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Wettability Measurements on 3D Printed Sandstone Analogues and Its Implications for Fluid Transport Phenomena

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Abstract

Additive manufacturing technology, or 3D printing, with silica sand has enabled the manufacture of porous rock analogues for the use in experimental studies of geomechanical properties of reservoir rocks. The accurate modelling of the fluid flow phenomena within a reservoir and improving the performance of hydrocarbon recovery require an understanding of physical and chemical interactions of the reservoir fluids and the rock matrix. Therefore, for the 3D printed samples to serve as rock analogues, flow properties have to be equivalent to the petrophysical properties of their natural counterparts, such as Berea sandstone. In this study, sandstones that were 3D printed with silica sand and Poly-Furfuryl alcohol (PFA) binder, were used to investigate interactions between porous media with different fluids. Wettability preference of 3D printed samples was characterized through contact angle measurements, as well as co-current and counter-current spontaneous imbibition experiments. Results indicated that 3D printed sandstones had mixed-wet characteristics due to the high preference of silica grains for polar fluids and the affinity PFA binder to the oleic phase. Printing configurations including binder saturation were found to greatly influence the wettability preference of the 3D printed analogue rocks as higher PFA concentrations resulted in more strongly oil-wet preferences. Efforts to optimize the printing process and challenges to control the wettability preferences of the 3D printed samples are also highlighted.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge Energi Simulation Research Consortia in Reservoir Geomechanics for their financial support to the Reservoir Geomechanics Research Group (RG)2 at the University of Alberta. Also, special recognition to Dr. Alireza Rangriz Shokri (RG)2 research staff that contributed to this work.

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  1. Reservoir Geomechanics Research Group [RG]2, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    N. Ardila, G. Zambrano-Narvaez & R. J. Chalaturnyk

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  1. N. Ardila
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  2. G. Zambrano-Narvaez
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Correspondence to G. Zambrano-Narvaez.

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Ardila, N., Zambrano-Narvaez, G. & Chalaturnyk, R.J. Wettability Measurements on 3D Printed Sandstone Analogues and Its Implications for Fluid Transport Phenomena. Transp Porous Med 129, 521–539 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-018-1176-1

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