A demand for comprehensive petrophysical data occurs for a variety of applications in geosciences, petroleum- and geotechnical engineering. Experimental and theoretical research of physical properties for different lithologies is needed to get an overall picture. Accomplishment of physical rock properties and their influences through systematic studies will be combined into a matrix with important information for wealth of applications.
This talk will show the first results of systematic directional laboratory measurements of petrophysical properties like electrical and elastic properties, porosity and permeability and thermal conductivity for rock types from Austria. These measurements will be determined for sedimentary, metamorphic and plutonic lithologies to receive a petrographic coded model concept.
Samples of different carbonate, sandstone, gneiss, quartzite, serpentine, basalt and other volcanic rocks were obtained. Sampling was carried out in open pits, from both the Eastern Alps and the surrounding Basins. Measurements of dry- as well as saturated samples are executed. Saturation of samples is done with a solution of 1g NaCl and 1l distilled water. The principle of Archimedes and a helium pycnometer are used to determine the effective porosity of samples. Ultrasonic device is used to measure the compression and shear wave velocity of dry and brine-saturated samples. A self made calorimeter is used to measure the heat capacity. For measurements of the specific electrical resistivity a 4-point-light instrument of LGM Lippmann is used and therefore samples get saturated with a solution of 20g NaCl and 1l distilled water.
With knowledge of various properties and a resulting systematic matrix geoscientists can get easily an idea of influencing factors on the different properties. For our data set a considerable useful interpretation tool should be provided by different model calculations. At the moment measurements are carried out for the first set of samples. Analysis will start in the next month. Further interpretations of petrophysical properties including thin sections will lead to a petrographic code with a deeper understanding of the influencing properties. Hence insights and conclusions of our data cannot be given until the first sample portion got analysed.