A potential NMR-based wettability index using free induction decay for rocks

The wettability of reservoir rocks saturated with oil and water is one of the most important factors influencing petrophysics and oil recovery. Minerals with different wettability constitute the overall heterogeneous wettability in rocks. Variations in sample composition can be detected by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements. In this paper, the method of using the magnetic susceptibility contrast between rock skeleton and saturated fluid to estimate wettability is proposed. The theoretical feasibility was firstly analyzed, and then the internal gradients caused by magnetic susceptibility contrasts were employed to interpret wettability alteration before and after ageing process in rocks. It was discovered that water and oil in the same pores experienced different internal gradients after ageing, which were associated with the differences in magnetic susceptibility contrasts. After that, the free induction decay measurement was performed to acquire magnetic susceptibility contrasts of artificial sandstone samples with the intermediate-wet condition. A refined NMR wettability index was presented and correlated with the Amott wettability tests. The experimental results demonstrate that the new method for determining wettability is feasible.