Speaker
Description
Carbonate reservoirs account for a substantial share of global hydrocarbon reserves and are increasingly relevant for subsurface energy applications such as carbon capture and storage, geothermal exploitation, and hydrogen storage. Their potential lies in large pore volumes, dual porosity systems, and complex fracture networks that can enhance fluid storage and transmission. However, these same features make carbonate pore systems highly heterogeneous, with variability in geometry, connectivity, and scale that complicates reliable predictions of permeability and storage capacity.
Previous studies using mercury intrusion porosimetry, micro-CT imaging, and lattice-Boltzmann simulations have advanced understanding of carbonate pore systems, but these methods remain costly, sample-intensive, or computationally demanding. To address this gap, the present study develops a structural pore network model (PNM) derived directly from 2D scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs of limestone samples.
Image segmentation was applied to identify pores and throats, which were represented as nodes and links in a simplified network. Geometric descriptors and graph-theoretical connectivity measures were used to quantify pore size distributions, throat dimensions, tortuosity, and coordination numbers. The analysis revealed marked heterogeneity across samples, with connectivity indices highlighting structural variability and potential pathways for fluid movement.
The results demonstrate the feasibility of transforming 2D SEM data into computational pore networks, providing a rapid and cost-effective approach to preliminary reservoir assessment. While restricted to structural characterization, this framework establishes a foundation for future studies that may incorporate flow simulations, multiphase transport, and validation against 3D micro-CT datasets to better capture the full heterogeneity of carbonate reservoirs and their role in subsurface energy systems.
Keywords: Carbonate reservoirs, pore network modelling, 2D SEM, structural heterogeneity, connectivity, pore size distribution
| Apply for student award at which level: | PhD |
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| Consent on use of personal information: Abstract Submission | Yes, I ACCEPT |