Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre

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Dynamic Imaging of Reaction at Reservoir Conditions, Considering the Influence of Chemical Heterogeneity in Carbonates

Al-Khulaifi, Y.A.; Blunt, M.J.; Bijeljic, B.

Pore-Scale Consortium

Jan 2015

Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre Research objectives

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Pore-scale

Darcy/continuum scale

Reservoir-scale

Figure 2 Upscaling. Figure adopted from [Rhodes, M. 2008]

Figure 1 Flow patterns changing with reaction rate. [Gharbi, O. et al. 2013]

Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre

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Figure 3 BP Statistical Review, 2007; Schlumberger Market Analysis, 2007.

BackgroundCO2 storage in carbonates

• World’s carbonate reservoirs• Hold 50% of oil, 40% of gas

• Middle East carbonates• Hold 70% of oil, 90% of gas

Figure 4 Storage reservoir. From (Black et al., 2014)

Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre

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Figure 5 Flooding apparatus. form [Menke, H. 2014]

High temperature/high pressure flooding apparatus

Experimental conditions:- P = 10MPa (1450 psi)- T = 50 ºC (122 ºF)

Brine Composition:- 1% KCl, 5% NaCl- CO2 saturated at:

10Mpa, 50 ºC

Sampling point

Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre

Characterization of dissolution regimes

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- Péclet Number:

𝑫𝒂=𝑳×𝒗𝑼 𝒂𝒗

=𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆

𝑫𝒂𝑷𝒆=𝑼 𝒂𝒗×𝑳𝒈×𝒗×𝑳

𝑫×𝑼 𝒂𝒗

= 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆

[Luquot & Gouze, 2009]

- Damköhler Number:

𝑷𝒆=𝑼 𝒂𝒗×𝑳𝒈

𝑫= 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆

[Luquot & Gouze, 2009]

Experiments will maintain temperature and CO2 brine constant; and only change flow rate from one experiment to the other

Figure 6 modified from [Menke, H., 2014]

Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre Image processing

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A – Raw Image3.8 μm voxel size

B – Filtered ImageNon-Local Means

C – Segmented ImageWatershed segmentation

D – Difference ImageRegistered then subtracted

A B

C D

Figure 7 Ketton image processing from [Menke, H., 2014]

Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre

Effluent analysisWith ICP-MS

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Figure 8 Nu Plasma ICP-MS from [www.nu-ins.com]

Before experiment Post-experiment effluent collected

Completely dissolve representative rock

sample in acid

Rock sample composition

Nu Plasma ICP-MS

Effluent analysis

Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre

Mineral-specific segmentation Heterogeneity determination

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Grey scale filtered micro-CT image 5 phase segmentation

Figure 9 Micro CT images form (Lai, P. 2014)

  Calcite DolomiteMinerals CaCO3 CaMg(CO3)3

Molar mass (g/mol) 100.09 184.4Density (g/cc) 2.71 2.8-2.9 (Avg. 2.84)

• Studying the Petrography

• Mineral spatial distribution determination through x-ray micro CT.

• Achieve mineral-specific segmentation with a phase representing each mineral present

• Challenge: optimizing grey-scale contrast of the images

Pore

Feldspar

Others

Kaolinite

Quartz

Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre

Reported mineral reaction rates and surface areas

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Figure 11 Range of mineral surface area reported in the literature; BET analysis (blue bars), microCT imaging & modelling (green bars). From [Black et al., 2014]

Figure 10 Range of mineral reaction rates at 60oC reported in the literature; low CO2 concentration (green bars), pH 4 (blue bars), high CO2 concentrations (red bars). From [Black et al., 2014]

Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre Challenges

• Limitations of X-ray microtomography• Getting big enough fluid sample for

effluent analysis• Using big mm core samples leading to

longer scan time, less resolution and difficulty with image processing

• Finding representative samples of different mineral heterogeneity

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Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre

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Lad Micro-CT

Thank you

Synchrotron Beam Line

Flow Cell in Lad Based Micro CT

Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre References

1. Black, J. R., S. A. Carroll and R. R. Haese "Rates of mineral dissolution under CO2 storage conditions." Chemical Geology(0).

2. BP Statistical Review, 2007; Schlumberger Market Analysis, 2007.<http://www.slb.com/services/technical_challenges/carbonates.aspx?entry=ad_google_cr_carbonate&gclid=CJKhiqHg-sICFSYIwwodpAYALA>

3. Luquot, L., and Gouze, Ph. - Experimental determination of porosity and permeability changes induced by massive injection of CO2 into carbonate reservoirs. Chemical Geology. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2009.03.028 (2009).

4. Maheshwari, P., R. R. Ratnakar, N. Kalia and V. Balakotaiah (2013). "3-D simulation and analysis of reactive dissolution and wormhole formation in carbonate rocks." Chemical Engineering Science 90(0): 258-274.

5. Menke, H., B. Bijeljic, M. Andrew and M. J. Blunt (2013). "Dynamic pore-scale imaging of reactive transport in heterogeneous carbonates at reservoir conditions." ScienceDirect: 9.

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