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- Title
Persistent Homology as a Heterogeneity Metric for Predicting Pore Size Change in Dissolving Carbonates.
- Authors
Thompson, E. P.; Ellis, B. R.
- Abstract
Accurate prediction of physical alterations in carbonate reservoirs under dissolution is critical for development of subsurface energy technologies. The impact of mineral dissolution on flow characteristics depends on the connectivity and tortuosity of the pore network. Persistent homology is a tool from algebraic topology that describes the size and connectivity of topological features. When applied to 3D X‐ray computed tomography (XCT) imagery of rock cores, it provides a novel metric of pore network heterogeneity. Prior works have demonstrated the efficacy of persistent homology in predicting flow properties in numerical simulations of flow through porous media. Its ability to combine size, spatial distribution, and connectivity information make it a promising tool for understanding reactive transport in complex pore networks, yet limited work has been done to apply persistence analysis to experimental studies on natural rocks. In this study, three limestone cores were imaged by XCT before and after acid‐driven dissolution flow‐through experiments. Each XCT scan was analyzed using persistent homology. In all three rocks, permeability increase was driven by the growth of large, connected pore bodies. The two most homogenous samples saw an increased effect nearer to the flow inlet, suggesting emerging preferential flow paths as the reaction front progresses. The most heterogeneous sample showed an increase in along‐core homogeneity during reaction. Variability of persistence showed moderate positive correlation with pore body size increase. Persistence heterogeneity analysis could be used to anticipate where greatest pore size evolution may occur in a reservoir targeted for subsurface development, improving confidence in project viability. Key Points: Persistent homology applied to 3D imagery provides detailed information about the size, connectivity, and heterogeneity of pore featuresPermeability increase in dissolving carbonates due to growth of large, connected pore bodies with little intrusion into disconnected poresSample with highly heterogeneous pore size saw an increase in along‐core pore size homogeneity after reaction
- Subjects
COMPUTED tomography; HETEROGENEITY; CARBONATE reservoirs; POROUS materials; ALGEBRAIC topology; CARBONATES; LIMESTONE; LARVAL dispersal
- Publication
Water Resources Research, 2023, Vol 59, Issue 9, p1
- ISSN
0043-1397
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1029/2023WR034559