Pore Structures and Transport Properties of Sandstone

We report laboratory measurements of pore structure, capillarity, water permeability, and electrical conductivity on Fontainebleau sandstone specimens. Experimental equipment and techniques are described. Water permeability measurements were performed on saturated cores with a 100 MPa permeameter. Various combinations of pore and confining pressures were used and an effective pressure law was determined. In addition, electrical conductivity of samples saturated with KCl brines was measured over a wide range of electrolyte conductivities (10−3 to 1 Sm−1). The well-known relationshipF=Φ−1 fits well our data, and empirical parameters such as the cementation exponent and tortuosity factor are derived. Differences between transport properties of the three types of sandstone are related to the microstructural characteristics of the pore network of each rock.