[S24-1] Methods and instruments of experimental geothermics - application and recent evolution I

[S24-1-03] Thermal petrophysics in application to hydrocarbon reservoir investigations: Current state of art

^○Yuri Popov¹, Evgeny Popov¹, Evgeny Chekhonin¹, Denis Gorobtsov² (1.Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia, 2.Russian State Geological Prospecting University, Moscow, Russia)

Methods and instruments for rock thermal property measurements developed recently and applied in geothermics have obtained evolution and wide application in investigations of conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs. The optical scanning technique provided development of a new thermal core logging method with continuous non-contact non-destructive high-resolution (0.2-2 mm) profiling all full sized core samples along a well. The detailed thermal core logging data provide a well-founded selection of full sized core samples for preparation of core plugs that are studied (1) with a special optical scanning technique at dry state and after their saturation with brine and oil, and (2) with special instruments at elevated temperature and pressure. The additional measurements of the rock thermal properties are performed on small pieces of broken cores with the optical scanning technique if necessary. The measurements on frozen rock samples are possible. Determination of elastic wave velocities, acoustic anisotropy, natural radioactivity, density, total organic carbon, porosity, the thermal properties of rock mineral matrix have became possible from the data inferred from the thermal core logging due to correlations established between the rock thermal properties and other rock properties. Combination of thermal core logging and standard petrophysical logging data has allowed determination of geomechanical parameters – Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, unconfined compressive strength, etc. – from the new thermal core logging technique results and correlations established. The rock matrix thermal properties can be determined from the thermal core logging as well as from the measurements on core plugs. The results are being applied for basin and petroleum system modeling, hydrodynamic modeling thermal methods of EOR, geomechanical and geochemical modeling, detailed characterization of geological structure of hydrocarbon reservoirs.