Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-157). Petrographic image analysis proved particularly useful in determining the parameters for statistical analysis for the simple mineralogies displayed in the samples from the Hutton Sandstone. Concentrates on establishing techniques for statistical study of data collected by PIA to subdivide the framework grains from the porosity or cement.

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Permeability is that physical property of a porous medium that controls the flow of fluids through that medium. The flow of methane and water may be induced by the excavation of a mine opening in methane-bearing strata. Methane flow into a mine opening constitutes one of the biggest hazards in the coal mining industry. It is poisonous to humans and can ignite at concentrations as low as 5 % per volume and create explosions in the presence of coal dust from mining. If the flow of methane and/or water into the mine opening becomes blocked by an impervious layer, excessive pressures may develop, particularly in the roof strata of the mined seam, which can lead to roof falls. In order to characterize the flow of methane and water into and around the openings in a mine, that was plagued by roof falls suspected of being the result of excessive fluid pressure build-up, a large scale laboratory investigation of the permeability of the roof sediments of the working coal seam in the area was undertaken. The permeability was measured under atmospheric conditions by means of a modified Ohle permeameter, and under triaxial conditions with the aid of a modified Hoek cell. The permeability of the sediments towards methane and water was measured. Nitrogen was used as a control because it is much less reactive than methane towards the sediments used in this project. It was found that the permeability decreases with increasing gas pressure, in the case of gas being the permeating fluid, and increased with increasing water pressure, in the case of water being the permeating fluid. In some instances anomalous plots of permeability versus reciprocal mean gas pressure were obtained. These were attributed to the effects of methane adsorption or the Klinkenberg effect, and a possible method to determine which of the two processes is dominant is discussed. To characterize the flow in the roof strata of the coal seam being mined, the permeability was correlated to fades type. The different fades types were numbered from 1 to 14 with increasing grain size for ease of correlation. Due to the variable nature of the sediments, even in a fades type, no single permeability could be obtained for a fades type. Instead permeability ranges were obtained for each fades type. The definition of the lower and upper limits for each range were found to be dependant on the number of tests done on samples for that fades type. Nonetheless a relationship of increasing permeability with increasing grain size was found in the coarser grained fades (facies type 8 and higher). For the fIner grained fades types the permeability was found to decrease with increase in grain size. A graph could be constructed for use in predicting possible hazardous zones by identifying the fades type and then reading the permeability range that can be expected off the graph. Due to the variable nature of the sediments, the graph is, at this time, only applicable to the areas where the samples were obtained. A permeability prediction graph for all localities would be an ideal but is beyond the scope of this project. Such a graph, and the methods discussed have a wide range of applications in the coal mining and methane gas exploitation industries. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1994.

[Truncated abstract] This thesis describes the development of synthetic rock samples, representative of core samples from hydrocarbon reservoirs. The basic process consists of screening and sorting silica particles into discrete grain sizes, and then binding them together using a proprietary process known as CIPS, (Calcite In-situ Precipitation System). In the bonding process, the porosity of the system is substantially preserved, and the technique allows the manufacture of synthetic core samples with a tailor-made permeability. The produced samples were extensively characterised using a variety of analytic techniques to determine their porosity, permeability and pore size distribution. These analyses were a necessary pre-cursor to a major part of this thesis: the characterisation of the pore space by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. The synthetic core samples, covering a 7 times factor in grain sizes were examined using NMR, and this data formed the comparative basis for the NMR studies that followed. Two fundamental NMR questions were posed and answered in this thesis: 1. What is the effect of paramagnetic ions in the rock matrix on the NMR response? In pursuit of this question the CIPS process was extended to include co-precipitation of paramagnetic ions. A key feature is that the ions were deposited in predictable amounts at known sites (on the wall of the pore space). ... The NMR response in these double cores was then measured and examined to provide an answer to the question posed at the beginning of this paragraph. The significance of this work is that the physically distinct cores are a cylindrical analogue of adjoining sedimentary strata. By answering the question posed above, the thesis gives an indication of the vertical porosity resolution ultimately possible in an NMR logging tool. At present this ranges from 9” to 24” in the most favourable circumstances. This work suggests that the NMR signal carries porosity information at a much higher resolution, and that advanced numerical analysis of the NMR signature could realise the potential of greater stratigraphic resolution in NMR logging In addition to the research outlined above, the application of the CIPS technique to produce analogues of reservoir rocks, pioneered in this thesis, has stimulated similar research to be undertaken at other institutions, including the fabrication of synthetic reservoir cores containing clay particles (at CSIRO - the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) and a large scale application, formation of meter size blocks of CIPS bonded material, with separate strata, for laboratory studies of seismic waves (at Curtin University)

Thesis: Sc. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth and Planetary Science, 1978 / Vita. / Bibliography: leaves 212-219. / by Cheng, Chuen Hon Arthur. / Sc. D. / Sc. D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth and Planetary Science