InterPore2026

Pore-Scale Controls on Hydrogen Production and Storage in Geological Media: An NMR-Based Investigation

20 May 2026, 10:05

1h 30m

Poster Presentation (MS06) Interfacial phenomena across scales Poster

Speaker

Mr Elhadj Marwane Diallo (KAUST)

Description

Hydrogen is widely recognized as a key energy carrier for enabling the transition to low-carbon, fully decarbonized energy systems. While hydrogen generation processes such as pyrolysis and serpentinization have been extensively studied, the role of pore-scale transport and fluid distribution in controlling hydrogen behavior remains insufficiently understood. In particular, the interplay between pore structure, capillary forces, and fluid mobility governs both hydrogen production efficiency and storage performance in geological media.

In this study, advanced Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) techniques are employed to investigate hydrogen transport, distribution, and trapping mechanisms at the pore scale in carbonate reservoir rocks. Experiments were conducted on Silurian dolomite core samples under controlled pressure conditions (200 psi inlet pressure and 700 psi overburden pressure), with hydrogen injection performed at multiple flow rates (0.5, 1, 2, and 3 ml/min). To enable accurate hydrogen detection, deuterium oxide (D₂O) was used as the wetting phase to suppress background proton signals. These experiments were complemented by additional analytical techniques, including TGA, TOC, FTIR, SEM–EDS, and XRD, to further characterize the surface properties and pore structure of the samples.
T₁–T₂ relaxation mapping and diffusion–T₂ correlation measurements provide detailed insights into pore occupancy, fluid mobility, and confinement effects. Results indicate that hydrogen preferentially occupies larger pore spaces at low injection rates, exhibiting bulk-like behavior, while increasing flow rates promote invasion into smaller, surface-dominated pores. This transition is accompanied by reduced apparent diffusion coefficients, reflecting enhanced confinement and stronger interactions with pore walls.

These findings demonstrate that pore-scale heterogeneity and transport dynamics play a critical role in controlling hydrogen distribution, residual trapping, and effective storage capacity. The study provides new insights into the coupling between reactive transport processes and hydrogen behavior in porous geological systems, highlighting the importance of pore-scale characterization for optimizing subsurface hydrogen production and storage strategies.