Casey, B. et al. (2013): Liquid limit as a predictor of mudrock permeability

Leg/Site/Hole:
IODP 308
IODP 308 U1322
IODP 308 U1324
Identifier:
2013-048209
georefid

10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2013.04.008
doi

Creator:
Casey, B.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cambridge, MA, United States
author

Germaine, J. T.
University of Texas-Austin, United States
author

Flemings, P. B.
author

Reece, J. S.
author

Gao, B.
author

Betts, W.
author

Identification:
Liquid limit as a predictor of mudrock permeability
2013
Marine and Petroleum Geology
Elsevier, Oxford, United Kingdom
44
256-263
Measurements of bedding perpendicular permeability are made on resedimented natural mudrocks that vary widely in mineralogy and clay fraction over a porosity range of 0.25-0.75 and under effective stresses up to 40 MPa. At a given porosity, permeability varies over 2-5 orders of magnitude. We show that the permeability-porosity relationship for a mudrock can be related to its liquid limit, an easily measured index property that can be determined from highly disturbed samples and reflects the clay mineralogy and clay fraction of a mudrock. We present correlations which allow the permeability of a mudrock to be estimated based on its porosity and liquid limit. The permeabilities predicted using these correlations all fall within + or -5 times the measured values and most fall within + or -3 times the measured values. We compare permeability measurements made on intact core samples to those predicted using the liquid limit correlations in order to demonstrate the applicability of the correlations for estimating in situ permeability. The use of clay fraction (particles <2 mu m) as a material property for predicting permeability is found to be considerably less reliable. Abstract Copyright (2013) Elsevier, B.V.
English
Serial
Coverage:Geographic coordinates:
North:28.0600
West:-89.0200East: -89.0100
South:28.0600

Sedimentary petrology; Atlantic Ocean; Atterberg limits; Blue Caly; clastic rocks; clay minerals; Expedition 308; experimental studies; Gulf of Mexico; Integrated Ocean Drilling Program; IODP Site U1322; IODP Site U1324; laboratory studies; liquid limit; mineral composition; mudstone; North Atlantic; permeability; porosity; sedimentary rocks; sheet silicates; silicates;

.