Effects of Laboratory Consolidation on Petrophysical Properties of Fine-Grained Marine Sediments: Electron Microscopic Observations

Pliocene-Recent marine sediments, recovered at site 1125 by ODP Leg 181 on the eastern New Zealand margin, were subjected to laboratory consolidation tests and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before and after consolidation test. The primary objective of this study is to document the effects of consolidation on microfabric and petrophysical properties. X-ray diffraction and grain-size distribution data indicate that the samples are mineralogically and texturally similar and thus are ideal for the present study on the role of consolidation solely on petrophysical properties. Porosity was measured before and after each consolidation test, and permeability was estimated indirectly based on the theoretical method. SEM photomicrographs show details of changes of pore geometry and distribution after the consolidation test that account for the porosity loss.