Experimental study of CO2 injectivity impairment in sandstone due to salt precipitation and fines migration

Re-injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) in deep saline formation is a promising approach to allow high CO2 gas fields to be developed in the Southeast Asia region. However, the solubility between CO2 and formation water could cause injectivity problems such as salt precipitation and fines migration. Although both mechanisms have been widely investigated individually, the coupled effect of both mechanisms has not been studied experimentally. This research work aims to quantify CO2 injectivity alteration induced by both mechanisms through core-flooding experiments. The quantification injectivity impairment induced by both mechanisms were achieved by varying parameters such as brine salinity (6000–100,000 ppm) and size of fine particles (0–0.015 µm) while keeping other parameters constant, flow rate (2 cm3/min), fines concentration (0.3 wt%) and salt type (Sodium chloride). The core-flooding experiments were carried out on quartz-rich sister sandstone cores under a two-step sequence. In order to simulate the actual sequestration process while also controlling the amount and sizes of fines, mono-dispersed silicon dioxide in CO2-saturated brine was first injected prior to supercritical CO2 (scCO2) injection. The CO2 injectivity alteration was calculated using the ratio between the permeability change and the initial permeability. Results showed that there is a direct correlation between salinity and severity of injectivity alteration due to salt precipitation. CO2 injectivity impairment increased from 6 to 26.7% when the salinity of brine was raised from 6000 to 100,000 ppm. The findings also suggest that fines migration during CO2 injection would escalate the injectivity impairment. The addition of 0.3 wt% of 0.005 µm fine particles in the CO2-saturated brine augmented the injectivity alteration by 1% to 10%, increasing with salt concentration. Furthermore, at similar fines concentration and brine salinity, larger fines size of 0.015 µm in the pore fluid further induced up to three-fold injectivity alteration compared to the damage induced by salt precipitation. At high brine salinity, injectivity reduction was highest as more precipitated salts reduced the pore spaces, increasing the jamming ratio. Therefore, more particles were blocked and plugged at the slimmer pore throats. The findings are the first experimental work conducted to validate theoretical modelling results reported on the combined effect of salt precipitation and fines mobilisation on CO2 injectivity. These pioneering results could improve understanding of CO2 injectivity impairment in deep saline reservoirs and serve as a foundation to develop a more robust numerical study in field scale.

Interaction of rock-bolt supports while weak rock reinforcing by means of injection rock bolts

Purpose is to analyze changes in shape and dimensions of a rock mass area, fortified with the help of a polymer, depending upon the density of injection rock bolts as well as the value of initial permeability of enclosing rocks to substantiate optimum process solutions to support roofs within the unstable rocks and protect mine workings against water inflow and gas emission. Methods. Numerical modeling method for coupled processes of rock mass strain and filtration of liquid components of a polymer has been applied. The model is based upon fundamental ideas of mechanics of solids and filtration theory. The problem has been solved using a finite element method. Its solution took into consideration both the initial permeability and the permeability stipulated by mine working driving, injection time of reagents and their polymerization, and effect of po-lymer foaming in the process of mixing of its components. Changes in physicomechanical and filtration characteristics of rock mass during polymer hardening were simulated. It has been taken into consideration that a metal delivery pipe starts operating as a reinforcing support element only after the polymer hardening. Findings. If three and five injection rock bolts are installed within a mine working section then stresses, permeability coefficients, pressure of liquid polymeric composition, and geometry of the fortified area of rock mass have been calculated. It has been shown that rock bolt location is quite important to form a rock-bolt arch. It has been demonstrated for the assumed conditions that if five injection rock bolts are installed within the mine working roof then close interaction between rock-bolt supports takes place; moreover, the integral arch is formed within the mine working roof. Originality. Dependence of change in the polymer reinforced area upon a value of initial permeability of enclosing rocks has been derived. It has been shown that in terms of low values of initial permeability, geometry of rock-bolt supports as well as its size is identified only by means of a value of the unloaded zone around the mine working. In this context, initial permeabi-lity increase results in the enlarged diameter of the reinforced rock mass area in the neighbourhood of the injection rock bolt. Practical implications. The findings are recommended to be applied while improving a method to support the mine working roof and decrease water inflow as well as gas emission from the rocks, being undermined, into the working.

Effect of bentonite slurry on the function of foam for changing the permeability characteristics of sand under high hydraulic gradients

During earth pressure balance (EPB) shield tunnelling in sandy ground, not only foam but also other conditioning agents need to be injected to reduce the permeability of muck and avoid water spewing out of the screw conveyor. Permeability tests were carried out to study the permeability characteristics of conditioned sand under high hydraulic gradients. A low bentonite slurry injection ratio (BIR) enhanced the workability of foam-conditioned sand. As the hydraulic gradient increased, the initial permeability coefficient of conditioned sand increased, and the initial stable period became shorter or disappeared. The BIR had a more significant effect on the permeability of conditioned sand than the foam injection ratio (FIR), and this effect gradually weakened as the hydraulic gradient increased. The initial permeability coefficient of the foam-bentonite slurry-conditioned sand decreased by approximately an order of magnitude compared with that of the foam-conditioned sand. With the addition of bentonite slurry, suitable sand conditioning can accept a higher water content (w) and lower FIR, resulting in suitable ranges of w and FIR that are more flexible. Finally, the mechanism of stabilizing foam under the action of bentonite slurry was discussed by considering the interaction between foam bubbles and fine particles.

Investigation of the Mechanical and Permeability Evolution Effects of High-Temperature Granite Exposed to a Rapid Cooling Shock with Liquid Nitrogen

Liquid nitrogen (LN2), which can greatly improve the efficiency of hot dry rock (HDR) mining, is commonly used as a cooling material in the enhanced geothermal system (EGS). Physical property, triaxial compression, and permeability tests were undertaken on treated granite samples, for a better scientific understanding of the effect of the LN2 cooling method on the mechanical and permeability properties of the rocks after heat treatment. The experimental results indicated that the physical properties of the treated granite change significantly, such as the density and wave velocity are substantially reduced. Meanwhile, with the increase of treatment temperature, the macroscopic cracks on its surface are gradually generated and the volume is expanded clearly. In addition, the surface wettability of granite gradually increases with increasing temperature. Compared with the air/water cooling methods, under LN2 cooling condition, the mechanical properties decrease markedly. When the temperature exceeds 600°C, the granite strength decreases significantly to only 56.16% of the reference value. The deformation properties also change significantly, with a final strain of about 3% at failure for a sample at 800°C, showing an obvious ductile deformation characteristic. Further, an appreciable correlation also exists between the initial permeability of granite and temperature. Once the temperature exceeds 200°C, the increase in temperature contributes to the increase in initial permeability. In addition to the effect of temperature, the increase in load also leads to a change in the permeability coefficient. When the temperature reaches 600°C, the permeability of granite first decreases and then increases with the increases in axial stress. The results of this paper are valuable in understanding the effect of thermal shock by LN2 on the fracturing efficiency and permeability characteristics of dry hot rocks.

Study on nanocrystalline grain size and quantitative change in Fe–Cu–Mo–Si–B soft magnetic alloy

In this paper, we studied the grain size and volume fraction change of [Formula: see text]-Fe(Si) nanocrystalline phase as a function of Cu, Mo and Si content in Fe[Formula: see text]Cu[Formula: see text]Mo3Si[Formula: see text]B9, Fe[Formula: see text]Cu1Mo[Formula: see text]Si[Formula: see text]B9, Fe[Formula: see text]Cu1Mo3Si[Formula: see text]B[Formula: see text], and also the annealing temperature and time in Fe[Formula: see text]Cu1Mo3Si[Formula: see text]B9 alloy. Cu is an element promoting ultrafine structure and crystallization progresses, it causes the grain size of the [Formula: see text]-Fe(Si) phase to decrease suddenly, the volume fraction of [Formula: see text]-Fe(Si) phase to increase only by adding 0.5 at.% Cu. Also, Mo causes the grain size of [Formula: see text]-Fe(Si) phase to decrease like Cu, while suppressing the increase of the volume fraction of [Formula: see text]-Fe(Si) phase, Si has no little effect on the grain size of [Formula: see text]-Fe(Si) phase, diffuses into the inner part of [Formula: see text]-Fe(Si) phase upto Si 13.5 at.%, but suddenly increases grain size above Si 13.5 at.%. The microstructure of Fe[Formula: see text]Cu1Mo3Si[Formula: see text]B9 alloy is nearly completed at 520[Formula: see text]C for about 20 min, the grain size is approximately 13.8–14.1 nm, the volume fraction of [Formula: see text]-Fe(Si) phase is within 61–66%, initial permeability at 1 kHz is within 59,800–61,100.

Rock Heterogeneity Effects on Fluid Diversion During Stimulation Treatment

Rock heterogeneities, such as variations in pore distribution, pore throat diameter, and initial permeability, significantly affect the outcome of carbonate matrix stimulation treatments. A better understanding of the influence of these parameters on stimulation and diversion, especially for the performance of self-diverting acids, is needed for efficient stimulation designs. Carbonate rock samples from six outcrop formations, with permeability ranging from 2 to 150 md, were used in the study. Large blocks were acquired for each outcrop, and several 1.5×6-in. core plugs were drilled from these blocks. Pore structure in each outcrop was characterized by high-pressure mercury injection (HPMI) porosimetry and flowing fraction measured with nondestructive tracer tests. Pore volume to breakthrough (PVbt) for a viscoelastic self-diverting (VES) acid was determined at 150°F for injection rates ranging from 1 to 10 cm3/min. The diversion ability for the VES acid was evaluated by (1) the increase in pressure during VES acid injection and (2) the pore volumes this higher pressure was maintained. The results show that flowing fractions measured by injection of either KCl (potassium chloride) tracer in deionized water or a dilute polymer solution is an effective means for characterizing the pore structure and for predicting the pore volume to breakthrough and diversion performance of VES acids. High-permeability grainstones such as Indiana Limestone, where most of the rock porosity is accessible to aqueous fluids (high flowing fraction), have the largest pore volume to breakthrough and the largest relative pressure buildup during injection of VES acids. Low-permeability rocks with heterogeneous porosity (low flowing fraction) have lower pore volume to breakthrough and had a relatively low-pressure build-up. The results are summarized in a master-curve, which facilitates prediction of pore volume to breakthrough of VES acids from rock properties that can be measured by non-destructive techniques. Correlations for PVbt and the diversion ability of the VES acid are presented, so that the performance of these acid systems can be estimated for formation rocks where direct measuremets of PVbt or diversion are not be practical.

Prediction of reservoir pressure and study of its behavior in the development of oil fields based on the construction of multilevel multidimensional probabilistic-statistical models

Determination of the current reservoir pressure in oil production wells selection zones is an urgent task of field development monitoring. The main method for its determination is hydrodynamic studies under unsteady conditions. At the same time, the process of restoring bottomhole pressure to the value of reservoir pressure often lasts a significant period of time, which leads to long downtime of the fund and significant shortfalls in oil production. In addition, it seems rather difficult to compare reservoir pressures with each other in the wells due to the different timing of the studies, since it is impossible to simultaneously stop the entire fund for measuring the reservoir pressure in the field. The article proposes a new method for determining the current reservoir pressure in the extraction zones, based on the construction of multidimensional mathematical models based on the data of geological and technological development indicators. As the initial data, the values of reservoir pressure, determined during processing of the materials of hydrodynamic studies of wells, as well as a set of geological and technological indicators, probably affecting its value, were used (initial reservoir pressure for each well, the duration of its operation at the time of study, liquid rate, bottomhole pressure, the initial permeability and the current collector in the drainage area, GOR accumulated values oil, and liquid water, and skin factor). In the course of the research, several variants of statistical modeling were used, in the process of which the regularities of the reservoir pressure behavior during the development of reserves were established, individual for the object of development. The obtained models are characterized by a high degree of reliability and make it possible to determine the desired value with an error of no more than 1.0 MPa.

Numerical Simulation of Nanosilica Sol Grouting for Deep Tunnels Based on the Multifield Coupling Mechanism

Grouting is an effective technical way for the construction of deep tunnels in unfavorable geological conditions. The fluid-solid-chemical coupling mechanism of grouting process is analyzed from the following three aspects: influence of physical properties of silica sol on permeability coefficient, dynamic changes of porosity and permeability of geotechnical media with seepage pressure, and governing equations for flow and mass transfer characteristics. A dynamically changing model for nanosilica sol grouting in deep tunnels is established, considering the changing physical properties of grout and surrounding rock. Based on the Xianglushan Tunnel of Yunnan Water Diversion Project, the temporal and spatial evolution of silica sol grout is studied. The effect characteristics of grouting pressure and initial permeability are clarified. The rationality of this model is verified by classical Newtonian fluid grouting theory. The main conclusions: with the molar concentration as the index, the grout range can be divided into the raw grout region and the transition region; with the decrease of the grouting pressure, the growth rate of the normal grouting radius and the axial grouting radius will gradually decrease; due to the mechanical dispersion and molecular diffusion, the range of the transition region will gradually increase with time. The ratio of the transition region to grouting radius fluctuates slightly with time under the initial permeability of 5 D. The fluctuation increases with the decrease of initial permeability, and the average ratio increases with the decrease of grouting pressure. This study can provide theoretical guidance for grouting design of deep tunnel engineering.

Innovative Techniques in Underground Mining for the Prevention of Gas Dynamic Phenomena

In the last decades, rigorous research has been carried out with the end of understanding the gas dynamic phenomenon and although different preventive techniques have been employed, even today there are numerous accidents even with the loss of life. This work analyses an alternative and innovative method of fracturing and degassing coal, by generating CO2 with a pyrotechnic device called PYROC (Pyrotechnic Break Cartridges). Medium-scale tests of generation of CO2 into coal samples are carried out and their effect is analysed comparing the initial and final permeabilities of the coal samples once the generation of CO2 has finished. These permeabilities are calculated by injecting methane. Besides, the influence of different parameters as the length of the boreholes, the pressure of the gas or the initial permeability of the coal have been analysed with a numerical simulation of one face of one of the sublevels of a mine. The results show that the method increases the safety in mining operations because it fractures and degasses the coal, increases the permeability of the coal in the borehole of injection from 9.5 mD to 31 mD, decreases the methane gas pressure below pre-detonation levels for 1 min, achieves decompressed lengths between 8 and 10 m ahead of the face with pressures of injection of 50 MPa, relaxes the total length of the borehole for initial coal permeability values equal to or greater than 0.002 mD, and allows to work with low permeable coals with high induced stresses and high methane concentrations.