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Apparent Permeability Evolution Due to Colloid Migration Under Cyclic Confining Pressure: On the Example of Porous Limestone

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Abstract

The paper presents the methodology and results of core tests to assess the impact of colloid migration on apparent permeability under cyclic confining pressure. In the work, porous limestone cores were used. The research methodology differs from similar works in that the core was blown with nitrogen at a high pressure gradient between loading and unloading cycles to clean the pores. Blowings cause permeability dynamics that contradict classical theory, according to the results of multi-cycle core tests. Forward and reverse blowings disturb the porous medium’s internal equilibrium, resulting in a change in apparent permeability between core test cycles. This phenomenon can only be explained by colloid migration, which provides pore throat blocking and unblocking during nitrogen injection. A visual comparison of micrographs before and after the tests revealed that the surface structure of the pores remained unchanged, but mobile particles ranging in size from several microns to 50 microns were observed in each observed pore. The proposed mechanism for changing apparent permeability during gas injection and cyclic confining pressure correlates well with the results of core tests.

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Abbreviations

Μ :

Viscosity of nitrogen

Q :

Flow rate

L :

Length of the sample

P a :

Atmosphere pressure

S :

Samples’ cross section

P in :

Injection gas pressure

gradP :

Pressure gradient of injection

k:

Permeability

ko :

Initial permeability

ϕ:

Porosity

ϕo :

Initial porosity

P conf :

Confining pressure

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Acknowledgements

The cores were tested on the unique scientific installation “Installation for modeling water–gas treatment technologies for enhanced oil recovery” at the Perm National Research Polytechnic University.

Funding

This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, which funded this project (19–79-10034), https://rscf.ru/project/19-79-10034/.

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Correspondence to Evgenii Vasilevich Kozhevnikov.

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Kozhevnikov, E.V., Turbakov, M.S., Riabokon, E.P. et al. Apparent Permeability Evolution Due to Colloid Migration Under Cyclic Confining Pressure: On the Example of Porous Limestone. Transp Porous Med 151, 263–286 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-023-01979-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-023-01979-5

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