A quantitative comparison of the pore space geometry for three natural sandstones is presented. The comparison is based on local porosity theory which provides a geometric characterization of stochastic microstructures. The characterization focusses on porosity and connectivity fluctuations. Porosity fluctuations are measured using local porosity distributions while connectivity fluctuations are measured using local percolation probabilities. We report the first measurement of local percolation probability functions for experimentally obtained threedimensional pore space reconstructions. Our results suggest to use local porosity distributions and percolation probabilities as a quantitative method to compare microstructures between models and experiment.

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A quantitative comparison between the experimental microstructure of a sedimentary rock and three theoretical models for the same rock is presented. The microstructure of the rock sample (Fontainebleau sandstone) was obtained by microtomography. Two of the models are stochastic models based on correlation function reconstruction, and one model is based on sedimentation, compaction and diagenesis combined with input from petrographic analysis. The porosity of all models closely match that of the experimental sample and two models have also the same two point correlation function as the experimental sample. We compute quantitative differences and similarities between the various microstructures by a method based on local porosity theory. Differences are found in the degree of anisotropy, and in fluctuations of porosity and connectivity. The stochastic models differ strongly from the real sandstone in their connectivity properties, and hence need further refinement when used to model transport.