A Multi-Phasic Perspective of the Intact Permeability of the Heterogeneous Argillaceous Cobourg Limestone

The Cobourg limestone is a heterogeneous argillaceous rock consisting of lighter nodular regions of calcite and dolomite, interspersed with darker regions composed of calcite, dolomite, quartz and a clay fraction. The intact permeability of the Cobourg limestone is estimated to be in the range of K ∈ (10(−23), 10(−19)) m(2). This paper discusses the factors influencing the measurement of the intact permeability of the Cobourg limestone and presents an upscaling approach for estimating this parameter. The procedure first involves the dissection of a cuboidal sample of the rock measuring, 80 mm × 120 mm × 300 mm, into ten 8 mm-thick slabs. Digital imaging and mapping of the larger surfaces of these sections are used to create, from both surface image extrusion and surface image interpolation techniques, the fabric within the dissected regions. The estimated permeabilities of the lighter and darker regions are used in the computational models of the computer-generated fabric to estimate the effective permeability of the rock. These results are complemented by estimates derived from mathematical theories for estimating permeabilities of multiphasic composites.