HR: 1340h
AN: H13I-1420    [Abstracts]
TI: Quantitative Visualization of Fluid Occupancy in a Vertical Fracture Under Static and Dynamic Flowing Conditions
AU: * Karpyn, Z T
EM: ztk101@psu.edu
AF: Pennsylvania State University, Hosler Building, Uiversity Park, PA 16802 United States
AU: Grader, A S
EM: grader@pnge.psu.edu
AF: Pennsylvania State University, Hosler Building, Uiversity Park, PA 16802 United States
AU: Halleck, P M
EM: pnh2@psu.edu
AF: Pennsylvania State University, Hosler Building, Uiversity Park, PA 16802 United States
AB: Visualization of fluid occupancy in a rough fracture allows us to interpret fundamental characteristics that control the behavior of fluids flowing in the subsurface. Areas of applications of the present work include design of hydrocarbon recovery processes, control migration and distribution of non-aqueous phase liquids, underground storage of hazardous waste, and groundwater transport. In spite of the wide range of applications, our understanding of the physical phenomena concerning fluid flow through fractures is limited. The purpose of this work is to study the effects of fracture morphology on the distribution and transport of immiscible fluid phases through real fractures. An experimental approach, using Micro-Computed Tomography, was selected to characterize of the internal fracture structure and to monitor the two immiscible phases. The experiment was performed in Berea sandstone cores with a single longitudinal fracture. The artificially created fracture was oriented parallel to the natural bedding of the rock. The Sample was initially vacuum saturated with water, and oil was later injected through the longitudinal crack. Fluid occupancy in the fracture was mapped under four different flowing conditions: continuous oil injection to irreducible water saturation, continuous water injection to residual oil saturation, simultaneous injection of oil and water, and a static pseudo-segregated state. Micro-CT images were obtained with a spatial pixel resolution of 0.030 mm. Some of the mechanisms observed in this experiment include fluid trapping, preferential flow paths, snapping-off of non-wetting fluid globules, and coalescence and redistribution of globules between dynamic and static conditions. Experimental results indicate that distribution of wetting and non-wetting phases in a rough fracture is mainly determined by fracture geometry, saturations, and wetting characteristics of the rock. A strong correspondence between fluid distribution and fracture apertures was found through direct comparison of two- and three-dimensional fracture structures.
DE: 1832 Groundwater transport
DE: 3653 Fluid flow
DE: 3954 X-ray, neutron, and electron spectroscopy and diffraction
DE: 5102 Acoustic properties
DE: 5139 Transport properties
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005