What the study found
Facies proportion and sequence strongly influenced upscaled capillary pressure and relative permeability for CO2 injection and brine reinjection. The study also found that randomising sub-facies proportions and order captured broader geological variability.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors suggest that capturing broader geological variability can yield more accurate, efficient, and reliable reservoir simulations. They conclude that the method provides a framework for linking micro-scale digital core analysis data to field-scale models and for supporting more precise and secure geological CO2 storage.
What the researchers tested
The researchers used digital core analysis, which applies high-resolution micro-CT imaging to examine pore structures and fluid flow in rocks, on samples from the Otway Formation in Australia. They developed and implemented a new randomised, iterative upscaling method in the open-source MATLAB Reservoir Simulation Toolbox to upscale pore-scale properties, including capillary pressure and relative permeability, while accounting for facies proportions and spatial order.
What worked and what didn't
The upscaling results showed that both facies proportion and facies sequence affected capillary pressure and relative permeability during drainage and imbibition. Randomising sub-facies proportions and order was reported to capture broader geological variability; the abstract does not describe specific failures or comparisons where the approach did not work.
What to keep in mind
The available summary does not describe detailed limitations, uncertainty ranges, or validation metrics. The method was applied to DCA data from the Otway Formation, so the abstract does not state how broadly the results generalize beyond that setting.
Key points
- Facies proportion and sequence strongly influenced upscaled capillary pressure and relative permeability.
- The method randomised sub-facies proportions and order to represent broader geological variability.
- The researchers used digital core analysis based on high-resolution micro-CT imaging.
- The new method was implemented in the open-source MATLAB Reservoir Simulation Toolbox.
- The authors say the framework may support more precise and secure geological CO2 storage.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Randomised upscaling improved CO2 flow property modelling
- Image credit:
- Photo by Alejandro De Roa on Pexels
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