Experimental investigation on coal pore-fracture variation and fractal characteristics synergistically affected by solvents for improving clean gas extraction

Chemical solvents instead of pure water being as hydraulic fracturing fluid could effectively increase permeability and improve clean methane extraction efficiency.However,pore-fracture variation features of lean coal synergistically affected by solvents have not been fully understood.Ultrasonic testing,nuclear magnetic resonance analysis,liquid phase mass spectrometry was adopted to comprehensively analyze pore-fracture change characteristics of lean coal treated by combined solvent(NMP and CS_(2)).Meanwhile,quantitative characterization of above changing properties was conducted using geometric fractal theory.Relationship model between permeability,fractal dimension and porosity were established.Results indicate that the end face fractures of coal are well developed after CS2and combined solvent treatments,of which,end face box-counting fractal dimensions range from 1.1227 to 1.4767.Maximum decreases in ultrasonic longitudinal wave velocity of coal affected by NMP,CS_(2)and combined solvent are 2.700%,20.521%,22.454%,respectively.Solvent treatments could lead to increasing amount of both mesopores and macropores.Decrease ratio of fractal dimension Dsis 0.259%–2.159%,while permeability increases ratio of NMR ranges from 0.1904 to 6.4486.Meanwhile,combined solvent could dissolve coal polar and non-polar small molecules and expand flow space.Results could provide reference for solvent selection and parameter optimization of permeability-enhancement technology.

Regulation of Pore Structure and Hightemperature Fracture Behavior of CACbonded Alumina-Spinel Castables Based on Hydration Design

The lamellar hydrates of CAC were designed with the introduction of nano CaCO_(3)or Mg-Al hydrotalcite(M-A-H),and the effects on the green strength,pore structures,and high-temperature fracture behavior of alumina-spinel castables were investigated.The results show that nano CaCO_(3)or M-A-H stimulates rapidly the hydration of CAC and the formation of lamellar C_(4)AcH_(11)or coexistence of C_(2)AH_(8)and C_(4)AcH_(11)at 25℃.The formation of lamellar hydrates can contribute to a more complicated pore structure,especially in the range of 400-2000 nm.Meanwhile,the incorporation of well-distributed CaO or MgO sources from nano CaCO_(3)or M-A-H also regulates the distribution of CA_(6)and spinel(pre-formed and in-situ).Consequently,the optimized microstructure and complicated pore structure can induce the deflection and bridging of cracks,thus facilitating the consumption of fracture energy and enhancing the resistance to thermal stress damage.

The impact of heterogeneity and pore network characteristics on single and multi-phase fluid propagation in complex porous media:An X-ray computed tomography study

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.

Modeling of multiphase flow in low permeability porous media:Effect of wettability and pore structure properties

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.

Effects of confining pressure and pore pressure on multipole borehole acoustic field in fluid-saturated porous media

In-situ stress is a common stress in the exploration and development of oil reservoirs. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the propagation characteristics of borehole acoustic waves in fluid-saturated porous media under stress.Based on the acoustoelastic theory of fluid-saturated porous media, the field equation of fluid-saturated porous media under the conditions of confining pressure and pore pressure and the acoustic field formula of multipole source excitation in open hole are given. The influences of pore pressure and confining pressure on guided waves of multipole borehole acoustic field in fluid-saturated porous media are investigated. The numerical results show that the phase velocity and excitation intensity of guided wave increase significantly under the confining pressure. For a given confining pressure, the phase velocity of the guided wave decreases with pore pressure increasing. The excitation intensity of guided wave increases at low frequency and then decreases at high frequency with pore pressure increasing, except for that of Stoneley wave which decreases in the whole frequency range. These results will help us get an insight into the influences of confining pressure and pore pressure on the acoustic field of multipole source in borehole around fluid-saturated porous media.

rwo-phase pore-fluid distribution in fractured media, acoustic wave velocity vs saturation

The acoustic wave velocity varies with fluid saturation and pore-fluid distribution. We use a P-wave source and the staggered grid finite-difference method, with second-order accuracy in time and eighth-order accuracy in space, to simulate the acoustic wave field in a fractured medium that is saturated with a two-phase pore fluid （gas ＆ water）. Further, we analyze the variation of acoustic wave velocity with saturation for different pore-fluid distribution modes. The numerical simulation method is simple and yields accurate results.

Probing the influence of secondary fracture connectivity on fracturing fluid flowback efficiency

A deep understanding of the geometric impacts of fracture on fracturing fluid flowback efficiency is essential for unconventional oil development. Using nuclear magnetic resonance and 2.5-dimensional matrix-fracture visualization microfluidic models, qualitative and quantitative descriptions of the influences of connectivity between primary fracture and secondary fracture on flowback were given from core scale to pore network scale. The flow patterns of oil-gel breaking fluid two-phase flow during flowback under different fracture connectivity were analyzed. We found some counterintuitive results that non-connected secondary fracture (NCSF, not connect with artificial primary fracture and embedded in the matrix) is detrimental to flowbackefficiency. The NCSF accelerates the formation of oil channeling during flowback, resulting in a large amount of fracturing fluid trapped in the matrix, which is not beneficial for flowback. Whereas the connected secondary fracture (CSF, connected with the artificial primary fracture) is conducive to flowback. The walls of CSF become part of primary fracture, which expands the drainage area with low resistance, and delays the formation of the oil flow channel. Thus, CSF increases the high-speed flowback stage duration, thereby enhancing the flowback efficiency. The fracturing fluid flowback efficiency investigated here follows the sequence of the connected secondary fracture model (72%) > the matrix model (66%) > the non-connected secondary fracture model (38%). Our results contribute to hydraulic fracturing design and the prediction of flowback efficiency.

Sensitivity of seismic attenuation and dispersion to dynamic elastic interactions of connected fractures: Quasi-static finite element modeling study

Prediction of seismic attenuation and dispersion that are inherently sensitive to hydraulic and elastic properties of the medium of interest in the presence of mesoscopic fractures and pores,is of great interest in the characterization of fractured formations.This has been very difficult,however,considering that stress interactions between fractures and pores,related to their spatial distributions,tend to play a crucial role on affecting overall dynamic elastic properties that are largely unexplored.We thus choose to quantitatively investigate frequency-dependent P-wave characteristics in fractured porous rocks at the scale of a representative sample using a numerical scale-up procedure via performing finite element modelling.Based on 2-D numerical quasi-static experiments,effects of fracture and fluid properties on energy dissipation in response to wave-induced fluid flow at the mesoscopic scale are quantified via solving Biot's equations of consolidation.We show that numerical results are sensitive to some key characteristics of probed synthetic rocks containing unconnected and connected fractures,demonstrating that connectivity,aperture and inclination of fractures as well as fracture infills exhibit strong impacts on the two manifestations of WIFF mechanisms in the connected scenario,and on resulting total wave attenuation and phase velocity.This,in turn,illustrates the importance of these two WIFF mechanisms in fractured rocks and thus,a deeper understanding of them may eventually allow for a better characterization of fracture systems using seismic methods.Moreover,this presented work combines rock physics predictions with seismic numerical simulations in frequency domain to illustrate the sensitivity of seismic signatures on the monitoring of an idealized geologic CO_(2) sequestration in fractured reservoirs.The simulation demonstrates that these two WIFF mechanisms can strongly modify seismic records and hence,indicating that incorporating the two energy dissipation mechanisms in the geophysical interpretation can potentially improving the monitoring and surveying of fluid variations in fractured formations.

Meso-mechanical anisotropy and fracture evolution of reef limestones from the Maldives Islands and the South China Sea

Reef limestone is a biogenic sedimentary rock widely distributed in coral reef areas, acting as an important foundation for coast construction. Due to its special biogenic origin, reef limestone is different from conventional rocks both in terms of rock structure and mechanical properties. In this study, mesoscale uniaxial compression experiments with five different loading directions were conducted on two kinds of reef limestones from the Maldives Islands and the South China Sea, respectively. The real-time high-resolution videos and images of failure processes were recorded simultaneously to investigate the fracture evolution and fracture surface roughness of reef limestones. It demonstrated that the reef limestones belonged to extremely soft to soft rocks, and their uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) values fluctuated with high discreteness. The mesoscale mechanical properties of reef limestones were highly anisotropic and mainly controlled by pore structure. The occurrence of dissolution pores in reef limestone tended to intensify mechanical anisotropy. With the integration of the fracture initiation and propagation features of reef limestones, it is supposed that the intrinsic mechanism of anisotropy was probably attributed to the differences in coral growth direction and dissolution. Furthermore, the quantified fracture surface roughness was revealed to have a good consistency with density and UCS for the reef limestones from the South China Sea. The findings are helpful for providing theoretical and experimental references for engineering construction in coral reef areas.

Numerical simulation of two-phase flow in fractured porous media using streamline simulation and IMPES methods and comparing results with a commercial software

Streamline simulation is developed to simulate waterflooding in fractured reservoirs. Conventional reservoir simulation methods for fluid flow simulation in large and complex reservoirs are very costly and time consuming. In streamline method, transport equations are solved on one-dimensional streamlines to reduce the computation time with less memory for simulation. First, pressure equation is solved on an Eulerian grid and streamlines are traced. Defining the "time of flight", saturation equations are mapped and solved on streamlines. Finally, the results are mapped back on Eulerian grid and the process is repeated until the simulation end time. The waterflooding process is considered in a fractured reservoir using the dual porosity model. Afterwards, a computational code is developed to solve the same problem by the IMPES method and the results of streamline simulation are compared to those of the IMPES and a commercial software. Finally, the accuracy and efficiency of streamline simulator for simulation of two-phase flow in fractured reservoirs has been proved.

LBM simulation of fluid flow in fractured porous media with permeable matrix

To analyze and depict complicated fluid behaviors in fractured porous media with variably permeable matrix,an integrated discrete computational algorithm is proposed based on lattice Boltzmann method（LBM）.This paper combines with the external force model and statistical material physics to effectively describe the feature changes while the fluid passes through the fractures within the permeable matrix.As an application example,a two dimensional rock sample is reconstructed using the digital image and characterized with different feature values at each LBM grid to distinguish pores,impermeable and permeable matrix by stating its local physical property.Compared with the conventional LBM,the results demonstrate the advantages of proposed algorithm in modeling fluid flow phenomenon in fractured porous media with variably permeable matrix.

Insight into the structural evolution of porous and fractured media by forced aeration during heap leaching

Despite lots of techniques in improving the heap leaching performance,many constraints on the industrial applications remain.We proposed a correspondingly effective and new idea of introducing forced aeration to improve the bad permeability and leaching effect of Yangla Copper Mine(YCM)during heap leaching.The dual-media theory was employed to study the impact mechanism of forced aeration on the variations of porous and fractured media during the column leaching experiments.An X-Ray Computed Tomography(CT)set was utilized to perform the pore imaging of the specimens and the fracture morphology of the particles within the columns was analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM)as aeration rate(AR)changed.The results show that there exists copious fine particles within the heap of YCM,the particle size distribution of which is not reasonable.The forced aeration can not only promote the development of the porous and fractured structures but effectively break the blocked seepage paths.Then the leaching degree is improved and the seepage performance of the solute within the solution is enhanced.Therefore,the forced aeration is probable of making the leaching performance greatly improved.

P-wave attenuation anisotropy in TI media and its application in fracture parameters inversion

The existence of aligned fractures in fluid-saturated rocks leads to obvious attenuation anisotropy and velocity anisotropy. Attenuation anisotropy analysis can be applied to estimate fracture density and scale, which provide important information for reservoir identification. This paper derives P-wave attenuation anisotropy in the ATI media where the symmetry axis is in the arbitrary direction theoretically and modifies the spectral ratio method to measure attenuation anisotropy in the ATI media, thus avoiding a large measurement error when applied to wide azimuth or full azimuth data. Fracture dip and azimuth can be estimated through attenuation anisotropy analysis. For small-scale fractures, fracture scale and fracture density can be determined with enhanced convergence if velocity and attenuation information are both used. We also apply the modified spectralratio method to microseismic field data from an oilfield in East China and extract the fracture dip through attenuation anisotropy analysis. The result agrees with the microseismie monitoring.

Review of permeability evolution model for fractured porous media

The ability to capture permeability of fractured porous media plays a significant role in several engineering applications, including reservoir, mining, petroleum and geotechnical engineering. In order to solve fluid flow and coupled flow-deformation problems encountered in these engineering applications,both empirical and theoretical models had been proposed in the past few decades. Some of them are simple but still work in certain circumstances; others are complex but also need some modifications to be applicable. Thus, the understanding of state-of-the-art permeability evolution model would help researchers and engineers solve engineering problems through an appropriate approach. This paper summarizes permeability evolution models proposed by earlier and recent researchers with emphasis on their characteristics and limitations.

Application of Pore Evolution and Fracture Development Coupled Models in the Prediction of Reservoir "Sweet Spots" in Tight Sandstones

The Chang-63 reservoir in the Huaqing area has widely developed tight sandstone ＂thick sand layers, but not reservoirs characterized by rich in oil＂, and it is thus necessary to further study its oil and gas enrichment law. This study builds porosity and fracture development and evolution models in different deposition environments, through core observation, casting thin section, SEM, porosity and permeability analysis, burial history analysis, and ＂four-property-relationships＂ analysis.

Experimental investigation on rainfall infiltration and solute transport in layered porous and fractured media

Layered structures with upper porous and lower fractured media are widely distributed in the world. An experimen- tal investigation on rainfall infiltration and solute transport in such layered structures can provide the necessary foundation for effectively preventing and forecasting water bursting in mines, controlling contamination of mine water, and accomplishing ecological restoration of mining areas. A typical physical model of the layered structures with porous and fractured media was created in this study. Then rainfall infiltration experiments were conducted after salt solution was sprayed on the surface of the layered structure. The volumetric water content and concentration of chlorine ions at different specified positions along the profile of the experiment system were measured in real-time. The experimental results showed that the lower fractured media, with a considerably higher permeability than that of the upper porous media, had significant effects on preventing water infil- tration. Moreover, although the porous media were homogeneous statistically in the whole domain, spatial variations in the features of effluent concentrations with regards to time, or so called breakthrough curves, at various sampling points located at the horizontal plane in the porous media near the porous-fractured interface were observed, indicating the diversity of solute transport at small scales. Furthermore, the breakthrough curves of the outflow at the bottom, located beneath the underlying fractured rock, were able to capture and integrate features of the breakthrough curves of both the upper porous and fractured media, which exhibited multiple peaks, while the peak values were reduced one by one with time.

The pore-fracture system properties of coalbed methane reservoirs in the Panguan Syncline,Guizhou,China

The Panguan Syncline contains abundant coal resources, which may be a potential source of coalbed methane. In order to evaluate the coalbed methane production potential in this area, we investi- gated the pore-fracture system of coalbed methane reservoirs, and analyzed the gas sorption and seepage capacities by using various analytical methods, including scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, optical microscopy, mercury-injection test, low-temperature N2 isotherm adsorption/desorption analyses, low- field nuclear magnetic resonance and methane isothermal adsorption measurements. The results show that the samples of the coal reservoirs in the Panguan Syncline have moderate gas sorption capacity. However, the coals in the study area have favorable seepage capacities, and are conductive for the coalbed methane production. The physical properties of the coalbed methane reservoirs in the Panguan Syncline are gener- ally controlled by coal metamorphism： the low rank coal usually has low methane sorption capacity and its pore and microfractures are poorly developed; while the medium rank coal has better methane sorption capacity, and its seepage pores and microfractures are well developed, which are sufficient for the coalbed methane＇s gathering and exploration. Therefore, the medium rank coals in the Panguan Syncline are the most prospective targets for the coalbed methane exploration and production.

Concise extraction and characterization of the pore-throat network in unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs: A new perspective

In this study,a new image-based method for the extraction and characterization of pore-throat network for unconventional hydrocarbon storage and exploitation is proposed.“Pore-throat solidity”,which is analogous to particle solidity,and a new method for automatic identification of pores and throats in tight sandstone oil reservoirs are introduced.Additionally,the“pore-throat combination”and“pure pore”are defined and distinguished by drawing the cumulative probability curve of the pore-throat solidity and by selecting an appropriate cutoff point.When the discrete grid set is recognized as a pore-throat combination,Legendre ellipse fitting and minimum Feret diameter are used.When the pore and throat grid sets are identified as pure pores,the pore diameter can be directly calculated.Using the new method,the analytical results for the physical parameters and pore radius agree well with most prior studies.The results comparing the maximum ball and the new model could also prove the accuracy of the latter's in micro and nano scales.The new model provides a more practical theoretical basis and a new calculation method for the rapid and accurate evaluation of the complex processes of oil migration.

Rock matrix-fractured media model for heterogeneous and fractured coal bed

Coal was considered rock matrix-fractured media composed of rock matrix and fractures, and the rock matrix-fractured media model for heterogeneous and fractured coal bed was presented. In this model the rock matrix is heterogeneous, and the mechanical parameters such as elastic modulus and strength follow Weibull distribution. Fractures in coal bed were generated with the discrete fracture network method, and the properties of fractures were simulated with Desai element. Then the virtual generating system (VGS) of natural heterogeneous and fractured coal bed was developed in Matlab 6.0. The coupled model of gas flow and deformation process based on the rock matrix-fractured media model method and VGS for heterogeneous and fractured coal bed was presented, and the numerical code was developed in Matlab 6.0. The gas flow process in the heterogeneous and fractured coal bed was simulated in a numerical case. The main conclusions are: 1) The natural heterogeneous and fractured coal bed could be simulated by the rock matrix-fractured media model and VGS; 2) The fractures connected with the well have much more effects on gas flow than those non-connected.