The Imaging of Dynamic Multiphase Fluid Flow Using Synchrotron-Based X-ray Microtomography at Reservoir Conditions

Fast synchrotron-based X-ray microtomography was used to image the injection of super-critical $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$ under subsurface conditions into a brine-saturated carbonate sample at the pore-scale with a voxel size of $$3.64\,\upmu \hbox {m}$$ and a temporal resolution of 45 s. Capillary pressure was measured from the images by finding the curvature of terminal menisci of both connected and disconnected $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$ clusters. We provide an analysis of three individual dynamic drainage events at elevated temperatures and pressures on the tens of seconds timescale, showing non-local interface recession due to capillary pressure change, and both local and distal (non-local) snap-off. The measured capillary pressure change is not sufficient to explain snap-off in this system, as the disconnected $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$ has a much lower capillary pressure than the connected $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$ both before and after the event. Disconnected regions instead preserve extremely low dynamic capillary pressures generated during the event. Snap-off due to these dynamic effects is not only controlled by the pore topography and throat radius, but also by the local fluid arrangement. Whereas disconnected fluid configurations produced by local snap-off were rapidly reconnected with the connected $$\hbox {CO}_{2}$$ region, distal snap-off produced much more long-lasting fluid configurations, showing that dynamic forces can have a persistent impact on the pattern and sequence of drainage events.