Journal of the Korean Society of Mineral and Energy Resources Engineers ISSN:2288-0291(Print) 2288-2790(Online) 한국자원공학회지

This study focuses on the measurement of permeability of a fractured core, which is not possible to be measured by steady-state method or conventional pressure pulse decaying method. In order to measure its permeability, we have improved the conventional pressure pulse decaying apparatus by being able to change the up and downstream volumes of coreholder. Also, a numerical model corresponding to the modified pressure pulse decaying method has been coded to interpret the experimental data. The developed numerical model has been validated, and though the sensitivity study using the model for up and downstream volumes to pore volume of the core, the equipment was designed to possibly measure the absolute permeability of a fractured core. By utilizing the apparatus, we measured the absolute permeabilities for eight artificially fractured cores. From the resulted permeabilities, empirical relationships have been drawn for absolute permeability of a fractured core in terms of fracture number, fracture density and overburden pressure.