Spatial and Temporal Quantification of Spontaneous Imbibition

Zahasky, Christopher; Benson, Sally M.

doi:10.1029/2019gl084532

Spatial and Temporal Quantification of Spontaneous Imbibition

Journal Article · Fri Nov 15 00:00:00 EST 2019 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gl084532· OSTI ID:1865638

^[1]; Benson, Sally M. ^[2]

Imperial College, London (United Kingdom); Stanford University
Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

Spontaneous imbibition–the process of a wetting fluid displacing a non-wetting fluid purely by capillary forces–is a ubiquitous phenomenon in porous and fibrous materials. Here we present a new experimental method for quantification of spontaneous imbibition in geologic materials. This method makes it possible to perform spontaneous imbibition under elevated pressure conditions relevant to environmental and energy resource applications. In this work, computed tomography imaging reveals a new time-independent scaling relationship that describes local imbibition rates as a function of water saturation. Imbibition capillary pressure curves are calculated with this wetting-phase pressure and flowrate characterization, with no assumptions about the functional form, end point behavior, or scaling factors. Calculated end-point capillary pressure is nonzero, in agreement with recent pore-scale measurements of capillary pressure of trapped nonwetting phase. This work provides a new approach and insights into trapping and remobilization of non-wetting fluids in CO₂ storage reservoirs and contaminated groundwater aquifers.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Mechanistic Control of Water-Hydrocarbon-Rock Tight Oil Formations (CMC-UF); Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

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

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0019165

OSTI ID:: 1865638

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 21 Vol. 46; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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