<b>Estaillades Carbonate: High-Resolution X-ray Imaging of Steady-State Oil-Brine Flow in Microporous Rock</b>

Experimental Details:Objective: This experiment aims to investigate fluid flow behavior within a microporous Estaillades carbonate rock with significant sub-resolution pore space under steady-state conditions using high-resolution imaging techniques.Rock Sample: The experiment utilizes a sample of Estaillades carbonate rock, characterized by its microporous nature, which is known to influence fluid flow dynamics.Flow Rate: The flow rate is controlled at a constant value of 0.02 mL/min throughout the experiment. This controlled flow rate ensures steady-state conditions. The low flow rate results in capillary-dominated flow.Fractional Flow Measurement: The co-injection of phases allows for the adjustment of fractional flows by changing the flow rates of phases during the experiment, while maintaining a constant total flow rate. This measurement is used to analyze the evolving flow behavior as the experiment progresses. Measurements are taken at fractional flow values of 0.0, 0.15, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.85, and 1.0, which are indicated in the image's name.Imaging: High-resolution X-ray imaging is employed to capture images of the rock sample and the flowing fluids. These images are taken at the final stage of each fractional flow, once a steady state is achieved. The high contrast provided by a 30wt% KI brine aids in differential imaging and characterizing sub-resolution pore space, a significant fraction of pore space in this rock, that cannot be fully resolved with micro-CT.Purpose and Significance:This experiment is conducted to gain insights into the fluid flow characteristics, displacement mechanisms, and pore-scale interactions within the microporous Estaillades carbonate rock. The study of such phenomena is essential for understanding reservoir behavior, enhancing hydrocarbon recovery processes, and optimizing fluid injection strategies in carbonate reservoirs.This heterogeneous rock in which a significant fraction of pore space can not be resolved with micro-CT and identifying unresolved pore space is possible through differential imaging. This feature makes the experiment an ideal case for testing multi-scale pore network modeling.Note: In the segmented image, label 0 is out of the domain, label 1 represents grain voxels, labels 2 and 3 correspond to voxels with sub-resolution porosity, and label 4 corresponds to resolved pore voxels. This information was obtained based on the segmentation of a dry scan and differential imaging. Please check here for all files.Keywords: Steady state core-flooding, Estaillades carbonate rock, microporosity, fluid flow, fractional flow, X-ray imaging, high contrast brine, differential imaging, sub-resolution pore space.</p