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The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

GCAGS Transactions

Abstract


Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Transactions
Vol. 43 (1993), Pages 373-380

Predicting the Permeability of Unconsolidated Sediments From Grain Size Measurements

Eve S. Sprunt, Ron E. Gilliland, Mary L. Barrett

ABSTRACT

Laser diffraction particle size measurements are shown to be superior to porosity-permeability correlations in predicting the permeability of unconsolidated samples. For slightly laminated, deep water, Plio-Pleistocene, medium silt to very fine-grained sand samples from an offshore Louisiana well, there are good correlations between the grain size parameters and measured permeability. Although the permeabilities calculated from the Krumbein and Berg equations are well correlated with permeability, the Carman-Kozeny equation is preferred because it comes the closest to a one-to-one fit. For samples with significant laminations, a good fit between measured and calculated permeability was obtained by modifying the Carman-Kozeny equation for the proportional amount of the coarser layers. For samples with median grain diameters of 90 microns or less (very fine-grained sand) sieve analysis does not adequately resolve the grain size for prediction of permeability.


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