Predicting Effective Diffusion Coefficients in Mudrocks Using a Fractal Model and Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Measurements

Busch, Andreas; Kampman, Niko; Bertier, Pieter; Pipich, Vitaliy; Feoktystov, A.; Rother, Gernot; Harrington, J.; Leu, Leon; Aertens, M.; Jacops, E.

doi:10.1029/2018WR023425

Title: Predicting Effective Diffusion Coefficients in Mudrocks Using a Fractal Model and Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Measurements

Journal Article · Tue Sep 04 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Water Resources Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2018WR023425· OSTI ID:1515688

^[1]; Kampman, Niko ^[2];

^[3]; Pipich, Vitaliy ^[4]; Feoktystov, A. ^[4];

^[5];

^[6]; Leu, Leon ^[7]; Aertens, M. ^[8]; Jacops, E. ^[8]

Heriot-Watt Univ., Edinburgh (United Kingdom)
Shell Global Solutions International B.V., Rijswijk (The Netherlands)
RWTH Aachen Univ., Aachen (Germany)
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH (Jülich Centre for Neutron Science, JCNS) at Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ), Garching (Germany)
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Keyworth, British Geological Survey, Nottingham (United Kingdom)
Imperial College London, London (United Kingdom)
Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK-CEN), Mol (Belgium)

The determination of effective diffusion coefficients of gases or solutes in the water–saturated pore space of mudrocks is time consuming and technically challenging. Yet, reliable values of effective diffusion coefficients are important to predict migration of hydrocarbon gases in unconventional reservoirs, dissipation of (explosive) gases through clay barriers in radioactive waste repositories, mineral alteration of seals to geological CO₂ storage reservoirs and contaminant migration through aquitards. In this study, small angle and very small angle neutron scattering techniques have been utilized to determine a range of transport properties in mudrocks, including porosity, pore size distributions and surface and volume fractal dimensions of pores and grains, from which diffusive transport parameters can be estimated. Using a fractal model derived from Archie's Law, we calculate effective diffusion coefficients from these parameters and compare them to laboratory–derived effective diffusion coefficients for CO₂, H₂, CH₄ and HTO on either the same or related mudrock samples. The samples include Opalinus Shale from the underground laboratory in Mont Terri, Switzerland; Boom Clay from a core drilled in Mol, Belgium and a marine claystone cored in Utah, USA. The predicted values were compared to laboratory diffusion measurements. The measured and modeled diffusion coefficients show good agreement, differing generally by less than factor 5. Furthermore, neutron or X–ray scattering analysis is therefore proposed as a novel method for fast, accurate estimation of effective diffusion coefficients in mudrocks, together with simultaneous measurement of multiple transport parameters including porosity, pore size distributions and surface areas, important for (reactive) transport modelling.

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Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 1515688

Journal Information:: Water Resources Research, Vol. 54, Issue 9; ISSN 0043-1397

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 6 works

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