Geophysical Monitoring with Seismic Metamaterial Contrast Agents

Schaef

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

Self Cite

Injecting fluids into deep underground geologic structures is a critical component to development of long-term strategies for managing greenhouse gas emissions and facilitating energy extraction operations. Recently, we reported that metal–organic frameworks are low-frequency, absorptive-acoustic metamaterial that may be injected into the subsurface to enhance geophysical monitoring tools used to track fluids and map complex structures. A key requirement for this nanotechnology deployment is transportability through porous geologic media without being retained by mineral-fluid interfaces. We used flow-through column studies to estimate transport and retention properties of five different polymer-coated MIL-101(Cr) nanoparticles (NP) in siliceous porous media. When negatively charged polystyrene sulfonate coated nanoparticles (NP-PSS-70K) were transported in 1 M NaCl, only about 8.4% of nanoparticles were retained in the column. Nanoparticles coated with polyethylenimine (NP-PD1) exhibited significant retention (> 50%), emphasizing the importance of complex nanoparticle-fluid-rock interactions for successful use of nanofluid technologies in the subsurface. Nanoparticle transport experiments revealed that nanoparticle surface characteristics play a critical role in nanoparticle colloidal stability and as well the transport.

Section: Transport Of Polymer-coated Metal-organic Framework Nanopart...mentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transport of polymer-coated metal–organic framework nanoparticles in porous media

Nune

Schaef

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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“…Nano uids had a linear ow rate of ~0.30 cm/min and a subsequent 10.5-minute residence time in the column. Accusand 13 was used as a model geo-substrate for column packing due to its well de ned quartz grain size distribution, consistent morphology, and relevant mineralogy for sandstone reservoirs, 1,11 and common use in nanoparticle transport studies. 14,15 Retention of nanoparticles was determined by measuring nanoparticle concentrations in the e uent via ultraviolet-visible spectrometry (UV-Vis) methods.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We have also demonstrated that rocks saturated with MIL-101(Cr) 10 nano uids (~0.5 wt%) have distinct elastic and anelastic properties, resulting in decreased seismic wave velocities and amplitudes. 11 These attributes make injectable MOF nanoparticles a potentially disruptive technology for enabling geologic carbon storage and other subsurface energy storage/extraction endeavors. Our ongoing research involves using injectable colloidal MOF nanoparticles as geophysical contrast agents to help track uids and delineate structures in the subsurface.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transport of Polymer-Coated Metal-Organic Framework Nanoparticles in Porous Media

Nune

Schaef

et al. 2021

Preprint

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“…The scalability of geologic carbon storage is challenged by inadequate insights into detection sensitivity, volumetric distribution, and migration paths of injectates, which are commonly difficult to obtain with conventional geophysical techniques, especially in reservoirs containing complex compartmentalization, layering, and fracture networks. To help track injected fluids and characterize subsurface structures, we have developed water-stable metal–organic framework (MOF) nanoparticle-bearing fluids (nanofluids) that exhibit anomalous low-frequency responses that are desirable for seismic monitoring. , Specifically, rocks saturated with MIL-101(Cr) nanofluids (∼0.5 wt %) have distinct elastic and inelastic properties, resulting in decreased seismic wave velocities and amplitudes. , Overall, these attributes make injectable MOF nanoparticles a potentially disruptive technology for enabling geologic carbon storage and other sustainable subsurface energy technologies and lends new perspective to the burgeoning field of seismic metamaterials. , In our related work, Miller et al demonstrated for the first time that MOFs are acoustic metamaterials with tunable sound adsorption and resonances. These low-frequency acoustic (<100 Hz, seismic) properties and the injectability of colloidal nano-MOFs are key enabling features of a new class of far-field (reservoir-scale) geophysical contrast agents.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Porous Colloidal Nanoparticles as Injectable Multimodal Contrast Agents for Enhanced Geophysical Sensing

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

Pohl

Livo

et al. 2022

Self Cite

Injecting fluids into underground geologic structures is crucial for the development of long-term strategies for managing captured carbon and facilitating sustainable energy extraction operations. We have previously reported that the injection of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) into the subsurface can enhance seismic monitoring tools to track fluids and map complex structures, reduce risk, and verify containment in carbon storage reservoirs because of their absorption capacity of low-frequency seismic waves. Here, we demonstrate that water-based Cr/Zn/Zr MOF colloidal suspensions (nanofluids) are multimodal geophysical contrast agents that enhance near-wellbore logging tools. Based on experimental fluid-only measurements, MIL-101(Cr), ZIF-8, and UiO-66 nanofluids have distinct complex conductivity and/or low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signatures that are relevant to field-deployed technologies, implying the potential to enhance near-wellbore monitoring of CO2 injection and associated processes with downhole logging tools. Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering characterization of ∼0.5 wt % MIL-101(Cr) suspensions confirmed phase stability and provided insight into the fractal nature of colloidal nanoparticles. Finally, low-field (2 MHz) NMR measurements of MIL-101(Cr) nanofluid injection into a prototypical Berea sandstone demonstrate how paramagnetic high-surface area MOFs may dominate the relaxation times of hydrogen-bearing fluids in porous geologic matrices, enhancing the mapping of near-surface and near-wellbore transport pathways and advancing sustainable subsurface energy technologies.