Poromechanics Investigation at Pore-scale Using Digital Rock Physics Laboratory

S. Zhang[1],
N. Saxena[2],
P. Barthelemy[1], and
M. Marsh[1]
[1]Visualization Sciences Group, Burlington, MA, USA
[2]Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
Published in 2011

Understanding the rock structure at nano to micro scale is of growing importance in geology, oil and gas, and hydrology. New approaches that relies on a variety of high resolution 3D imaging techniques offered tremendous potential. These new approaches, in the meanwhile, introduce significant new challenges. Starting from digital imaging data, the paper introduces an image-to-simulation framework. With highly efficient, interactive, and friendly software algorithms powered by Avizo and Comsol Multiphysics, porous rock structure can be accurately extracted and numerical simulations can be conducted, based on which existing rock models can be validated and compensated with much more physical insights.