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Reservoir Condition Pore-scale Imaging of Multiple Fluid Phases Using X-ray Microtomography
Published on: February 25, 2015
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Deformation-assisted fluid percolation in rock salt.
Soheil Ghanbarzadeh1, Marc A Hesse2, Maša Prodanović1
1Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 200 East Dean Keeton Street, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|November 28, 2015
Summary
Deformation can enable fluid flow in rock salt, even below the static percolation threshold. This finding is crucial for designing nuclear waste repositories to prevent leaks.
Area of Science:
- Geology
- Geophysics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Deep geological storage for nuclear waste relies on rock salt's low permeability to isolate groundwater.
- A percolation threshold typically limits fluid flow in static rock salt.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if deformation can overcome the static percolation threshold in rock salt.
- To assess the implications for fluid flow in nuclear waste repository design.
Main Methods:
- Static experiments on synthetic salt samples using x-ray microtomography.
- Analysis of hydrocarbon distributions in Gulf of Mexico salt deposits.
Main Results:
- Confirmed the existence of a percolation threshold in static salt samples.
- Observed hydrocarbon distributions indicating percolation occurred at porosities below the static threshold in deforming salt.
- Deformation-assisted percolation was identified as the mechanism.
Conclusions:
- Deformation can facilitate fluid percolation in rock salt at porosities below the static threshold.
- Nuclear waste repository designs must account for deformation-driven fluid percolation.
- Static percolation thresholds may not be sufficient to limit fluid flow in deforming geological environments.
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