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5 - Permeability of Rocks

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 November 2021

Nikolai Bagdassarov
Nikolai Bagdassarov
Affiliation:
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt Am Main
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Summary

Darcy’s law connects the gradient of pressure and flow velocity in rocks via their permeability κ. Depending on flow velocity, pressure and matrix properties, there are law corrections after Forchheimer, Brinkman and Klinkenberg. Rock permeability depends on ambient pressure, temperature and deviatoric stresses. In sedimentary rocks the permeability is affected by quartz content, gravel fractions and grain sorting. There are two different permeability models for rocks: the capillary model of pores and the fracture model. For granular rocks the Kozeny–Carman equation is applicable, in which hydraulic radius and degree of tortuosity are involved. The effect of pore pressure can be described using the effective pressure transfer coefficient. Permeability and relative pore saturation are connected via the van Genuchten equation. Focus Box 5.1: Darcy flow in ducts of various geometry.

Keywords

Darcy’s lawpermeability of rocks κpermeability dependence on ambient pressuretemperature and deviatoric stressesrock permeability modelspermeability of fractureshydraulic radius and tortuosityeffects of pore pressure and saturation.
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Chapter
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Fundamentals of Rock Physics , pp. 178 - 210
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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References

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  • Permeability of Rocks
  • Nikolai Bagdassarov, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt Am Main
  • Book: Fundamentals of Rock Physics
  • Online publication: 19 November 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108380713.006
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  • Permeability of Rocks
  • Nikolai Bagdassarov, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt Am Main
  • Book: Fundamentals of Rock Physics
  • Online publication: 19 November 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108380713.006
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

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  • Permeability of Rocks
  • Nikolai Bagdassarov, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt Am Main
  • Book: Fundamentals of Rock Physics
  • Online publication: 19 November 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108380713.006
Available formats
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