Laboratory Measurements of Heat Conductivity of Sedimentary Rocks

An apparatus is described for measuring the heat conductivity of core samples. With the aid of this apparatus the heat conductivities of a number of sandstone and limestone core samples were determined. The cores were entirely or partly saturated with air, water, or kerosine. It was found that a unique relation exists between porosity and the arithmetical product of thermal conductivity and the formation resistivity factor. Differences between the heat conductivities of cores partly saturated with water and gas and of cores completely filled with oil or water are so small that the thermal conductivity can not be considered indicative of the nature of reservoir contents.