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Predicting Vertical Flow Barriers Using Tracer Diffusion in Partially Saturated, Layered Porous Media

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Abstract

Sudden changes in isotopic tracer concentration in pore waters have been interpreted as indicating barriers to vertical advective flow through porous rocks in the subsurface, e.g. step changes in \(^{87}\hbox {Sr}/^{86}\)Sr ratio are often used in the oil and gas industry as a signature of reservoir compartmentalisation. This study shows that this is not necessarily the case. It can take millions of years for such step changes to equilibrate by diffusion if there is no flow resulting from pressure or density gradients even in high permeability, high porosity rocks, particularly if the water saturation is low. Changes in tracer concentration gradients can be good indicators of changes in porosity (or water saturation) between layers. In contrast changes in sorption without a change in porosity are almost impossible to identify. The time taken for concentration gradients to equilibrate is affected by the layer properties but can be quickly estimated from the harmonic average of the effective diffusion coefficient for each layer and a simple analytical expression for a homogeneous system. This was achieved by performing a sensitivity analysis on different layer properties (porosity contrast, saturation contrast, sorption contrast, thickness ratio) using existing analytical solutions for diffusion in layered systems.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Dr Peter Cleall and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful inputs on this work. We also thank BP for supporting the development of these mixing models and for permission to publish this work

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College, London , SW7 2AZ, UK

    Jason Go, Imma Bortone & Ann Muggeridge

  2. BP Exploration and Production, Chertsey Road, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex , TW16 7LN, UK

    Craig Smalley

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  1. Jason Go
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Correspondence to Jason Go.

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Go, J., Bortone, I., Muggeridge, A. et al. Predicting Vertical Flow Barriers Using Tracer Diffusion in Partially Saturated, Layered Porous Media. Transp Porous Med 105, 255–276 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-014-0369-5

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