X-ray microtomography study of a sandstone reservoir rock

This paper presents the pore space characterization of a sandstone reservoir rock carried out with a microfocus X-ray computed tomography (μ-CT). The resulting spatial resolution of the image was 3.8 μm, which allowed a very good visualization and enabled a geometric quantification of grains and pores. A total of 956 μ-CT slices were taken to render a 3-D volume of the specimen. These CT slices were processed in order to characterize the geometrical microstructure of the sample: total porosity and pore size distribution. The possibility of having high-resolution 3-D μ-CT images reveals a promising scenario for studies and applications in porous media characterization. It is possible to simulate fluid invasion in these μ-CT structures and estimate their petrophysical properties.