Influence of Acid Treatment on Pore Structure and Fractal Characterization of a Tight Sandstone: A Case Study from Wudun Sag, Dunhuang Basin

Abstract In this study, X‐ray diffraction, N 2 adsorption (N 2 A), and mercury intrusion (MI) experiments were used to investigate the influence of acid treatment on pore structure and fractal characterization of tight sandstones. The results showed that acid treatment generated a certain number of ink‐bottle pores in fine sandstone, aggravated the ink‐bottle effect in the sandy mudstone, and transformed some smaller pores into larger ones. After the acid treatment, both the pore volume in the range of 2–11 nm and 0.271–8 μm for the fine sandstone and the entire pore size range for the sandy mudstone significantly increased. The dissolution of sandstone cement causes the fine sandstone particles to fall off and fill the pores; the porosity increased at first but then decreased with acid treatment time. The fractal dimension obtained using the Frenkel‐Halsey‐Hill model was positively correlated with acid treatment time. However, the total fractal dimensions obtained by MI tests showed different changes with acid treatment time in fine sandstone and sandy mudstone. These results provide good guiding significance for reservoir acidification stimulation.