Petrophysics

Period: Second semester

Course unit contents: the course contents consist of:
1. Rocks- Classification and general properties: overview of rocks’ and incoherent deposits’ physical properties, introduction to laboratory measurement methods on rock samples and cores;
2. Pore space properties: porosity, specific internal surface, fluids in the pore space, permeability, capillary pressure;
3. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR): principles, measurements and applications
4. Density: definition, density of rock constituents, density of rocks;
5. Nuclear/Radioactive Properties: natural radioactivity, interactions of gamma radiations and neutron radiations;
6. Elastic properties: elastic properties of rocks;
7. Geomechanical properties: fundamental geomechanical properties and processes in lithic materials, deformation, stress and strain;
8. Electrical properties: electrical properties of lithic and unconsolidated materials, role of interstitial fluids;
9. Thermal Properties: thermal properties of minerals and rocks;
10. Magnetic Properties: magnetic properties of minerals and rocks;
11. Well-logging: basic concepts, techniques, data and interpretation examples;
12. Classroom and laboratory exercises on some of rocks’ petrophysical properties.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods: The course consists of 48 hours of classroom frontal learning.
The course contents are carried out via IT support (e.g. PowerPoint files).
One or two visits to the laboratories of the Department of Geosciences are planned to familiarize with some procedures and devices presented during the lessons. Moreover, classroom exercises concerning data processing and interpretation will be organized by using specific software tools (e.g. Excel, LogView ++, Python).