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Reservoir Condition Pore-scale Imaging of Multiple Fluid Phases Using X-ray Microtomography
Published on: February 25, 2015
Visualization of fluid occupancy in a rough fracture using micro-tomography
Z T Karpyn1, A S Grader, P M Halleck
1Department of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. ztk101@psu.edu
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|December 5, 2006
Summary
Fracture morphology significantly impacts how oil and water flow and distribute within rock fractures. Understanding these complex interactions is key for effective fluid transport in geological formations.
Area of Science:
- Geosciences
- Petroleum Engineering
- Pore-scale Physics
Background:
- Immiscible fluid flow in fractured porous media is crucial for hydrocarbon recovery and geological storage.
- Fracture morphology, including aperture and connectivity, dictates fluid distribution and transport pathways.
- Micro-computed tomography (MCT) offers advanced capabilities for visualizing multiphase flow within complex fracture networks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of fracture morphology on the distribution and transport of immiscible fluid phases (oil and water).
- To characterize the internal structure of a single longitudinal fracture in Berea sandstone using MCT.
- To monitor fluid occupancy under various flow conditions.
Main Methods:
- Experimental investigation using micro-computed tomography (MCT) on Berea sandstone cores with a single longitudinal fracture.
- Controlled injection of water and oil under continuous, simultaneous, and static conditions.
- Analysis of fluid occupancy, trapping, flow paths, and globule dynamics within the fracture.
Main Results:
- Fluid distribution is primarily governed by fracture geometry, fluid saturations, and rock wettability.
- Observed mechanisms include fluid trapping, preferential flow paths, snapping-off, and globule coalescence.
- A direct correlation was established between fluid distribution patterns and the measured fracture apertures (2D and 3D).
Conclusions:
- Fracture aperture and geometry are critical determinants of immiscible fluid phase distribution and transport.
- The study provides insights into multiphase flow dynamics at the pore scale within fractures.
- Findings are relevant for optimizing fluid recovery and understanding subsurface flow processes.
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