The Impact of Sub-Resolution Porosity of X-ray Microtomography Images on the Permeability

There is growing interest in using advanced imaging techniques to describe the complex pore-space of natural rocks at resolutions that allow for quantitative assessment of the flow and transport behaviors in these complex media. Here, we focus on representations of the complex pore-space obtained from X-ray microtomography and the subsequent use of such 'pore-scale' representations to characterize the overall porosity and permeability of the rock sample. Specifically, we analyze the impact of sub-resolution porosity on the macroscopic (Darcy scale) flow properties of the rock. The pore structure of a rock sample is obtained using high-resolution X-ray microtomography . Image analysis of the Berea sandstone sample indicates that about 2 % of the connected porosity lies below the resolution of the instrument. We employ a Darcy-Brinkman approach, in which a Darcy model is used for the sub-resolution porosity, and the Stokes equation is used to describe the flow in the fully resolved pore-space. We compare the Darcy-Brinkman numerical simulations with core flooding experiments, and we show that proper interpretation of the sub-resolution porosity can be essential in characterizing the overall permeability of natural porous media.