Computed Tomography for Rock-Property Determination and Fluid-Flow Visualization

Summary This paper discusses the development and application of X-ray computed tomography (CT) for the determination of rock properties and the study of miscible displacements in laboratory cores. Saturation (relative permeability) and porosity measurements by CT scanning are described, and the results are compared to those of conventional methods. Results of corefloods with miscible fluids show the influence of rock heterogeneities (bedding planes) and mobility ratio on volumetric sweepout. The corefloods also illustrate a new display technique that combines a series of two-dimensional (2D) CT slices into three-dimensional (3D) perspective views.