Quantitative Comparison of 3D Pore Space Properties With Magnetic Pore Fabrics—Testing the Ability of Magnetic Methods to Predict Pore Fabrics in Rocks.

Pore fabrics characterize the anisotropy of pore space in rocks and influence the direction of fluid flow. This is important in reservoir characterization, and petroleum and geothermal energy exploitation. X‐ray computed micro‐tomography (XRCT) is commonly used to analyze pore fabrics, but limited by the micron‐scale resolution for representative 1‐inch rock cores. The magnetic pore fabric (MPF) method has been proposed to capture pores down to 10 nm. Although empirical relationships between MPF and pore space properties or permeability anisotropy are available, their application is compromised by large variability. This study integrates He pycnometry and XRCT‐derived pore space models with MPFs, and provides a quantitative comparison for calcarenite (∼50 vol% porosity and complex pore structure), and molasse sandstone (10%–30% porosity and relatively homogeneous pore fabrics). The preferred orientation of pores obtained from XRCT is described by a total shape ellipsoid, calculated by summing the second‐order tensors reflecting the best‐fit ellipsoids of individual pores. This ellipsoid is then compared to the MPF magnitude ellipsoid in terms of fabric orientation, degree and shape of anisotropy. The MPF and total shape ellipsoids are generally coaxial. The MPF has a smaller anisotropy degree than the total shape ellipsoid, and their relationship depends on the ferrofluid properties. The anisotropy shapes show large variability. Nevertheless, the good agreement of principal directions in most samples makes MPFs a valuable and efficient complementary tool to analyze a large number of samples, in combination with XRCT on selected samples, for a field‐scale pore space characterization. Plain Language Summary: Understanding underground fluid flow is a major goal when exploring geothermal energy and the migration of petroleum. These fluids transfer between pores at multiple scales. When the pores are flattened or elongated and display a preferred orientation, fluids will flow more readily in some directions compared to others. This results in preferred flow directions and flow paths. In this study, a fast way of determining pore geometry based on magnetic measurements is compared to traditional characterization methods. The good agreement between results suggests that magnetic methods can be applied as a complementary tool to include larger numbers of samples and potentially capture pores not resolved by traditional methods, with important implications for studies in geology and geological engineering. Key Points: Magnetic pore fabrics can complement X‐ray tomography, to capture small pores, and assess field‐scale variations in pore fabricsA total shape ellipsoid is derived from X‐ray tomography data, to represent average pore orientation and shape, and minimize artifactsThe principal directions of magnetic pore fabrics and total shape ellipsoids are generally coaxial in most samples [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]