ZEISS Solutions for Core Analysis
Extending core analysis down to the pore scale to model reservoir behavior
Pore scale modeling and simulation have developed into a crucial workflow for the oil industry, where petrophysical properties (such as absolute and relative permeability) can be computed using known fluid properties and a 3D representation of pore structure.
- Use a Scout-and-Zoom workflow to gain the most information possible about your sample:
• First, do an initial large field of view scan to provide a digital twin of your sample at low resolution, first to quantitatively characterize and classify macroscopic heterogeneity and then to identify locations for high resolution scans
• Then, use high resolution scans as an input for pore scale models in integrated pore scale fluid flow simulation software for up-scaled core scale simulations based on the large field of view image
• Finally, your intact sample can be used for further core-scale analysis, increasing agreement between experiments and modeling - Directly explore multiple physical processes by extending core analysis down to the pore scale to examine fundamental flow physics, including wettability changes, relative permeability, pore occupancy, mineralogy changes and reactive processes with in situ techniques
- Image grain scale deformations to yield more information with in situ study with integrated geomechanics
- Examine deformations both qualitatively and quantitatively to determine key grain scale mechanisms, which can then be used to guide the creation of pore scale digital rock models
ZEISS Xradia Versa X-ray microscopes are the first non-invasive high resolution imaging systems where the achievable resolution is not limited by the sample size. This capability is enabled by the unique dual magnification architecture of the system, coupling geometric and optical magnification.
Additionally, ZEISS offers a range of in situ solutions for X-ray microscopy, including integrated relative permeability measurement, geomechanical experiments and a flexible in situ integration kit, providing a universal platform for a wide range of in situ experiments.
These solutions can solve a wide array of problems, from the dynamic imaging of flow processes to the characterization of wettability distributions in whole core mixed wet carbonate samples, to the imaging of pore scale fluid distributions within a 1" core plug. As your models better incorporate pore and grain scale physics, they can then better predict macroscopic behavior.
One of the most challenging aspects when examining reservoir rocks at the pore scale is that they frequently involve multiple physical processes occurring at the same time that are challenging to incorporate into a single model.
Application images
for Core Analysis
Videos
for Core Analysis
In situ compression experiments on shale at 65 nm voxel resolution.
Calculation on shale imaged at 10 nm voxel resolution