Droplet fragmentation: 3D imaging of a previously unidentified pore-scale process during multiphase flow in porous media
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- Tannaz Pak
- School of Geosciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, United Kingdom;
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- Ian B. Butler
- School of Geosciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, United Kingdom;
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- Sebastian Geiger
- International Centre for Carbonate Reservoirs, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, United Kingdom; and
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- Marinus I. J. van Dijke
- International Centre for Carbonate Reservoirs, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, United Kingdom; and
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- Ken S. Sorbie
- Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United Kingdom
説明
<jats:title>Significance</jats:title> <jats:p> Fluid displacement processes in carbonate rocks are important because they host over 50% of the world's hydrocarbon reserves and are aquifers supplying water to one quarter of the global population. A previously unidentified pore-scale fluid displacement event, droplet fragmentation, is described that occurs during the flow of two immiscible fluids specifically in carbonate rocks. The complex, heterogeneous pore structure of carbonate rocks induces this droplet fragmentation process, which explains the increased recovery of the nonwetting phase from porous carbonates as the wetting phase injection rate is increased. The previously unidentified displacement mechanism has implications for ( <jats:italic>i</jats:italic> ) enhanced oil recovery, ( <jats:italic>ii</jats:italic> ) remediation of nonaqueous liquid contaminants in aquifers, and ( <jats:italic>iii</jats:italic> ) subsurface CO <jats:sub>2</jats:sub> storage. </jats:p>
収録刊行物
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- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112 (7), 1947-1952, 2015-02-02
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences