: Pore spaces and microcracks in representative oil, gas and geothermal reservoir rocks from the Green Tuff region, Japan, were examined using a fluorescent technique. This technique was developed to visualize microscopically pore spaces and microcracks filled with synthetic resin mixed with fluorescent paint under ultraviolet light. Various morphology of pore spaces and microcracks was clearly identified. Spaces in studied reservoir rocks are classified into following three types: pore spaces in matrix, pore spaces in particles, and microcracks. It is observed that valuable oil and gas reservoir rocks relatively include many pore spaces, while microcracks are important for geothermal rocks. Correlation between textural characteristics and porosity or permeability was found in the oil reservoir rocks. Effective permeability depends upon pore spaces in matrix more than upon other components such as pore spaces in particles and microcracks. Looseness in matrix caused by larger grain size of particles is strongly correlated with permeability. Pore spaces play an important role as a reservoir in oil and gas fields, but are less important in geothermal field. Instead, microcracks are important for geothermal reservoir system.

Porous aluminum with well-adjusted porosity and pore size was fabricated by a powder-metallurgical spacer method, and its fluid conductivity was investigated. As the porosity and pore size increased, the Darcian permeability increased. However, the permeability of the porous aluminum was significantly lower than the expected value based on those of other similar porous materials. The low fluid conductivity is attributed to the presence of small apertures at cell walls, which is peculiar to the porous metals fabricated by the powder-metallurgical spacer method.

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