk of exploration

Exploration for large zinc silicate deposits is more challenging than zinc sulfide deposits, as they do not exhibit similar geophysical anomalies. The Vazante deposit, which is the world’s largest zinc silicate deposit, occurs in brecciated dolomite and comprises mainly willemite with various proportions of hematite, and minor franklinite and sphalerite. In the Vazante region, the exploration challenge is enhanced as outcrops are rare, bedrock generally sits below 10s of metres of laterite cover and barren hematite-rich breccias have a similar geophysical signature to willemite ore bodies. In order to evaluate the applications of geophysical surveys in the exploration of this type of deposit, data from 475 samples were investigated from drill holes representative of the various types of ore, host rocks and zones of known geophysical anomalies in the Vazante District. Geochemical (ICP-MS and XRF) and mineralogical (optical, EMPA, SEM and MLA) data were integrated with physical rock properties (density, magnetic susceptibility and K-U-Th gamma ray spectrometry) to assist in finding new ore zones. The most distinct physical property of the ore is density (3.0-4.3 g/cm3), compared with the host rocks (2.7-3.0 g/cm3). This is due to high proportion of denser minerals (hematite and willemite) in the ore. However, barren hematite breccias also have high densities (3.0-4.5 g/cm3). The zinc ore and hematite breccias yielded higher magnetic susceptibilities (0.1-38 x10-3 SI) than the surrounding host rocks, with the highest values associated with greater proportions of franklinite and magnetite (7-38 x10-3 SI). The zinc ore has an elevated U concentration (up to 33ppm) relative to the various host rocks (up to 7 ppm), yielding higher gamma spectrometric values. The results of this investigation indicate that an integration of magnetic, gravimetric and radiometric surveys would be required to identify zinc silicate ore zones and potentially differentiate them from barren hematite breccias and host rocks. / Thesis (Master, Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2014-03-27 13:32:54.132

Deep drilling is required to reach the geothermal fluids extracted for generation of electricity; therefore, the different rock properties and the hydrothermal alteration of the lithologies being drilled become an important factor to a conventional geothermal industry. If the correct equipment required to complete drilling is not selected, the rate of penetration (ROP) can be suboptimal, potentially increasing the cost of the project. Mechanical characterisation of hydrothermally altered rocks from geothermal reservoirs will lead to an improved understanding of rock mechanics in a geothermal environment. Core samples obtained from the Ngatamariki, Rotokawa and Kawerau Geothermal Fields covered a wide range of lithologies (ignimbrite, rhyolite lava, sandstone, mudstone, andesite lava/breccia and tonalite) encountered during drilling. A suite of non-destructive and destructive laboratory tests along with petrographical analysis were conducted on the samples. Some key findings are that samples that originated from the shallow and low temperature section of the Kawerau geothermal field had higher porosity (15 – 56%), lower density (1222 – 2114 kg/m3) and slower ultrasonic wave velocities (1925 – 3512 m/s (vp) and 818 – 1980 m/s (vs)), than the samples from a deeper and higher temperature section of the field (1.5 – 20%, 2072 – 2837 kg/m3, 2639 – 4593 m/s (vp) and 1476 – 2752 m/s (vs), respectively). The shallow lithologies had uniaxial compressive strengths (UCS) of 2 – 75 MPa, and the deep lithologies had strengths of 23 – 211 MPa. Typically samples of the same lithologies that originate from multiple wells across a field have variable rock properties because of the different alteration zones from which each sample originates. To obtain a way to relate this rock property data back to the geomechanical model, we developed a method - Alteration Strength Index (ASI) - to address the effect of hydrothermal alteration on mechanical rock properties. The index constitutes three components; the mineralogy parameter, derived from petrological analysis, alteration index (degree of alteration) and an assessment of mineral hardness; the fracture parameter, assigned based on an assessment of structural damage; and the porosity parameter, which accounts for the effect of voids. This method can be used to estimate a range of rock strengths comparable to UCS, and the ASI calibrated against measured UCS for the samples produced a strong correlation (R2 of 0.86). From this correlation an equation was derived to convert ASI to UCS. Because the ASI–UCS relationship is based on an empirical fit, the UCS value that is obtained from conversion of the ASI includes an error of 7 MPa for the 50th percentile and 25 MPa for the 90th percentile with a mean error of 11 MPa. A sensitivity analysis showed that the mineralogy parameter is the dominant characteristic in this equation, and the ASI equation using only mineralogy can be used to provide an estimated UCS range, although the uncertainty becomes greater. This provides the ability to estimate strength even when either fracture or porosity information are not available, for example in the case of logging drill cuttings. To determine the usefulness of the ASI method with drill cuttings and drilling data we compared it to two methods; mechanical specific energy (MSE) and R/N-W/D chart, both developed for the oil and gas industry, in a geothermal context. We demonstrated how they can be used to estimate a range of rock strengths for hydrothermally altered lithologies for the 800 metre long 17 inch (432 mm) diameter section of well NM8 in the Ngatamariki Geothermal Field, New Zealand. We found that MSE and the R/N-W/D charts correctly ranked relative strength to ROP for three of six lithologies, while ASI correctly ranked all six lithologies. We also show that the strength values predicted by ASI correlate to ROP better than those based on MSE or R/N-W/D. We argue that ASI is more comprehensive than these methods because it provides a range of rock strength indices for a given hydrothermally altered lithology, is based on the geology, and does not require drilling parameters (ROP, WOB, RPM, and Torque) to estimate rock strength. This is particularly important in geothermal systems where lithologies can exhibit high variability in their physical characteristics and geothermal fields tend to have widely spaced wells. Using ASI we show how hydrothermal alteration affects drilling, and when used in conjunction with a predictive geologic model, how it will aid with optimisation of drilling practices through drill bit selection. Rock failure modes are difficult to predict, and are important to rock engineering environments, which include drilling. By using rock property and mineralogy information, four modes of failure were identified – axial splitting, single plane shearing, y shaped failure and multiple fracturing - in this research. The results of this study indicate that these easily measured rock properties can be inferred to have some control over the failure mode of a sample under uniaxial loading; however it would be useful to examine these samples further at the microstructural level to determine the role of microfracturing in the occurrence of failure modes. Further research in this field has the potential to aid in drilling optimisation through the utilisation of drill bits designed to fracture rocks in the ways that they are predisposed to fail.

Schichtung und Störungszonen sind typische Phänomene in Sedimentbecken wie dem Nordwestdeutschen Becken. Diese Gesteinsheterogenitäten können großen Einfluss auf viele verschiedene Fragestellungen im Zusammenhang mit der Exploration, dem Bohren und der hydraulischen Stimulation des geothermischen Reservoirs haben. Diese Doktorarbeit liefert Aussagen und Ansätze, wie hoch aufgelöste Daten, die in Aufschlüssen erhoben wurden, für eine verbesserte Vorhersage des Störungszonenaufbaus und der gesteinsmechanischen Eigenschaften in größeren Tiefen verwendet werden können. Um den Aufbau von Störungszonen und assoziierten Bruchsystemen in Sedimentgesteinen besser zu verstehen, wurden 58 Abschiebungen im Aufschlussmaßstab detailliert analysiert. Der Schwerpunkt lag dabei auf der Analyse von Bruchorientierung, -dichte, -öffnungsweite und -länge – jeweils getrennt betrachtet für Bruchzone und Nebengestein – sowie auf den strukturellen Indizes. Es konnten deutliche Unterschiede zwischen karbonatischen und klastischen Gesteinen festgestellt werden: in karbonatischen Gesteinen treten häufig ausgeprägte Bruchzonen mit erhöhten Bruchdichten auf. Während die maximale Öffnungsweite für beide Einheiten ähnlich ist, ist der Anteil an Brüchen mit großen Öffnungsweiten in der Bruchzone deutlich größer als im Nebengestein. In Karbonatgesteinen kann die Bruchorientierung in der Bruchzone stark von der im Nebengestein abweichen. In klastischen Gesteinen dagegen sind in beiden Einheiten ähnliche Bruchorientierungen zu finden. Die Auswertung der strukturellen Indizes zeigt, dass Abschiebungen in Karbonatgesteinen eher bruchzonen-dominiert sind als solche in klastischen Gesteinen und folglich größeren positiven Einfluss auf die Reservoirpermeabilität haben. Auf Basis der bestimmten Bruchdichtenverteilungen und Elastizitätsmoduli wurden effektive Steifigkeiten Ee innerhalb der Abschiebungen berechnet. Dabei zeigen Bruchzonen in klastischen Gesteinen eine deutlich geringere Abnahme der Steifigkeiten als solche in Karbonatgesteinen. Um die Kenntnisse über Eigenschaften typischer Gesteine im Nordwestdeutschen Becken zu erweitern, wurden physikalische (Vp-Geschwindigkeit, Porosität, Rohdichte und Korndichte) und gesteinsmechanische Parameter (Einaxiale Druckfestigkeit [UCS], Elastizitätsmodul, Zerstörungsarbeit und Zugfestigkeit; jeweils parallel und senkrecht zur sedimentären Schichtung) an 35 Gesteinsproben aus Aufschlüssen und 14 Bohrkernproben bestimmt. Für einen Teil dieser Proben (eine Vulkanit- sowie jeweils drei Sandstein- und Kalksteinproben) wurden Triaxialmessungen durchgeführt. Da Bohrkernmaterial selten ist, war es Ziel dieser Arbeit, die in-situ-Gesteinseigenschaften anhand von Aufschlussproben vorherzusagen. Die Eigenschaften von Proben aus größeren Tiefen werden dann mit denen äquivalenter Proben verglichen, d.h. Bohrkern und äquivalente Aufschlussprobe haben das gleiche stratigraphische Alter und eine vergleichbare sedimentäre Fazies. Die Äquivalenz der Proben wurde anhand von Dünnschliffen sichergestellt. Empirische Beziehungen bzw. Korrelationen zwischen UCS und allen physikalischen und geomechanischen Parametern wurden mit Regressionsanalysen bestimmt, jeweils lithologisch getrennt für alle Proben (inkl. Bohrkerne) und nur für Aufschlussproben. Die meisten Korrelationen haben ein hohes Bestimmtheitsmaß; die Ergebnisse der Bohrkerne liegen meist innerhalb der 90% Prognosebänder der Korrelationen, die für Aufschlussproben berechnet wurden. Auf ähnliche Weise wurden anhand von mehreren Triaxialmessungen pro Probe linearisierte Mohr-Coulomb Versagenskriterien bestimmt, die sowohl in Hauptnormalspannungen als auch in Normal- und Scherspannungen angegeben werden. Ein Vergleich zeigt, dass es zwar für Klastika und Vulkanite aus Aufschlüssen möglich ist, Versagenskriterien, die in Hauptnormalspannungen ausgedrückt werden, auf Bohrkernproben anzuwenden, aber nicht für Karbonate. Sind die Versagenskriterien allerdings in Normal- und Scherspannungen angegeben, ist die Anwendbarkeit für alle Gesteinsarten gut. Eine Übertragbarkeit der empirischen Beziehungen auf die Tiefe wird abgeleitet. Die wichtigsten Parameter, um die Anwendbarkeit der Aufschlussdaten zu gewährleisten, sind eine vergleichbare Textur und eine ähnliche Porosität von Äquivalenzproben aus Steinbrüchen und Bohrkernproben. Die Bruchausbreitung infolge einer hydraulischen Stimulation von heterogenen Gesteinen wurde mit dem Programm FRACOD analysiert. Es wurden numerische Modelle erstellt, die für das NWGB charakteristisch sind und die sowohl geschichtete Abfolgen als auch bereits existierende Brüche berücksichtigen. Die Ergebnisse der Untersuchung von Bruchsystemen in Störungszonen und die gemessenen gesteinsmechanischen Eigenschaften werden als Eingangsparameter verwendet. Die Modellierung zeigt, dass ein großer mechanischer Kontrast zwischen einzelnen Schichten bezüglich Elastizitätsmodul und Poissonkoeffizient geringeren Einfluss auf die Ausbreitungsrichtung des Bruches hat, als stark unterschiedliche Bruchzähigkeiten. Werden bereits existierende Brüche in das Modell eingebaut, zeigt sich eine starke Wechselwirkung mit dem induzierten Hydrobruch. Die Ergebnisse dieser Doktorarbeit sind von vielfältigem Nutzen. Erstens helfen die Daten bei der Exploration von geothermischen Reservoiren in Störungszonen mit hohen natürlichen Permeabilitäten. Zweitens liefern die Ergebnisse der Labormessungen Aussagen und Ansätze, wie man die mechanischen Gesteinseigenschaften in größeren Tiefen anhand von Aufschlussproben vorhersagen und sie als Eingangsparameter für zukünftige numerische Modellierungen zu geothermischen Fragestellungen heranziehen kann. Außerdem liefert die numerische Modellierung der Bruchausbreitung infolge einer hydraulischen Stimulation in heterogenen Gesteinen Einblicke in die relevanten Parameter, die Einfluss auf die Ausbreitungsrichtung des induzierten Bruches haben. Dieses Wissen wird dabei helfen, die hydraulische Stimulation an die jeweiligen Reservoirbedingungen anzupassen.

The Nugget Formation in the Anschutz Ranch East field, northeast Utah and southwest Wyoming, provides an exceptional example of how primary eolian rock properties have a considerable influence on the style of structural deformation. Both new and existing subsurface data were integrated for an overall characterization of sedimentologic and diagenetic heterogeneities, which demonstrate relationships with different styles of structural compartmentalization in reservoirs. The Anschutz Ranch East field is a large asymmetric anticlinal trap in the Utah-Wyoming thrust belt. Three cores were analyzed in order to investigate brittle deformation in eolian facies: dune, apron, and interdune. Selected cores are located along the back limb of the main structure and are nearly perpendicular to the fold axis. Each eolian facies appears to have an associated style of deformation that generally occurs within this tectonic setting. Within the dune facies, deformation bands are the most common style of deformation, unless a fault is present; when faults are present open fractures and breccia occur. In the apron facies, open fractures are more prevalent; however deformation bands are still very frequent. The primary styles of brittle deformation observed in interdune facies are breccias and closed fractures. This relationship between facies and rheology also correlates with porosity. These results support a hypothesis that high porosity rocks tend to be weaker and develop deformation bands, while low porosity rocks have a greater strength and will deform brittlely.

Les calcaires sont des roches sensibles aux phénomènes physiques et chimiques qui peuvent les dissoudre, les cimenter ou les fracturer. Dans ce cas, les propriétés des calcaires vont évoluer en fonction de ces différents processus qui varient dans le temps et dans l’espace. Or les réservoirs carbonatés peuvent s’étendre sur plusieurs centaines de kilomètres. Afin d’exploiter ces réservoirs géologiques (ressources en eau, gaz ou pétrole), il est donc nécessaire de caractériser en 3 dimensions leurs propriétés (porosité, perméabilité) ainsi que les hétérogénéités géologiques ou tectoniques, qui peuvent modifier la géométrie du réservoir ou ses propriétés. L’acquisition de données locales (affleurements, forages), réparties sur la totalité du réservoir, pose la question de leurs représentativités projetées sur l’ensemble du volume de roche mais aussi de leurs distributions entre les points d’acquisitions qui sont espacés de plusieurs kilomètres. Cette thèse propose d’étudier les propriétés des calcaires Urgoniens (d’âge Barrémien supérieur – Aptien inférieur) situés en Provence, analogues aux calcaires des réservoirs d’hydrocarbures présents au Moyen-Orient. Trois sites comportant différentes échelles sont étudiés afin de caractériser cette série carbonatée. L’étude propose ensuite des règles géologiques dans le but d’extrapoler les mesures réalisées sur des échantillons d’unités centimétriques à l’échelle hectométrique / Carbonates are sensitive to physical and chemical processes which can dissolve, cement or fracturing them. In this case, the carbonate properties evolve according to these different changes that vary in time and space. Carbonated reservoirs can extend for hundreds of kilometres. To prospect these geological reservoirs (water, gas or oil resources), it’s therefore necessary to characterize in 3 dimensions their properties (porosity, permeability), as well as geological and structural heterogeneities which can modify the basin geometry or the reservoir properties. The acquisition of local data (outcrops, boreholes) compared to the properties distributed at field scale ponder their representativeness at multi-kilometres scale but also their distribution between the acquisition area. This thesis proposes to study the properties of Urgonian limestones (Upper Barremian - Lower Aptian) located in Provence, analogue of Middle East hydrocarbon reservoirs. Three sites with different scales are studied to characterize this carbonate series. Additionally, this study proposes geological rules to upscale the measurements made on centimetric samples to hectometric scale