Pore-to-core linkages and upscaling for gas injection (CO2 Storage, EOR) in carbonates

The research will focus on the application of the multi scale workflow to carbonate rocks with varying pore structures and wetting states. The experimental activity will comprise a set of multi scale observations (pore scale resolution across a field of view of deca cm) of steady state drainage and imbibition in both water wet and mixed wet carbonate rocks with distinct multi scale heterogeneity. Theoretical development and rigorous validation will be performed on quarry rocks selected for pore structure characteristics. The bulk of the activity will be spent analysing scores of samples from one or more reservoirs of interest to Shell. The work will also be closely linked to project 2.2 in which machine learning pore structure classification techniques will be developed to further enhance these workflows. Significant time will be spent on the development of the data analysis workflows for application to gas injection in carbonate rocks. The optimal approach for image segmentation of pore scale rock and fluid properties in carbonates with multi scale heterogeneity, including micro porous regions, will be evaluated. Image processing workflows will be validated against independent observations, e.g., average porosity estimates from segmentation will be evaluated against inference from medical CT imagery. Workflows to construct numerical whole core models from pore and continuum scale observations will be developed with particular reference to gas injection in carbonates with varying wetting states.