In this section
Our research includes exploring fundamental pore scale fluid dynamics, developing digital rocks analysis techniques, increasing the accuracy of field scale reservoir simulation, and evaluating the feasibility of scaling up CO2 storage to climate relevant scales.
@article{Spurin:2020:10.1002/essoar.10503655.1,
author = {Spurin, C and Bultreys, T and Ruecker, M and Garfi, G and Schlepütz, CM and Novak, V and Berg, S and Blunt, MJ and Krevor, S},
doi = {10.1002/essoar.10503655.1},
title = {Real-time imaging reveals distinct pore scale dynamics during transient and equilibrium subsurface multiphase flow},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10503655.1},
year = {2020}
}
TY - JOUR
AB - <jats:p>Many subsurface fluid flows, including the storage of CO underground orthe production of oil, are transient processes incorporating multiplefluid phases. The fluids are not in equilibrium meaning macroscopicproperties such as fluid saturation and pressure vary in space and time.However, these flows are traditionally modelled with equilibrium (orsteady-state) flow properties, under the assumption that the pore scalefluid dynamics are equivalent. In this work, we used fast synchrotronX-ray tomography with 1s time resolution to image the pore scale fluiddynamics as the macroscopic flow transitioned to steady-state. Fornitrogen or decane, and brine injected simultaneously into a porous rockwe observed distinct pore scale fluid dynamics during transient flow.Transient flow was found to be characterised by intermittent fluidoccupancy, whereby flow pathways through the pore space were constantlyrearranging. The intermittent fluid occupancy was largest and mostfrequent when a fluid initially invaded the rock. But as the fluidsestablished an equilibrium the dynamics decreased to either staticinterfaces between the fluids or small-scale intermittent flow pathways,depending on the capillary number and viscosity ratio. If the fluidswere perturbed after an equilibrium was established, by changing theflow rate, the transition to a new equilibrium was quicker than theinitial transition. Our observations suggest that transient flowsrequire separate modelling parameters. The timescales required toachieve equilibrium suggest that several metres of an invading plumefront will have flow properties controlled by transient pore scale fluiddynamics.</jats:p>
AU - Spurin,C
AU - Bultreys,T
AU - Ruecker,M
AU - Garfi,G
AU - Schlepütz,CM
AU - Novak,V
AU - Berg,S
AU - Blunt,MJ
AU - Krevor,S
DO - 10.1002/essoar.10503655.1
PY - 2020///
TI - Real-time imaging reveals distinct pore scale dynamics during transient and equilibrium subsurface multiphase flow
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10503655.1
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10503655.1
ER -