Speaker
Description
Reliable prediction of CO$_2$ trapping in subsurface formations requires an improved understanding of how pore structure governs multiphase flow irreversibility at the core scale. While pore connectivity is widely recognized as a key controlling factor, experimental evidence linking connectivity to residual CO$_2$ trapping under controlled flow conditions remains limited. This study investigates the influence of effective pore connectivity on CO$_2$-brine displacement behavior using coreflood experiments in water-wet sandstone cores with comparable porosity and permeability but contrasting connectivity characteristics. Primary drainage and secondary imbibition experiments were performed under capillary-dominated flow conditions at low injection rates to minimize viscous effects. Effective pore connectivity is quantified using macroscopic proxies, including formation factor and flow zone indicators. Measured responses include CO$_2$ breakthrough time, differential pressure evolution, and residual gas saturation. The results reveal systematic differences in breakthrough behavior and trapped CO$_2$ saturation that correlate strongly with connectivity proxies, while exhibiting weak sensitivity to injection rate within the tested regime. The observed flow irreversibility and trapping trends indicate that effective pore connectivity exerts a dominant control on residual CO$_2$ immobilization at the core scale. These findings provide experimentally grounded constraints for incorporating connectivity effects into continuum-scale flow models and have direct implications for the design and assessment of geological CO$_2$ storage operations.
| Country | India |
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