NMR response of non-reservoir fluids in sandstone and chalk

Transverse (T2) NMR relaxation time at 2 MHz proton resonance frequency was measured on core plug samples from two different lithologies, sandstone and chalk, before and after exposure to selected drilling fluids. The results show that NMR signal response was significantly altered after displacing 50% of the original pore fluids, crude oil and water, by drilling fluid filtrate. Relaxation spectra of the rock samples invaded by water-based filtrate shift to significantly shorter T2-values. This shift yields an underestimation of the free-fluid volumes when selecting cut-off values of 33 ms and 100 ms for sandstone and chalk, respectively. In opposite, rock samples affected by oil-based filtrate respond with a signal indicating significantly larger free-fluid volumes than present before exposure. NMR-permeability calculated based on the Timur-Coates Free Fluid model altered in some cases by one order of magnitude.