Correlations of Permeability and Geological Characteristics Based on Mercury Intrusion Data and Hierarchical Statistical Models: A Case Study

Abstract

The mercury intrusion technique is a crucial in-lab method to investigate the porous medium properties. The potentiality of mercury intrusion data has not been explored significantly in the traditional interpretation. Thus, a hierarchical statistical model that not only captures the quantitative relationship between petrophysical properties but also accounts for different geological members is developed to interpret mercury intrusion data. This multilevel model is established from almost 800 samples with specific geological characteristics. We distinguish the fixed effects and the random effects in this mixed model. The overall connection between the selected petrophysical parameters is described by the fixed effects at a higher level, while variations due to different geological members are accommodated as the random effects at a lower level. The selected petrophysical parameters are observed through hypothesis testing and model selection. In this case study, five petrophysical parameters are selected into the model. Essential visualizations are also provided to assist the interpretations of the probabilistically model. The final model reveals the quantitative relationship between permeability and other petrophysical properties in each member and the order of relative importance for each property. With this studied relationship and advanced model, the geological reservoir simulation can be greatly detailed and accurate in the future.