Core Material Research Laboratories

There are core analysis laboratories in the branches of KMG Engineering in Aktau and Atyrau.

In the core analysis laboratories, comprehensive core studies are carried out in order to obtain lithological and mineralogical characteristics, reliable data on the physical, electrical and filtration-capacitance properties of rocks in order to create a petrophysical basis for interpreting GIS materials, determining the boundary values of filtration-capacitance properties of reservoirs, clarifying residual water and oil saturation, oil displacement coefficient by various reagents.

Research laboratories are accredited according to ISO IEC 17025 for the entire range of core material research services:

1. Preparation of the core for research:

– Control during core sampling, core transportation;
– Core unloading, marking, pipe sawing, core removal from pipes, core cleaning, installation and core marking
– Core sawing into collection and working parts;
– Selection of cylindrical samples with a diameter of 30 mm, 1” and 1½” and production of samples from loose core and cubic samples;
– Purification of samples from hydrocarbons, water and salts;

2. Profile research:

– Spectral gamma scanning of the core, including the total gamma activity, K, Th, U;
– Scanning of samples and full-size core with a computed tomograph in order to determine the detailed structure of the core material and study the 2D and 3D void space;
– Photographing the sawn core in visible and ultraviolet light;
– Determination of profile permeability;

3. Lithological studies:

– Detailed macroscopic description of rocks;
– Lithological description of samples;
– Sedimentological description of the core;
– Construction of lithological and sedimentological columns;
– Granulometric composition of the rock by sieve and laser methods;
– Determination of carbonate content (percentage of calcite, dolomite and undissolved residue);
– Production and detailed description of petrographic sections: study of texture, classification of detritus and autigenic mineralogy, diagenesis, description of pore types;
– X-ray diffraction analysis (determination of mineralogical composition and type of clays)–
– Determination of elemental composition by scanning electron microscope.

4. Standard studies:

– Determination of the oil-water saturation coefficient;
– Determination of mineralogical density and open porosity by helium (by the Preobrazhensky method)–
– Determination of absolute permeability by gas;
– Determination of permeability by Klinkenberg
– Determination of electrical resistivity, constants, a, n and m for reservoirs;
– Determination of capillary pressure and residual water saturation, construction of capillary pressure curves by semipermeable membrane method and ultracentrifugation;
– Determination of rock fracturing on cubic samples;
– Nuclear magnetic resonance studies, determination of open, effective and closed porosity, residual water saturation, pore space size (NMR). Longitudinal relaxation T1, transverse relaxation T2 and mean relaxation T2 (cutoff).

5. Special studies:

– Determination of the relative phase permeability of oil and water under reservoir conditions in stationary and non-stationary mode;
– Determination of oil displacement coefficients;
– Determination of wettability by Ammot and USBM methods;
– Studies by mercury porometry (determination of the values of capillary pressure and residual water saturation, the equivalent pore radius and the volume of the void space of the sample);
– Studies of formation damage by drilling fluids;
– Geomechanical studies of core samples – Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio in static and dynamic mode, longitudinal and transverse acoustics, shear modulus, volume elasticity modulus, compressibility coefficient, rock strength limit and multi-stage compression with limited expansion by static and dynamic elasticity method.

6. Core filtration studies to evaluate the injection of chemical reagents.

* Water inflow Restrictions (ORP)
* Flow-deflecting technology (SWEAT)
* Equalization of water inflow (GDP)
* Selection of polymer selection
* Selection of the optimal acid concentration
Defined parameters:
– Determination of the initial (FNS) and residual (FOS) resistance factor before and after treatment with the composition;
– Determination of the pressure gradient before water injection, shear pressure (initial shear pressure gradient) during injection and after injection of the composition
– Determination of the permeability of the rock to water / oil and the coefficient of reduction of permeability after injection of the composition. The maximum pressure gradient during injection of the composition.