Comparison of Fracture Intensity Measured in Outcrop and μCT Core Plugs in a Carbonate Reservoir Analogue

Summary The porosity and permeability structure of fractured reservoirs is highly heterogeneous, however typical subsurface data are unable to quantify this heterogeneity across scales of analysis that are most relevant for fluid flow. Comprehensive analysis of outcrop analogues can provide detailed, quantitative characterisation of the fracture network to produce robust ranges of values for input to discrete fracture network (DFN) or other fracture models. We compare fracture intensities measured from 3D X-Ray Computed Micro-Tomography with those calculated from scan lines measured along 1D tape measure transects in outcrop, and from multiple virtual scan lines in 3D point cloud data acquired from terrestrial laser scanning (lidar) and digital photogrammetry. Micro-tomography is also useful to help extend understanding of fracture intensities to analysis of fracture porosity.