Characterization and Measurement of Multiscale Gas Transport in Shale-Core Samples

Abstract

Summary This work introduces an experimental technique to probe simultaneously flow and diffusion of gas through shale. A core-scale pressure-pulse-decay experiment is used to study the upstream- and downstream-pressure responses of Eagle Ford and Haynesville shale samples. With the aid of numerical models, the pressure histories obtained from the experiments are matched and gas and rock properties are obtained. The experiments are conducted at varying pore pressure and net effective stress to understand the sensitivity of the rock porosity and permeability as well as the gas diffusivity. A dual-porosity model is constructed to examine gas transport through a system of micropores and microcracks. In this sense, the role of the two different-sized pore systems is deconvolved. In some cases, the micropore system carries roughly one-third of the gas flow. The porosity, permeability, and diffusivity obtained assign physical properties to the macroscales and microscales simultaneously. Results bridge the gap between these scales and improve our understanding of how to assign transport physics to the correct pore scale.