Meeting Link: http://meet.google.com/xqa-uvgy-sci

Geological formations often comprise lithological heterogeneity at mm- to cm-scales which falls between the well-studied pore- and reservoir-scale properties. Such intermediate scale heterogeneity exits in the form of geometrically complex sedimentary structures characterised by low porosity, low permeability and clay enriched fine laminations. This results in a high variability in petrophysical and flow properties such as permeability and capillary entry pressure which can lead to the formation of preferential fluid flow pathways. These properties influence subsurface fluid flow and fluid rock reactions with significant implications for geological CO2 storage. However, these features are not well studied like pore and reservoir scale architectures and are typically neglected in numerical simulations. This study presents a new workflow which combines pore, core and reservoir scale properties. Our analysis shows that the predictions of CO2 capillary and mineral trapping can be significantly improved by accounting for intermediate scale heterogeneity.

About the Speaker: Dr. Achyut Mishra is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar. He is a geologist by training with specialization in high-resolution reservoir modelling, simulations of multiphase fluid flow and fluid rock reactions from pore to field scale. His research finds applications in the areas of geological carbon sequestration, carbon mineralisation using mine waste, critical mineral exploration, groundwater flow, geothermal energy, nuclear waste disposal, stimulated hydrogen production and enhanced oil recovery amongst others.