Diagnosing high-porosity sandstones: Strength and permeability from porosity and velocity

To find a textural property of high-porosity sandstone with which permeability correlates well, log-derived velocity and porosity were used together with rock physics theory to subdivide the diagenetic cement into contact and noncontact parts. Following this, a usable trend was obtained by relating permeability to the volumetric fraction of the noncontact cement in the rock. By quantifying the amount of contact and noncontact cement, the sandstone's texture was diagnosed from well log data. Evidence suggests that such a diagnosis is important not only for obtaining a high-correlation permeability trend but also for assessing the strength of the rock.