The impact of small-scale rock heterogeneity on multi-phase flow in porous reservoirs

PN 1-13

Project description

Large scale subsurface gas storage in porous reservoirs can play an important role in the energy transition. Geological storage of carbon dioxide will mitigate CO2 emissions while underground energy storage, for example in the form of hydrogen gas, can be used to balance out the renewable energy production and demand.

To investigate the feasibility of large scale subsurface gas storage in porous reservoirs, simulation models are needed that accurately capture the multi-phase flow behaviour in heterogeneous porous rock. Rock structure heterogeneity exists at many length scales, all having their own  impact on the overall observed multi-phase flow behaviour. The primary objective of this study is to characterize the impact of sub-grid scale (μm-m) rock structure heterogeneities on multi-phase flow and to find ways to correctly incorporate this impact in larger scale models. The proposed project will involve the following tasks:

  • Construction of 2D/3D model representations of the most commonly found μm to m scale heterogeneity structures in porous reservoirs.
  • Experimentally investigate the impact of these heterogeneity structures on multi-phase flow processes at the pore and REV scale under the influence of different driving forces using 2D microfluidic and 3D core-flood experiments.
  • Combine these experimental observations with analytical and numerical modelling tools to develop new approaches to incorporate the impact of these sub grid scale heterogeneities in larger scale systems.

Project information

Project title The impact of small-scale rock heterogeneity on multi-phase flow in porous reservoirs
Project leader Maartje Boon
Project staff Amir-Reza Zargar, doctoral researcher
Project duration November 2023 - December 2025
Project number PN 1-13

Publications PN 1-13

  1. 2024

    1. M. Boon, T. Rademaker, C. W. Winardhi, and H. Hajibeygi, “Multiscale experimental study of H2/brine multiphase flow in porous rock characterizing relative permeability hysteresis, hydrogen dissolution, and Ostwald ripening,” Scientific Reports, vol. 14, Art. no. 1, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-81720-4.
    2. M. Boon, I. Buntic, K. Ahmed, N. Dopffel, C. Peters, and H. Hajibeygi, “Microbial induced wettability alteration with implications for Underground Hydrogen Storage,” Scientific Reports, vol. 14, Art. no. 1, 2024, doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-58951-6.

  2. 2023

    1. A. Mishra, M. M. Boon, S. M. Benson, M. N. Watson, and R. R. Haese, “Reconciling predicted and observed carbon mineralization in siliciclastic formations,” Chemical Geology, vol. 619, p. 121324, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2023.121324.
    2. Z. Bo, M. Boon, H. Hajibeygi, and S. Hurter, “Impact of experimentally measured relative permeability hysteresis on reservoir-scale performance of underground hydrogen storage (UHS),” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, vol. 48, Art. no. 36, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.12.270.

  3. 2022

    1. W. van Rooijen, L. Hashemi, M. Boon, R. Farajzadeh, and H. Hajibeygi, “Microfluidics-based analysis of dynamic contact angles relevant for underground hydrogen storage,” Advances in Water Resources, vol. 164, p. 104221, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.advwatres.2022.104221.
    2. M. Boon and H. Hajibeygi, “Experimental characterization of H2/water multiphase flow in heterogeneous sandstone rock at the core scale relevant for underground hydrogen storage (UHS),” Scientific Reports, vol. 12, Art. no. 1, 2022, doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-18759-8.
    3. M. Boon, S. K. Matthäi, Q. Shao, A. A. Youssef, A. Mishra, and S. M. Benson, “Anisotropic rate-dependent saturation functions for compositional simulation of sandstone composites,” Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, vol. 209, p. 109934, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.petrol.2021.109934.
    4. L. Hashemi, M. Boon, W. Glerum, R. Farajzadeh, and H. Hajibeygi, “A comparative study for H2–CH4 mixture wettability in sandstone porous rocks relevant to underground hydrogen storage,” Advances in Water Resources, vol. 163, p. 104165, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.advwatres.2022.104165.
    5. Q. Shao, M. Boon, A. Youssef, K. Kurtev, S. M. Benson, and S. K. Matthai, “Modelling CO2 plume spreading in highly heterogeneous rocks with anisotropic, rate-dependent saturation functions: A field-data based numeric simulation study of Otway,” International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, vol. 119, p. 103699, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2022.103699.

  4. 2021

    1. M. Boon, H. Ni, and S. M. Benson, “Observations of the Impact of MM-Cm Scale Lamination on the Migration and Trapping of CO2 in Reservoir Rocks,” in Proceedings of the 15th Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies Conference, 2021, pp. 15–18. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.3820447.
    2. M. Boon and S. M. Benson, “A physics-based model to predict the impact of horizontal lamination on CO2 plume migration,” Advances in Water Resources, vol. 150, p. 103881, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.advwatres.2021.103881.

  5. 2019

    1. H. Ni, M. Boon, C. Garing, and S. M. Benson, “Predicting CO2 residual trapping ability based on experimental petrophysical properties for different sandstone types,” International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, vol. 86, pp. 158–176, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2019.04.024.
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