Its porosity makes it unsuitable for wet zones like bathrooms and kitchens, for instance.

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However, the inherit low porosity of the shale also implies that once the initial gush dies down, the flow will become a trickle.

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This porosity could be in the form of micro porosity (think pumice) or macro porosity (think large voids and a rubble pile structure) or probably even both.

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Wells in shale plays have to undergo a process known as fracturing to boost the porosity of the rock and to make oil and gas flow to the well head.

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It was reentered in 2009 and drilled another 10, 000 feet deeper when it hit 200 feet of pay in what appear to be very productive sands with great porosity and resistivity.

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The particular properties of the volcanic soil are ideal for growing purple potatoes, black truffles, buckwheat, white corn and tomatoes, and Nogue insists the ingredients have a distinct flavour profile compared to the same vegetables and grains grown elsewhere, a characteristic he attributes to the soil's perfect balance of absorption and porosity, as well as its mineral properties.

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