Reservoir-on-a-Chip (ROC): A new paradigm in reservoir engineering

Gunda, Naga Siva Kumar; Bera, Bijoyendra; Karadimitriou, Nikolaos; Mitra, Sushanta K.; Hassanizadeh, S. Majid

doi:10.1039/c1lc20556k

Cited by 177 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 51 publications

(73 reference statements)

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“…Recent applications of microfluidics to study fluid transport phenomena in oil reservoirs and saline aquifers has sparked a new interest in leveraging some attributes of microfluidics, such as small sample size, fast reaction time, rapid transport, and real time microscale visualization in the study of multiphase fluid interactions underground [3][4][5][6]. Reservoirs are made up of porous media that consists of a network of channels and voids with length scales on the order of 0.1 to 100 lm [7,8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microfluidics Underground: A Micro-Core Method for Pore Scale Analysis of Supercritical CO2 Reactive Transport in Saline Aquifers

Nguyen¹,

Fadaei²,

Sinton

2013

Journal of Fluids Engineering

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Carbon sequestration in microporous geological formations is an emerging strategy for mitigating CO 2 emissions from fossil fuel consumption. Injection of CO 2 in carbonate reservoirs can change the porosity and permeability of the reservoir regions, along the CO 2 plume migration path, due to CO 2 -brine-rock interactions. Carbon sequestration is effectively a microfluidic process over large scales, and can readily benefit from microfluidic tools and analysis methods. In this study, a micro-core method was developed to investigate the effect of CO 2 saturated brine and supercritical CO 2 injection, under reservoir temperature and pressure conditions of 8.4 MPa and 40 C, on the microstructure of limestone core samples. Specifically, carbonate dissolution results in pore structure, porosity, and permeability changes. These changes were measured by X-ray microtomography (micro-CT), liquid permeability measurements, and chemical analysis. Chemical composition of the produced liquid analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) shows concentrations of magnesium and calcium in the produced liquid. Chemical analysis results are consistent with the micro-CT imaging and permeability measurements which all show high dissolution for CO 2 saturated brine injection and very minor dissolution under supercritical CO 2 injection. This work leverages established advantages of microfluidics in the new context of core-sample analysis, providing a simple core sealing method, small sample size, small volumes of injection fluids, fast characterization times, and pore scale resolution.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microfluidics Underground: A Micro-Core Method for Pore Scale Analysis of Supercritical CO2 Reactive Transport in Saline Aquifers

Nguyen¹,

Fadaei²,

Sinton

2013

Journal of Fluids Engineering

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“…In a reservoir engineering application, a traditional water-flooding experiment based on rock samples was replaced by a microfluidic device for studies of oil recovery. 32 The device included a realistic pore network representative of reservoir rocks and allowed direct visualization of complex fluid flows and displacement mechanisms at the pore-scale. To study bacterial motility or growth in simulated subsurface environments, one device permitted microscopic examination of mixing in porous media mediated by bacterial motion; 33 another device investigated the spatial controls exerted by biomass and iron phases on uranium fate and transport for biogeochemical cycling.…”

Section: Fundamentalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Micro Total Analysis Systems: Fundamental Advances and Applications in the Laboratory, Clinic, and Field

et al. 2012

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“…The subdomain size beyond which the capillary pressure-saturation curve remained unchanged was considered to be the REV. In the work of Gunda et al, 8 the microfluidic device was also elongated, but it was made of two different materials. The flow network was created in a silicon substrate, and the whole model was sealed with a glass slide.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A novel deep reactive ion etched (DRIE) glass micro-model for two-phase flow experiments

et al. 2012

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In the last few decades, micro-models have become popular experimental tools for two-phase flow studies. In this work, the design and fabrication of an innovative, elongated, glass-etched micromodel with dimensions of 5 6 35 mm 2 and constant depth of 43 microns is described. This is the first time that a micro-model with such depth and dimensions has been etched in glass by using a dry etching technique. The micro-model was visualized by a novel setup that allowed us to monitor and record the distribution of fluids throughout the length of the micro-model continuously. Quasi-static drainage experiments were conducted in order to obtain equilibrium data points that relate capillary pressure to phase saturation. By measuring the flow rate of water through the flow network for known pressure gradients, the intrinsic permeability of the micro-model's flow network was also calculated. The experimental results were used to calibrate a pore-network model and test its validity. Finally, we show that glass-etched micro-models can be valuable tools in single and/or multi-phase flow studies and their applications.

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Reservoir-on-a-Chip (ROC): A new paradigm in reservoir engineering

Cited by 177 publications

References 51 publications

Microfluidics Underground: A Micro-Core Method for Pore Scale Analysis of Supercritical CO2 Reactive Transport in Saline Aquifers

Microfluidics Underground: A Micro-Core Method for Pore Scale Analysis of Supercritical CO2 Reactive Transport in Saline Aquifers

Micro Total Analysis Systems: Fundamental Advances and Applications in the Laboratory, Clinic, and Field

A novel deep reactive ion etched (DRIE) glass micro-model for two-phase flow experiments

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