Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Earth Resources Laboratory
Abstract
Realistic simulations of flow in porous media are dependent upon having a three-dimensional, high resolution image of pore structure which is difficult to obtain. So,
we ask the question, "How fine a resolution is necessary to adequately model flow in
porous media?" To find the answer, we take a 7.5 p,m resolution image and coarsen
it to five different resolutions. Lattice gas simulations are performed on each image.
From the simulation results, we observe changes in permeability and velocity fields as
the resolution is altered. The results show permeability varies by a factor of 5 over the
resolution range. Flow paths change as the resolution is changed. We also find that the
image processing has a large impact on the outcome of the simulations.Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Borehole Acoustics and Logging ConsortiumMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Earth Resources Laboratory. Reservoir Delineation
Consortiu
