Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026
08:38
Microfluidic Devices for Characterizing Pore-scale Event Processes in Porous Media for Oil Recovery Applications
Published on: January 16, 2018
10.3K
Three-Dimensional Porous Media Design and Validation for Fluid Flow Applications in Hydrocarbon Reservoirs
Omer A Omer1, Khaled S Al-Salem1, Zeyad Almutairi1
1Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia.
Micromachines
|May 4, 2026
Summary
This study presents a computational method for designing 3-D porous media micromodels. This approach allows precise control over porosity and permeability, aiding hydrocarbon reservoir flow studies and Enhanced Oil Recovery optimization.
Area of Science:
- Computational modeling
- Porous media physics
- Reservoir engineering
Background:
- Investigating fluid flow in hydrocarbon reservoirs requires realistic models of porous media.
- Traditional methods often rely on stochastic algorithms, limiting precise control over pore network geometry.
- There is a need for deterministic methods to independently control porosity and permeability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a computational method for designing geometrically controlled 3-D micromodels of porous media.
- To enable independent control of porosity and permeability for systematic studies of spatial heterogeneity.
- To bridge the gap between numerical simulations and physical experiments for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) optimization.
Main Methods:
- A virtual framework of cubes is used to generate 3-D pore networks from 2-D sketches.
- A deterministic, cube-by-cube approach allows independent adjustment of channel size and connectivity.
- Six digital models with varying porosities (18.4%–44.4%) were created and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Explicit geometric control enabled accurate extraction of pore volume distributions.
- A power-law relationship between localized porosity and specific surface area was established.
- Single-phase simulations confirmed the decoupling of absolute permeability from porosity.
Conclusions:
- The developed computational method provides realistic, geometrically controlled 3-D micromodels for porous media.
- This framework facilitates the systematic study of spatial heterogeneity and its impact on fluid flow.
- The models are 3-D printable and suitable for CFD simulations, optimizing EOR processes.
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