The flow characteristics of coalbed methane(CBM)are influenced by the coal rock fracture network,which serves as the primary gas transport channel.This has a significant effect on the permeability performance of coal ...The flow characteristics of coalbed methane(CBM)are influenced by the coal rock fracture network,which serves as the primary gas transport channel.This has a significant effect on the permeability performance of coal reservoirs.In any case,the traditional techniques of coal rock fracture observation are unable to precisely define the flow of CBM.In this study,coal samples were subjected to an in situ loading scanning test in order to create a pore network model(PNM)and determine the pore and fracture dynamic evolution law of the samples in the loading path.On this basis,the structural characteristic parameters of the samples were extracted from the PNM and the impact on the permeability performance of CBM was assessed.The findings demonstrate that the coal samples'internal porosity increases by 2.039%under uniaxial loading,the average throat pore radius increases by 205.5 to 36.1μm,and the loading has an impact on the distribution and morphology of the pores in the coal rock.The PNM was loaded into the finite element program COMSOL for seepage modeling,and the M3 stage showed isolated pore connectivity to produce microscopic fissures,which could serve as seepage channels.In order to confirm the viability of the PNM and COMSOL docking technology,the streamline distribution law of pressure and velocity fields during the coal sample loading process was examined.The absolute permeability of the coal samples was also obtained in order for comparison with the measured results.The macroscopic CBM flow mechanism in complex lowpermeability coal rocks can be revealed through three-dimensional reconstruction of the microscopic fracture structure and seepage simulation.This study lays the groundwork for the fine description and evaluation of coal reservoirs as well as the precise prediction of gas production in CBM wells.展开更多
The permeability in the methane hydrate reservoir is one of the key parameters in estimating the gas production performance and the flow behavior of gas and water during dissociation.In this paper,a three-dimensional ...The permeability in the methane hydrate reservoir is one of the key parameters in estimating the gas production performance and the flow behavior of gas and water during dissociation.In this paper,a three-dimensional cubic pore-network model based on invasion percolation is developed to study the effect of hydrate particle formation and growth habit on the permeability.The variation of permeability in porous media with different hydrate saturation is studied by solving the network problem.The simulation results are well consistent with the experimental data.The proposed model predicts that the permeability will reduce exponentially with the increase of hydrate saturation,which is crucial in developing a deeper understanding of the mechanism of hydrate formation and dissociation in porous media.展开更多
Dry reforming of methane(DRM) is an attractive technology for utilizing the greenhouse gases(CO_(2) and CH_(4)) to produce syngas. However, the catalyst pellets for DRM are heavily plagued by deactivation by coking, w...Dry reforming of methane(DRM) is an attractive technology for utilizing the greenhouse gases(CO_(2) and CH_(4)) to produce syngas. However, the catalyst pellets for DRM are heavily plagued by deactivation by coking, which prevents this technology from commercialization. In this work, a pore network model is developed to probe the catalyst deactivation by coking in a Ni/Al_(2)O_(3) catalyst pellet for DRM. The reaction conditions can significantly change the coking rate and then affect the catalyst deactivation. The catalyst lifetime is higher under lower temperature, pressure, and CH_(4)/CO_(2) molar ratio, but the maximum coke content in a catalyst pellet is independent of these reaction conditions. The catalyst pellet with larger pore diameter, narrower pore size distribution and higher pore connectivity is more robust against catalyst deactivation by coking, as the pores in this pellet are more difficult to be plugged or inaccessible.The maximum coke content is also higher for narrower pore size distribution and higher pore connectivity, as the number of inaccessible pores is lower. Besides, the catalyst pellet radius only slightly affects the coke content, although the diffusion limitation increases with the pellet radius. These results should serve to guide the rational design of robust DRM catalyst pellets against deactivation by coking.展开更多
Coalbed methane(CBM)recovery is attracting global attention due to its huge reserve and low carbon burning benefits for the environment.Fully understanding the complex structure of coal and its transport properties is...Coalbed methane(CBM)recovery is attracting global attention due to its huge reserve and low carbon burning benefits for the environment.Fully understanding the complex structure of coal and its transport properties is crucial for CBM development.This study describes the implementation of mercury intrusion and μ-CT techniques for quantitative analysis of 3D pore structure in two anthracite coals.It shows that the porosity is 7.04%-8.47%and 10.88%-12.11%,and the pore connectivity is 0.5422-0.6852 and 0.7948-0.9186 for coal samples 1 and 2,respectively.The fractal dimension and pore geometric tortuosity were calculated based on the data obtained from 3D pore structure.The results show that the pore structure of sample 2 is more complex and developed,with lower tortuosity,indicating the higher fluid deliverability of pore system in sample 2.The tortuosity in three-direction is significantly different,indicating that the pore structure of the studied coals has significant anisotropy.The equivalent pore network model(PNM)was extracted,and the anisotropic permeability was estimated by PNM gas flow simulation.The results show that the anisotropy of permeability is consistent with the slice surface porosity distribution in 3D pore structure.The permeability in the horizontal direction is much greater than that in the vertical direction,indicating that the dominant transportation channel is along the horizontal direction of the studied coals.The research results achieve the visualization of the 3D complex structure of coal and fully capture and quantify pore size,connectivity,curvature,permeability,and its anisotropic characteristics at micron-scale resolution.This provides a prerequisite for the study of mass transfer behaviors and associated transport mechanisms in real pore structures.展开更多
A pore network model was used in this paper to investigate the factors, in particular, throat radius, wettability and initial water saturation, causing water block in low permeability reservoirs. A new term - ＇relati...A pore network model was used in this paper to investigate the factors, in particular, throat radius, wettability and initial water saturation, causing water block in low permeability reservoirs. A new term - ＇relative permeability number＇ （RPN） was firstly defined, and then used to describe the degree of water block. Imbibition process simulations show that the RPN drops in accordance with the extension of the averaged pore throat radius from 0.05 to 1.5 μm, and yet once beyond that point of 1.5 μm, the RPN reaches a higher value, indicating the existence of a critical pore throat radius where water block is the maximum. When the wettability of the samples changes from water-wet to weakly water-wet, weakly gas-wet, or gas（oil）-wet, the gas RPN increases consistently, but this consistency is disturbed by the RPN dropping for weakly water-wet samples for water saturations less than 0.4, which means weakly waterwet media are more easily water blocked than water-wet systems. In the situation where the initial water saturation exceeds 0.05, water block escalates along with an increase in initial water saturation.展开更多
Experiments of proppant conductivity and fluid flow in proppant cost a large amount of time and money,and also require complex devices.Hence,this article puts forward an artificial fracture numerical model based on pr...Experiments of proppant conductivity and fluid flow in proppant cost a large amount of time and money,and also require complex devices.Hence,this article puts forward an artificial fracture numerical model based on proppant arrangement analysis and the basic principles of the pore network model.Predictions by the model are made consistent with the experimental results through adjusting the model parameters.It is shown that the established model is effective in making predictions on the permeability of proppant.This model is also used to study the non-Newtonian fluid flow characteristics in artificial fracture.展开更多
Multiphase flow in low permeability porous media is involved in numerous energy and environmental applications.However,a complete description of this process is challenging due to the limited modeling scale and the ef...Multiphase flow in low permeability porous media is involved in numerous energy and environmental applications.However,a complete description of this process is challenging due to the limited modeling scale and the effects of complex pore structures and wettability.To address this issue,based on the digital rock of low permeability sandstone,a direct numerical simulation is performed considering the interphase drag and boundary slip to clarify the microscopic water-oil displacement process.In addition,a dual-porosity pore network model(PNM)is constructed to obtain the water-oil relative permeability of the sample.The displacement efficiency as a recovery process is assessed under different wetting and pore structure properties.Results show that microscopic displacement mechanisms explain the corresponding macroscopic relative permeability.The injected water breaks through the outlet earlier with a large mass flow,while thick oil films exist in rough hydrophobic surfaces and poorly connected pores.The variation of water-oil relative permeability is significant,and residual oil saturation is high in the oil-wet system.The flooding is extensive,and the residual oil is trapped in complex pore networks for hydrophilic pore surfaces;thus,water relative permeability is lower in the water-wet system.While the displacement efficiency is the worst in mixed-wetting systems for poor water connectivity.Microporosity negatively correlates with invading oil volume fraction due to strong capillary resistance,and a large microporosity corresponds to low residual oil saturation.This work provides insights into the water-oil flow from different modeling perspectives and helps to optimize the development plan for enhanced recovery.展开更多
This study investigates the impact of pore network characteristics on fluid flow through complex and heterogeneous porous media,providing insights into the factors affecting fluid propagation in such systems.Specifica...This study investigates the impact of pore network characteristics on fluid flow through complex and heterogeneous porous media,providing insights into the factors affecting fluid propagation in such systems.Specifically,high-resolution or micro X-ray computed tomography(CT)imaging techniques were utilized to examine outcrop stromatolite samples of the Lagoa Salgada,considered flow analogous to the Brazilian Pre-salt carbonate reservoirs.The petrophysical results comprised two distinct stromatolite depositional facies,the columnar and the fine-grained facies.By generating pore network model(PNM),the study quantified the relationship between key features of the porous system,including pore and throat radius,throat length,coordination number,shape factor,and pore volume.The study found that the less dense pore network of the columnar sample is typically characterized by larger pores and wider and longer throats but with a weaker connection of throats to pores.Both facies exhibited less variability in the radius of the pores and throats in comparison to throat length.Additionally,a series of core flooding experiments coupled with medical CT scanning was designed and conducted in the plug samples to assess flow propagation and saturation fields.The study revealed that the heterogeneity and presence of disconnected or dead-end pores significantly impacted the flow patterns and saturation.Two-phase flow patterns and oil saturation distribution reveal a preferential and heterogeneous displacement that mainly swept displaced fluid in some regions of plugs and bypassed it in others.The relation between saturation profiles,porosity profiles,and the number of fluid flow patterns for the samples was evident.Only for the columnar plug sample was the enhancement in recovery factor after shifting to lower salinity water injection(SB)observed.展开更多
Clayey-silt natural gas hydrate reservoirs in the South China Sea exhibit loose and unconsolidated structures, heterogeneous pore structures, high clay mineral contents, and strong hydrophilicity. These characteristic...Clayey-silt natural gas hydrate reservoirs in the South China Sea exhibit loose and unconsolidated structures, heterogeneous pore structures, high clay mineral contents, and strong hydrophilicity. These characteristics complicate the gas-water two-phase flow process in porous media following hydrate decomposition, posing challenges for efficient development. This study examines the transport response of clayey-silt reservoir samples from the Shenhu area using gas-water two-phase flow experiments and CT scanning to explore changes in pore structure, gas-water distribution, and relative permeability under varying flow conditions. The results indicate that pore heterogeneity significantly influences flow characteristics. Gas preferentially displaces water in larger pores, forming fracture-like pores, which serve as preferential flow channels for gas migration. The preferential flow channels enhance gas-phase permeability up to 19 times that of the water phase when fluid pressures exceed total stresses. However,small pores retain liquid, leading to a high residual water saturation of 0.561. CT imaging reveals that these hydro-fractures improve gas permeability but also confine gas flow to specific channels. Pore network analysis shows that gas injection expands the pore-throat network, enhancing connectivity and forming fracture-like pores. Residual water remains trapped in smaller pores and throats, while structural changes, including new fractures, improve gas flow pathways and overall connectivity. Relative permeability curves demonstrate a narrow gas-water cocurrent-flow zone, a right-shifted iso-permeability point and high reservoir capillary pressure, indicating a strong "water-blocking" effect. The findings suggest that optimizing reservoir stimulation techniques to enhance fracture formation, reduce residual water saturation, and improve gas flow capacity is critical for efficient hydrate reservoir development.展开更多
Subsurface rocks,as complex porous media,exhibit multiscale pore structures and intricate physical properties.Digital rock physics technology has become increasingly influential in the study of subsurface rock propert...Subsurface rocks,as complex porous media,exhibit multiscale pore structures and intricate physical properties.Digital rock physics technology has become increasingly influential in the study of subsurface rock properties.Given the multiscale characteristics of rock pore structures,direct three-dimensional imaging at sub-micrometer and nanometer scales is typically infeasible.This study introduces a method for reconstructing porous media using multidimensional data,which combines one-dimensional pore structure parameters with two-dimensional images to reconstruct three-dimensional models.The pore network model(PNM)is stochastically reconstructed using one-dimensional parameters,and a generative adversarial network(GAN)is utilized to equip the PNM with pore morphologies derived from two-dimensional images.The digital rocks generated by this method possess excellent controllability.Using Berea sandstone and Grosmont carbonate samples,we performed digital rock reconstructions based on PNM extracted by the maximum ball algorithm and compared them with stochastically reconstructed PNM.Pore structure parameters,permeability,and formation factors were calculated.The results show that the generated samples exhibit good consistency with real samples in terms of pore morphology,pore structure,and physical properties.Furthermore,our method effectively supplements the micropores not captured in CT images,demonstrating its potential in multiscale carbonate samples.Thus,the proposed reconstruction method is promising for advancing porous media property research.展开更多
Disintegrated dolomite slope and tunnel disasters occur frequently due to poor water stability of disintegrated dolomite,primarily in a form of seepage failure.For engineering purposes,it is critical to determine the ...Disintegrated dolomite slope and tunnel disasters occur frequently due to poor water stability of disintegrated dolomite,primarily in a form of seepage failure.For engineering purposes,it is critical to determine the seepage properties of disintegrated dolomite within the strata.However,conventional experimental methods are time-consuming and expensive and may not be effective in investigating seepage characteristics due to the heterogeneity of disintegrated dolomite.In this study,pore network model(PNM)was established by the computerized tomography(CT)scanning technology to characterize the pores.Meanwhile,the seepage and coefficient of permeability under different inlet stress conditions based on the accurate pore model were realized by linking the commercial image processing software Avizo with the commercial multi-physics modeling package Comsol.The results show that the porosities of severely and completely disintegrated dolomites are 29.17% and 45.37%,respectively.The grade of pore development increases with disintegration grade,which facilitates seepage failure.Severely and completely disintegrated dolomites have the coefficients of permeability of 9.67×10^(-7) m/s and 1.61×10^(-6) m/s,respectively.Under conventional conditions,severely and completely disintegrated dolomites undergo seepage failure above a pressure difference of 6×10^(3) Pa and 5×10^(3) Pa,respectively.These results are consistent with both in situ water pressure tests in the borehole and laboratory tests with the constant-head method,demonstrating that CT scanning is an effective method for observing fractures and pores in disintegrated dolomite for seepage evaluation.展开更多
The three-dimensional(3 D) structures of pores directly affect the CH4 flow.Therefore,it is very important to analyze the3 D spatial structure of pores and to simulate the CH4 flow with the connected pores as the carr...The three-dimensional(3 D) structures of pores directly affect the CH4 flow.Therefore,it is very important to analyze the3 D spatial structure of pores and to simulate the CH4 flow with the connected pores as the carrier.The result shows that the equivalent radius of pores and throats are 1-16 μm and 1.03-8.9 μm,respectively,and the throat length is 3.28-231.25 μm.The coordination number of pores concentrates around three,and the intersection point between the connectivity function and the X-axis is 3-4 μm,which indicate the macro-pores have good connectivity.During the single-channel flow,the pressure decreases along the direction of CH4 flow,and the flow velocity of CH4 decreases from the pore center to the wall.Under the dual-channel and the multi-channel flows,the pressure also decreases along the CH4 flow direction,while the velocity increases.The mean flow pressure gradually decreases with the increase of the distance from the inlet slice.The change of mean flow pressure is relatively stable in the direction horizontal to the bedding plane,while it is relatively large in the direction perpendicular to the bedding plane.The mean flow velocity in the direction horizontal to the bedding plane(Y-axis) is the largest,followed by that in the direction horizontal to the bedding plane(X-axis),and the mean flow velocity in the direction perpendicular to the bedding plane is the smallest.展开更多
The phenomenon of multiphase flow in porous media is confronted in various fields of science and industrial applications. Owing to the complicated porous structure, the flow mechanisms are still not completely resolve...The phenomenon of multiphase flow in porous media is confronted in various fields of science and industrial applications. Owing to the complicated porous structure, the flow mechanisms are still not completely resolved. A critical and fundamental question is the variation of pore structure and REV sizes among different types of porous media. In this study, a total of 22 porous samples were employed to systematically evaluate the pore-based architecture and REV sizes based on X-ray CT image analysis and pore network modelling. It is found that the irregular grain shapes give rise to large specific areas,narrow and thin throats in identical sand packs. The packs with more types of sands, or composited by the sands with larger difference in diameter, have larger specific area, smaller tortuosity and pore spaces.Based on the REV measurement through porosity solely, the REV sizes of sand packs are generally in the order of magnitude of 10^(-2) m L, while it is at least one order of magnitude smaller in rock cores. Our result indicates that the combination of porosity and Euler number is an effective indicator to get the REV sizes of porous samples.展开更多
The pressure-sensitive effect on the pore structure of sandstone was investigated using X-ray computed micro-tomography and QEMSCAN quantitative mineral analysis. In a physical simulation study, we extracted the pore ...The pressure-sensitive effect on the pore structure of sandstone was investigated using X-ray computed micro-tomography and QEMSCAN quantitative mineral analysis. In a physical simulation study, we extracted the pore network model from digital cores at different confining pressures and evaluated the effect of pressure sensitivity on the multiphase displacement process. In both the pore network model and QEMSCAN scanning, the pore structure was observed to be damaged under a high confining pressure. Due to their different scales, the pores and throats exhibited inhomogeneous changes; further, the throats exhibited a significant variation compared to that exhibited by the pores. Meanwhile, the heterogeneity of the pore structure under the two aforementioned activities was aggravated by the elastic-plastic deformation of the pore structure.The pressure-sensitive effect increased the proportion of mineral particles, such as quartz(the main component of the core skeleton), and reduced the proportion of clay minerals. The clay minerals were originally attached to the pore walls or interspersed in the pores; however, as the pressure increased, the clay minerals accumulated in the pores resulting in blockage of the pores. While simulating the multiphase displacement process, increasing the confining pressure was observed to severely restrict the flowability of oil and water. This study promises to improve the efficiency of reservoir development in terms of oil and gas exploitation.展开更多
A pore-network model physically based on pore level multiphase flow was used to study the water-non-aqueous phase liquid （NAPL） displacement process, especially the effects of wettability, water-NAPL interracial ten...A pore-network model physically based on pore level multiphase flow was used to study the water-non-aqueous phase liquid （NAPL） displacement process, especially the effects of wettability, water-NAPL interracial tension, the fraction of NAPL-wet pores, and initial water saturation on the displacement. The computed data show that with the wettability of the mineral surfaces changing from strongly water-wet to NAPL-wet, capillary pressure and the NAPL relative permeability gradually decrease, while water-NAPL interfacial tension has little effect on water relative permeability, but initial water saturation has a strong effect on water and NAPL relative permeabilities. The analytical results may help to understand the micro-structure displacement process of non-aqueous phase liquid and to provide the theoretical basis for controlling NAPL migration.展开更多
基金The National Key R&D Program,Grant/Award Number:2023YFC2907203National Natural Science Foundation of China,Grant/Award Numbers:52374121,52074121。
文摘The flow characteristics of coalbed methane(CBM)are influenced by the coal rock fracture network,which serves as the primary gas transport channel.This has a significant effect on the permeability performance of coal reservoirs.In any case,the traditional techniques of coal rock fracture observation are unable to precisely define the flow of CBM.In this study,coal samples were subjected to an in situ loading scanning test in order to create a pore network model(PNM)and determine the pore and fracture dynamic evolution law of the samples in the loading path.On this basis,the structural characteristic parameters of the samples were extracted from the PNM and the impact on the permeability performance of CBM was assessed.The findings demonstrate that the coal samples'internal porosity increases by 2.039%under uniaxial loading,the average throat pore radius increases by 205.5 to 36.1μm,and the loading has an impact on the distribution and morphology of the pores in the coal rock.The PNM was loaded into the finite element program COMSOL for seepage modeling,and the M3 stage showed isolated pore connectivity to produce microscopic fissures,which could serve as seepage channels.In order to confirm the viability of the PNM and COMSOL docking technology,the streamline distribution law of pressure and velocity fields during the coal sample loading process was examined.The absolute permeability of the coal samples was also obtained in order for comparison with the measured results.The macroscopic CBM flow mechanism in complex lowpermeability coal rocks can be revealed through three-dimensional reconstruction of the microscopic fracture structure and seepage simulation.This study lays the groundwork for the fine description and evaluation of coal reservoirs as well as the precise prediction of gas production in CBM wells.
基金supported by the National High Technology Research and Development (863) Program of China (Grant Nos.2006AA09A209-5)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 90510003)the Major Research Project of the Ministry of Education (Grant Nos. 306005)
文摘The permeability in the methane hydrate reservoir is one of the key parameters in estimating the gas production performance and the flow behavior of gas and water during dissociation.In this paper,a three-dimensional cubic pore-network model based on invasion percolation is developed to study the effect of hydrate particle formation and growth habit on the permeability.The variation of permeability in porous media with different hydrate saturation is studied by solving the network problem.The simulation results are well consistent with the experimental data.The proposed model predicts that the permeability will reduce exponentially with the increase of hydrate saturation,which is crucial in developing a deeper understanding of the mechanism of hydrate formation and dissociation in porous media.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22078090 and 92034301)the Shanghai Rising-Star Program (21QA1402000)+1 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (21ZR1418100)the Open Project of State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering (SKL-ChE-21C02)。
文摘Dry reforming of methane(DRM) is an attractive technology for utilizing the greenhouse gases(CO_(2) and CH_(4)) to produce syngas. However, the catalyst pellets for DRM are heavily plagued by deactivation by coking, which prevents this technology from commercialization. In this work, a pore network model is developed to probe the catalyst deactivation by coking in a Ni/Al_(2)O_(3) catalyst pellet for DRM. The reaction conditions can significantly change the coking rate and then affect the catalyst deactivation. The catalyst lifetime is higher under lower temperature, pressure, and CH_(4)/CO_(2) molar ratio, but the maximum coke content in a catalyst pellet is independent of these reaction conditions. The catalyst pellet with larger pore diameter, narrower pore size distribution and higher pore connectivity is more robust against catalyst deactivation by coking, as the pores in this pellet are more difficult to be plugged or inaccessible.The maximum coke content is also higher for narrower pore size distribution and higher pore connectivity, as the number of inaccessible pores is lower. Besides, the catalyst pellet radius only slightly affects the coke content, although the diffusion limitation increases with the pellet radius. These results should serve to guide the rational design of robust DRM catalyst pellets against deactivation by coking.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52204206,52274246)the Open Fund Project Funded by State Key Laboratory of Gas Disaster Detecting,Preventing and Emergency Controlling(2021SKLFF03)the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing(cstc2021jcyj-msxmX1149).
文摘Coalbed methane(CBM)recovery is attracting global attention due to its huge reserve and low carbon burning benefits for the environment.Fully understanding the complex structure of coal and its transport properties is crucial for CBM development.This study describes the implementation of mercury intrusion and μ-CT techniques for quantitative analysis of 3D pore structure in two anthracite coals.It shows that the porosity is 7.04%-8.47%and 10.88%-12.11%,and the pore connectivity is 0.5422-0.6852 and 0.7948-0.9186 for coal samples 1 and 2,respectively.The fractal dimension and pore geometric tortuosity were calculated based on the data obtained from 3D pore structure.The results show that the pore structure of sample 2 is more complex and developed,with lower tortuosity,indicating the higher fluid deliverability of pore system in sample 2.The tortuosity in three-direction is significantly different,indicating that the pore structure of the studied coals has significant anisotropy.The equivalent pore network model(PNM)was extracted,and the anisotropic permeability was estimated by PNM gas flow simulation.The results show that the anisotropy of permeability is consistent with the slice surface porosity distribution in 3D pore structure.The permeability in the horizontal direction is much greater than that in the vertical direction,indicating that the dominant transportation channel is along the horizontal direction of the studied coals.The research results achieve the visualization of the 3D complex structure of coal and fully capture and quantify pore size,connectivity,curvature,permeability,and its anisotropic characteristics at micron-scale resolution.This provides a prerequisite for the study of mass transfer behaviors and associated transport mechanisms in real pore structures.
基金support from the National Key Technology R&D Program in the 11th Five-Year Plan Period (Grant No: 2008ZX05054)the Non-main Petroleum Subject Cultivating Fund of China University of Petroleum.
文摘A pore network model was used in this paper to investigate the factors, in particular, throat radius, wettability and initial water saturation, causing water block in low permeability reservoirs. A new term - ＇relative permeability number＇ （RPN） was firstly defined, and then used to describe the degree of water block. Imbibition process simulations show that the RPN drops in accordance with the extension of the averaged pore throat radius from 0.05 to 1.5 μm, and yet once beyond that point of 1.5 μm, the RPN reaches a higher value, indicating the existence of a critical pore throat radius where water block is the maximum. When the wettability of the samples changes from water-wet to weakly water-wet, weakly gas-wet, or gas（oil）-wet, the gas RPN increases consistently, but this consistency is disturbed by the RPN dropping for weakly water-wet samples for water saturations less than 0.4, which means weakly waterwet media are more easily water blocked than water-wet systems. In the situation where the initial water saturation exceeds 0.05, water block escalates along with an increase in initial water saturation.
基金supported by the National Science and Technology Major Projects of China (Grant No. 2008ZX05024-03-003-004)
文摘Experiments of proppant conductivity and fluid flow in proppant cost a large amount of time and money,and also require complex devices.Hence,this article puts forward an artificial fracture numerical model based on proppant arrangement analysis and the basic principles of the pore network model.Predictions by the model are made consistent with the experimental results through adjusting the model parameters.It is shown that the established model is effective in making predictions on the permeability of proppant.This model is also used to study the non-Newtonian fluid flow characteristics in artificial fracture.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.42172159)Science Foundation of China University of Petroleum,Beijing(Grant No.2462023XKBH002).
文摘Multiphase flow in low permeability porous media is involved in numerous energy and environmental applications.However,a complete description of this process is challenging due to the limited modeling scale and the effects of complex pore structures and wettability.To address this issue,based on the digital rock of low permeability sandstone,a direct numerical simulation is performed considering the interphase drag and boundary slip to clarify the microscopic water-oil displacement process.In addition,a dual-porosity pore network model(PNM)is constructed to obtain the water-oil relative permeability of the sample.The displacement efficiency as a recovery process is assessed under different wetting and pore structure properties.Results show that microscopic displacement mechanisms explain the corresponding macroscopic relative permeability.The injected water breaks through the outlet earlier with a large mass flow,while thick oil films exist in rough hydrophobic surfaces and poorly connected pores.The variation of water-oil relative permeability is significant,and residual oil saturation is high in the oil-wet system.The flooding is extensive,and the residual oil is trapped in complex pore networks for hydrophilic pore surfaces;thus,water relative permeability is lower in the water-wet system.While the displacement efficiency is the worst in mixed-wetting systems for poor water connectivity.Microporosity negatively correlates with invading oil volume fraction due to strong capillary resistance,and a large microporosity corresponds to low residual oil saturation.This work provides insights into the water-oil flow from different modeling perspectives and helps to optimize the development plan for enhanced recovery.
基金the support of EPIC—Energy Production Innovation Center,hosted by the University of Campinas(UNICAMP)sponsored by FAPESP—Sao Paulo Research Foundation(2017/15736—3 process)+2 种基金the support and funding from Equinor Brazil and the support of ANP(Brazil's National Oil,Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency)through the R&D levy regulationthe Center of Energy and Petroleum Studies(CEPETRO)the School of Mechanical Engineering(FEM)。
文摘This study investigates the impact of pore network characteristics on fluid flow through complex and heterogeneous porous media,providing insights into the factors affecting fluid propagation in such systems.Specifically,high-resolution or micro X-ray computed tomography(CT)imaging techniques were utilized to examine outcrop stromatolite samples of the Lagoa Salgada,considered flow analogous to the Brazilian Pre-salt carbonate reservoirs.The petrophysical results comprised two distinct stromatolite depositional facies,the columnar and the fine-grained facies.By generating pore network model(PNM),the study quantified the relationship between key features of the porous system,including pore and throat radius,throat length,coordination number,shape factor,and pore volume.The study found that the less dense pore network of the columnar sample is typically characterized by larger pores and wider and longer throats but with a weaker connection of throats to pores.Both facies exhibited less variability in the radius of the pores and throats in comparison to throat length.Additionally,a series of core flooding experiments coupled with medical CT scanning was designed and conducted in the plug samples to assess flow propagation and saturation fields.The study revealed that the heterogeneity and presence of disconnected or dead-end pores significantly impacted the flow patterns and saturation.Two-phase flow patterns and oil saturation distribution reveal a preferential and heterogeneous displacement that mainly swept displaced fluid in some regions of plugs and bypassed it in others.The relation between saturation profiles,porosity profiles,and the number of fluid flow patterns for the samples was evident.Only for the columnar plug sample was the enhancement in recovery factor after shifting to lower salinity water injection(SB)observed.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 42302143, 42172159)China Geological Survey Project (No. DD20211350)support from the G. Albert Shoemaker endowment
文摘Clayey-silt natural gas hydrate reservoirs in the South China Sea exhibit loose and unconsolidated structures, heterogeneous pore structures, high clay mineral contents, and strong hydrophilicity. These characteristics complicate the gas-water two-phase flow process in porous media following hydrate decomposition, posing challenges for efficient development. This study examines the transport response of clayey-silt reservoir samples from the Shenhu area using gas-water two-phase flow experiments and CT scanning to explore changes in pore structure, gas-water distribution, and relative permeability under varying flow conditions. The results indicate that pore heterogeneity significantly influences flow characteristics. Gas preferentially displaces water in larger pores, forming fracture-like pores, which serve as preferential flow channels for gas migration. The preferential flow channels enhance gas-phase permeability up to 19 times that of the water phase when fluid pressures exceed total stresses. However,small pores retain liquid, leading to a high residual water saturation of 0.561. CT imaging reveals that these hydro-fractures improve gas permeability but also confine gas flow to specific channels. Pore network analysis shows that gas injection expands the pore-throat network, enhancing connectivity and forming fracture-like pores. Residual water remains trapped in smaller pores and throats, while structural changes, including new fractures, improve gas flow pathways and overall connectivity. Relative permeability curves demonstrate a narrow gas-water cocurrent-flow zone, a right-shifted iso-permeability point and high reservoir capillary pressure, indicating a strong "water-blocking" effect. The findings suggest that optimizing reservoir stimulation techniques to enhance fracture formation, reduce residual water saturation, and improve gas flow capacity is critical for efficient hydrate reservoir development.
基金supported by the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation(ZR2024MD116)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42174143,42004098)Technology Innovation Leading Program of Shaanxi(No.2024 ZC-YYDP-27).
文摘Subsurface rocks,as complex porous media,exhibit multiscale pore structures and intricate physical properties.Digital rock physics technology has become increasingly influential in the study of subsurface rock properties.Given the multiscale characteristics of rock pore structures,direct three-dimensional imaging at sub-micrometer and nanometer scales is typically infeasible.This study introduces a method for reconstructing porous media using multidimensional data,which combines one-dimensional pore structure parameters with two-dimensional images to reconstruct three-dimensional models.The pore network model(PNM)is stochastically reconstructed using one-dimensional parameters,and a generative adversarial network(GAN)is utilized to equip the PNM with pore morphologies derived from two-dimensional images.The digital rocks generated by this method possess excellent controllability.Using Berea sandstone and Grosmont carbonate samples,we performed digital rock reconstructions based on PNM extracted by the maximum ball algorithm and compared them with stochastically reconstructed PNM.Pore structure parameters,permeability,and formation factors were calculated.The results show that the generated samples exhibit good consistency with real samples in terms of pore morphology,pore structure,and physical properties.Furthermore,our method effectively supplements the micropores not captured in CT images,demonstrating its potential in multiscale carbonate samples.Thus,the proposed reconstruction method is promising for advancing porous media property research.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.42162026)the Basic Research Program in Yunnan Province,China(Grant No.202401AT070328)the Young Talents Project of“Xingdian Talent Support Program"in Yunnan Province,China(Grant No.YNWR-QNBJ-2020-019).
文摘Disintegrated dolomite slope and tunnel disasters occur frequently due to poor water stability of disintegrated dolomite,primarily in a form of seepage failure.For engineering purposes,it is critical to determine the seepage properties of disintegrated dolomite within the strata.However,conventional experimental methods are time-consuming and expensive and may not be effective in investigating seepage characteristics due to the heterogeneity of disintegrated dolomite.In this study,pore network model(PNM)was established by the computerized tomography(CT)scanning technology to characterize the pores.Meanwhile,the seepage and coefficient of permeability under different inlet stress conditions based on the accurate pore model were realized by linking the commercial image processing software Avizo with the commercial multi-physics modeling package Comsol.The results show that the porosities of severely and completely disintegrated dolomites are 29.17% and 45.37%,respectively.The grade of pore development increases with disintegration grade,which facilitates seepage failure.Severely and completely disintegrated dolomites have the coefficients of permeability of 9.67×10^(-7) m/s and 1.61×10^(-6) m/s,respectively.Under conventional conditions,severely and completely disintegrated dolomites undergo seepage failure above a pressure difference of 6×10^(3) Pa and 5×10^(3) Pa,respectively.These results are consistent with both in situ water pressure tests in the borehole and laboratory tests with the constant-head method,demonstrating that CT scanning is an effective method for observing fractures and pores in disintegrated dolomite for seepage evaluation.
基金financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Plan(No.2018YFB0605601)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41972168)。
文摘The three-dimensional(3 D) structures of pores directly affect the CH4 flow.Therefore,it is very important to analyze the3 D spatial structure of pores and to simulate the CH4 flow with the connected pores as the carrier.The result shows that the equivalent radius of pores and throats are 1-16 μm and 1.03-8.9 μm,respectively,and the throat length is 3.28-231.25 μm.The coordination number of pores concentrates around three,and the intersection point between the connectivity function and the X-axis is 3-4 μm,which indicate the macro-pores have good connectivity.During the single-channel flow,the pressure decreases along the direction of CH4 flow,and the flow velocity of CH4 decreases from the pore center to the wall.Under the dual-channel and the multi-channel flows,the pressure also decreases along the CH4 flow direction,while the velocity increases.The mean flow pressure gradually decreases with the increase of the distance from the inlet slice.The change of mean flow pressure is relatively stable in the direction horizontal to the bedding plane,while it is relatively large in the direction perpendicular to the bedding plane.The mean flow velocity in the direction horizontal to the bedding plane(Y-axis) is the largest,followed by that in the direction horizontal to the bedding plane(X-axis),and the mean flow velocity in the direction perpendicular to the bedding plane is the smallest.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 52106213, 51876015)Shanxi Scholarship Council of China (2020-116)+1 种基金supported by the Key Laboratory of Ocean Energy Utilization and Energy Conservation of Ministry of Education (LOEC-201903)the Science Foundation of North University of China (XJJ201907)。
文摘The phenomenon of multiphase flow in porous media is confronted in various fields of science and industrial applications. Owing to the complicated porous structure, the flow mechanisms are still not completely resolved. A critical and fundamental question is the variation of pore structure and REV sizes among different types of porous media. In this study, a total of 22 porous samples were employed to systematically evaluate the pore-based architecture and REV sizes based on X-ray CT image analysis and pore network modelling. It is found that the irregular grain shapes give rise to large specific areas,narrow and thin throats in identical sand packs. The packs with more types of sands, or composited by the sands with larger difference in diameter, have larger specific area, smaller tortuosity and pore spaces.Based on the REV measurement through porosity solely, the REV sizes of sand packs are generally in the order of magnitude of 10^(-2) m L, while it is at least one order of magnitude smaller in rock cores. Our result indicates that the combination of porosity and Euler number is an effective indicator to get the REV sizes of porous samples.
文摘The pressure-sensitive effect on the pore structure of sandstone was investigated using X-ray computed micro-tomography and QEMSCAN quantitative mineral analysis. In a physical simulation study, we extracted the pore network model from digital cores at different confining pressures and evaluated the effect of pressure sensitivity on the multiphase displacement process. In both the pore network model and QEMSCAN scanning, the pore structure was observed to be damaged under a high confining pressure. Due to their different scales, the pores and throats exhibited inhomogeneous changes; further, the throats exhibited a significant variation compared to that exhibited by the pores. Meanwhile, the heterogeneity of the pore structure under the two aforementioned activities was aggravated by the elastic-plastic deformation of the pore structure.The pressure-sensitive effect increased the proportion of mineral particles, such as quartz(the main component of the core skeleton), and reduced the proportion of clay minerals. The clay minerals were originally attached to the pore walls or interspersed in the pores; however, as the pressure increased, the clay minerals accumulated in the pores resulting in blockage of the pores. While simulating the multiphase displacement process, increasing the confining pressure was observed to severely restrict the flowability of oil and water. This study promises to improve the efficiency of reservoir development in terms of oil and gas exploitation.
文摘A pore-network model physically based on pore level multiphase flow was used to study the water-non-aqueous phase liquid （NAPL） displacement process, especially the effects of wettability, water-NAPL interracial tension, the fraction of NAPL-wet pores, and initial water saturation on the displacement. The computed data show that with the wettability of the mineral surfaces changing from strongly water-wet to NAPL-wet, capillary pressure and the NAPL relative permeability gradually decrease, while water-NAPL interfacial tension has little effect on water relative permeability, but initial water saturation has a strong effect on water and NAPL relative permeabilities. The analytical results may help to understand the micro-structure displacement process of non-aqueous phase liquid and to provide the theoretical basis for controlling NAPL migration.
