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Simulating permeability reduction by clay mineral nanopores in a tight sandstone by combining computer X-ray microtomography and focussed ion beam scanning electron microscopy imaging

Jacob, Arne; Peltz, Markus; Hale, Sina ORCID iD icon 1; Enzmann, Frieder; Moravcova, Olga; Warr, Laurence N.; Grathoff, Georg; Blum, Philipp 1; Kersten, Michael
1 Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften (AGW), Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)

Abstract:

Computer X-ray microtomography (µXCT) represents a powerful tool for investigating the physical properties of porous rocks. While calculated porosities determined by this method typically match experimental measurements, computed permeabilities are often overestimated by more than 1 order of magnitude. This effect increases towards smaller pore sizes, as shown in this study, in which nanostructural features related to clay minerals reduce the permeability of tight reservoir sandstone samples. Focussed ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) tomography was applied to determine the permeability effects of illites at the nanometre scale, and Navier–Stokes equations were applied to calculate the permeability of these domains. With these data, microporous domains (porous voxels) were defined using microtomography images of a tight reservoir sample. The distribution of these domains could be extrapolated by calibration against size distributions measured in FIB-SEM images. For this, we assumed a mean permeability for the dominant clay mineral (illite) in the rock and assigned it to the microporous domains within the structure. The results prove the applicability of our novel approach by combining FIB-SEM with X-ray tomographic rock core scans to achieve a good correspondence between measured and simulated permeabilities. ... mehr


Verlagsausgabe §
DOI: 10.5445/IR/1000128484
Veröffentlicht am 18.01.2021
Originalveröffentlichung
DOI: 10.5194/se-12-1-2021
Scopus
Zitationen: 25
Web of Science
Zitationen: 21
Dimensions
Zitationen: 25
Cover der Publikation
Zugehörige Institution(en) am KIT Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften (AGW)
Universität Karlsruhe (TH) – Interfakultative Einrichtungen (Interfakultative Einrichtungen)
KIT-Zentrum Klima und Umwelt (ZKU)
Publikationstyp Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Publikationsdatum 11.01.2021
Sprache Englisch
Identifikator ISSN: 1869-9529
KITopen-ID: 1000128484
Erschienen in Solid earth
Verlag Copernicus Publications
Band 12
Heft 1
Seiten 1–14
Projektinformation RESKIN (BMBF, 03G0871D)
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Scopus
Web of Science
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