Speaker
Description
Subsurface stress evolution governs fluid storage and transport in geological porous media, yet conventional bulk measurements fail to resolve the pore-scale damage mechanisms that ultimately control permeability evolution. This limitation is particularly critical in carbonate reservoirs, where complex pore architectures and diagenetic heterogeneity complicate predictions of flow behavior. To address this gap, this study integrates cyclic triaxial deformation experiments with high-resolution pore-scale imaging and simulation to directly link stress-induced microstructural changes with fluid flow responses.
Indiana limestone plugs with porosity ranging from porosity 16–18% were subjected to cyclic triaxial loading up to the yield point. Permeability measurements revealed significant sample-to-sample variability, with brine permeability ranging from 39 to 136 mD and distilled water permeability from 45 to 265 mD. Brine was selected as the primary testing fluid to mitigate fines migration and pore throat clogging associated with low-salinity fluids.
Pre- and post-deformation micro-computed tomography (μCT) imaging enabled detailed characterization of pore structure evolution. Digital image analysis and digital volume correlation (DVC) were employed to quantify full-field strain distributions, revealing the development of localized dilation bands preceding macroscopic failure. These deformation-induced changes were directly incorporated into image-based computational meshes for multiphase flow simulations using OpenFOAM. Then, comparison of pre- and post-compression flow simulations showed that stress- significantly altered the connected pore geometry and the displacement response at the pore scale. The post-compression case showed earlier breakthrough, increased inlet pressure fluctuations, and a reduction in permeability. These findings show that mechanical triaxial loading can enhance connectivity in localized regions while degrading overall permeability due to pore throat constriction and structural reorganization. Additionally, the results highlight that bulk measurements alone are insufficient to capture the complexity of stress-induced flow behavior, highlighting the importance of pore-scale approaches.
This study establishes a comprehensive framework for quantifying the impact of stress paths on fluid flow in carbonate reservoirs by couples mechanical triaxial loading with pore-scale imaging, digital volume correlation, and computational fluid dynamics. Therefore, the proposed integrated methodology offers broad applicability for reservoir performance prediction, CO₂ sequestration, and subsurface resource management in carbonate-dominated systems. This is particularly important for regions such as the Middle East where such lithologies are predominant.
| Country | Qatar |
|---|---|
| Student Awards | I would like to submit this presentation into the Earth Energy Science (EES) and Capillarity Student Poster Awards. |
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