Imaging and Characterization of Microporous Carbonates Using Confocal and Electron Microscopy of Epoxy Pore Casts

Author:

Hassan A..1,Chandra V..1,Yutkin M. P.1,Patzek T. W.1,Espinoza D. N.2

Affiliation:

1. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

2. University of Texas at Austin

Abstract

Summary Microporous carbonates contain perhaps 50% of the oil left behind in current projects in the giant carbonate fields in the Middle East and elsewhere. Pore geometry, connectivity, and wettability of the micropore systems in these carbonates are of paramount importance in finding new improved-oil-recovery methods. In this study, we present a robust pore-imaging approach that uses confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to obtain high-resolution 3D images of etched epoxy pore casts of the highly heterogeneous carbonates. In our approach, we have increased the depth of investigation for carbonates 20-fold, from 10 µm reported by Fredrich (1999) and Shah et al. (2013) to 200 µm. In addition, high-resolution 2D images from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been correlated with the 3D models from CLSM to develop a multiscale imaging approach that covers a range of scales, from millimeters in three dimensions to micrometers in two dimensions. The developed approach was implemented to identify various pore types [e.g., intercrystalline microporosity (IM), intragranular microporosity (IGM), and interboundary sheet pores (SPs)] in limestone and dolomite samples.

Publisher

Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)

Subject

Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology,Energy Engineering and Power Technology

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3