Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 3, 2025

Mechanical Expansion of Steel Tubing as a Solution to Leaky Wellbores
Published on: November 20, 2014
Study of Water Relative Permeability in Fractures Using Well Tests and Radon: Gas Bubbles Effect
M C Tom Kuo1,2
1Department of Mineral and Petroleum Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Abstract:
Few published data are available for two-phase flow in fractures from field studies. All measurements of relative permeability reported in the literature were done in laboratory-scale. The in situ water saturations are normally not known for multiphase flow in natural fractures; therefore, the direct measurements of relative permeability are difficult in field-scale. With the help of a case study before and after the 2008 Mw 5.4 Antung earthquake, groundwater radon was used as a tracer to determine the gas and water saturations in a small naturally fractured aquifer. Well tests were also conducted to estimate aquifer transmissivity before and after the 2008 Antung earthquake. Anomalous declines in both groundwater radon concentration and transmissivity were observed precursory to the 2008 Antung earthquake. Both declines are two precursory phenomena having a common effect of gas bubbles. Using the data from well tests and radon tracer, one data point of water relative permeability can be obtained for in situ fractures. This data point reveals strong phase interference between water and gas bubbles for multiphase flow in natural fractures. Both the data of well tests and radon tracer are essential to gain an improved understanding of mass transfer behavior of groundwater-dissolved gases between water and gas phases.
More Related Videos
08:02Reservoir Condition Pore-scale Imaging of Multiple Fluid Phases Using X-ray Microtomography
Published on: February 25, 2015
12:18Pore-scale Imaging and Characterization of Hydrocarbon Reservoir Rock Wettability at Subsurface Conditions Using X-ray Microtomography
Published on: October 21, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Permeability of Concrete
Pore Size Distribution
Adequate...
Typical Model Studies
Porosity and Absorption of Aggregate
When all pores in an aggregate are filled with water, the aggregate is considered saturated and surface-dry. If left in dry air, water will evaporate until the...
Testing Water Quality
Microcracking in Concrete