GEOSCIENCE WEBINAR #3 Studying the multi-scale effect of initial porosity distribution on mechanical compaction of porous sedimentary rocks for better geological reservoir management

GEOSCIENCE WEBINAR #3

"Studying the multi-scale effect of initial porosity distribution on mechanical compaction of porous sedimentary rocks for better geological reservoir management"

Catherine Dore-Ossipyan, BM18

Friday, February 6th at 4:15 p.m. in the ESRF Auditorium

Catherine Doré-Ossipyan (Navier/LMS, currently at ESRF)
Adriana Quacquarelli (Navier, currently at Université de Pau)
Jean Sulem (Navier)
Michel Bornert (Navier)
Alexandre Dimanov (LMS)

Understanding the mechanical behavior of porous carbonate rocks, such as limestones, is critical for improving reservoir management and developing sustainable energy solutions. Limestones are formed through complex sedimentary processes and diagenesis, leading to significant microstructural heterogeneity, particularly in pore size distribution, at multiple length scales, i.e., from micrometers to kilometers and thus from the grain to the reservoir scale. This large-scale heterogeneity of pore size distribution influences not only their mechanical properties but also their storage capacity to store greenhouse gases. Indeed, previous experimental studies have demonstrated that strain is accommodated heterogeneously in porous sedimentary rocks in the form of deformation bands, which can, in turn, significantly affect their permeability.

However, despite significant advancements in the field, the complex relationship between deformation modes and microstructure across multiple length-scales remains poorly understood. This gap necessitates advanced experimental tools, such as hierarchical synchrotron X-ray computed tomography techniques which allow accurate monitoring of rock behavior under various stress conditions and at different length scales. Therefore, we performed advanced X-ray computed tomography experiments at the PSYCHEE beamline of Soleil and the BM18 beamline of the ESRF, systematically monitoring microstructural evolution at multiple scales and loading conditions using a traixail press.

In this contribution, I present the empirical relationship established from these data between the initial porosity distribution of Saint-Maximin limestone and the deformation modes observed from the micrometer to the centimeter scale. I also demonstrate that this relationship can be transferred to other materials when the mean porosity and matrix mineralogy are known. Ultimately, these results may contribute to improving multiscale geosystem models and to identifying suitable reservoirs for greenhouse gas storage.

To join the webinar by Zoom, please click here