Permeability estimation from T₁ mapping

Fluids permeating a solid matrix can interact strongly with the pores in which they are contained. Enhanced relaxation behaviour over that of the bulk water can ensue due to the presence of paramagnetic centres or to exchange with bound water at the pore surface. In the latter case, the ratio of pore surface to the pore volume is effective in the relaxation behaviour. NMR provides an effective tool for investigating the solid matrix properties (e.g., pore size distribution) via indirect measurement of the fluid NMR parameters. In addition to spin density, we use T₁ mapping to provide an estimate of the specific permeability of sandstone for a few samples.