SPE Journal
Volume 15, Number 3, September 2010, pp. 618-633

Summary

A pore-network model (PNM) is an efficient tool to account for phenomena occurring at the pore scale. Its explicit 3D network of pores interconnected by throats represents an easy way to consider the topology and geometry effects on upscaled and homogenized petrophysical parameters. In particular, this modeling approach is appropriate to study the rock/fluid interactions. It can provide quantitative information both on the effective transport property modifications caused by the reactions and on the structure evolution resulting from dissolution/precipitation mechanisms.

The model developed is based on the resolution of the macroscopic reactive transport equation between the nodes of the network. By upscaling the results, we then determined the effective transport properties at the core scale. A sensitivity study on reactive and flow regimes has been conducted in the case of single-phase flow in the limit of long times.

It has been observed that the mean reactive solute velocity and dispersion can vary up to one order of magnitude compared with the tracer values because of the concentration-profile heterogeneity at the pore scale resulting from the surface reactions. As for the reactive apparent coefficient, when the kinetics is limited by the mass transfer, it can decrease by several orders of magnitude with regard to that calculated by the usual perfect-mixing assumption. That is why scale factors should be added to the classical macroscopic transport equation implemented in reservoir simulators to predict accurately the reactive flow effects. For each study case, we also obtained the permeability variation vs. the porosity evolution in a physical way that accounts for reactive transport conditions. It appears that the wall-deformation pattern and its effect on petrophysical properties must be explained by considering both microscopic and macroscopic scales of the reactive transport, each one governed by a dimensionless number comparing reaction and transport characteristic times.

This work helps improve the understanding of surface-reactions effects on reactive flow on the one hand and on permeability and porosity modifications on the other. Using the PNM approach, scale-factor parameters and permeability-vs.-porosity relations can be determined for various rock types and reactive flow regimes. Once integrated as inputs in a reservoir simulator, these relations form a powerful and convenient means of enhancing the modeling accuracy of the change in petrophysical properties during injection of a reactive fluid, such as brine rich in carbon dioxide (CO₂).

© 2010. Society of Petroleum Engineers

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History

• Original manuscript received: 17 July 2009
• Meeting paper published: 5 October 2009
• Revised manuscript received: 18 December 2009
• Manuscript approved: 5 January 2010
• Published online: 20 May 2010
• Version of record: 22 September 2010