Application of the Lucia Method in Carbonate Petrophysics

Abstract

Jerry Lucia has published several publications on the Lucia Method and its application to carbonate petrophysics (Lucia, 1987, 1995, and 2000). Using a combination of thin section analysis, porosity, permeability, plus capillary pressure data he was able to develop a technique so that the geologist/engineer could determine the permeability and water saturation of a carbonate reservoir using only knowledge of porosity, crystal or grain size, and height above the free water level (Pc = 0). Later, Lucia got together with an engineer and published a paper using the Lucia concept to develop a method to calculate irreducible water saturation (Swirr) of a carbonate reservoir using only porosity and crystal or grain size (Jennings and Lucia, 2003).

The Lucia Method has great application in older carbonate fields with only “OLD” Gamma Ray-Neutron logs, or in pre-1952 fields when salt mud resistivity logs [Laterologs] were unavailable. However, there are other important applications of the Lucia Method. This presentation is designed to illustrate seven applications of the Lucia Method to the analysis of carbonate reservoirs.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90292 © 2017 AAPG Southwest Section, Midland, Texas, April 29 - May 2, 2017