Summary

A sample set of Berea sandstone core plugs were selected to investigate fabric elements in sandstones with very low intersample variability in bulk porosity and permeability. Thin sections from the ends of the plugs were analyzed via Petrographic Image Analysis (PIA). PIA is a process where digital binary images of porosity are analyzed with a pattern recognition algorithm. The result is the derivation of “pore types”, based on size and shape of the porosity elements, and their relative abundance in each sample. The pore typing procedure indicates that the Berea samples are not homogeneous, but possess zones of both closely packed and loosely packed grains, recognized by Gratton and Fraser (1935). Spatial order of the pore types is quantified through Fourier analysis of the binary images from each thin section. The spatial analysis of these pore types indicates that fabric elements are not random, but preferentially located.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90928©1999 AAPG Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas