Applications of digital core analysis and hydraulic flow units in petrophysical characterization

Conventional petrophysical characterizations are often based on direct laboratory measurements. Although they provide accurate results, such measurements are time-consuming and limited by instrument and environment. What’s more, in the geo-resource energy industry, availability and cuttings of core plugs are time consuming and difficult. Because of these reasons, virtual digital core technology is of increasing interest due to its capability of characterizing rock samples without physical cores and experiments. Virtual digital core technology, also known as digital rock physics, is used to discover, understand and model relationships between material, fluid composition, rock microstructure and macro equivalent physical properties. Based on actual geological conditions, modern mathematical methods and imaging technology, the digital model of the core or porous media is created to carry out physical field numerical simulation. In this review, the methods for constructing digital porous media are introduced first, then the characterization of thin rock cross section and the capillary pressure curve using scanning electron microscope image under mixed wetting are presented. Finally, we summarize the hydraulic flow unit methods in petrophysical classification.