Final Report Summary - FLOWTRANS (Flow in Transforming Porous Media)
Our work focused on 4 strands: a) fault zone permeability and mineral reactions, b) creating and clogging dynamic permeability, c) transforming reservoirs, coupling of fast and slow transformation and overarching d) locating flow and transformation, inversion and exploration. In strand a) fault zone permeability and mineral reactions we have been able to develop a new understanding of banding and associated permeability changes in Mississippi Valley Type lead zinc deposits, to develop new understandings of reactions in fault zones at low and high temperature and fluid influx changing phases and fault mechanics, permeability enhancement during replacement reactions and new inversion techniques using stylolites. In summary this package looked at aspects of mineral replacement, pattern formation and ore deposits in general and focuses on the important influence of fault zones on this process. In strand b) creating and clogging dynamic permeability we were able to investigate hydrofracturing and associated seismic signals in reservoirs and compare the patterns with numerical simulations and experiments to enhance interpretation of microseismic data. In this package FlowTrans dealt with the important aspect of how permeability can be created by fast processes like fracturing and how it can be destroyed by clogging. Understanding these processes in an open environment, including universities and the private sector, is important to build the knowledge to better assess the risks associated with hydrofracturing techniques, and to help in the development of clean techniques for the extraction of fluids from tight rocks. In strand c) transforming reservoirs and coupling of fast and slow transformation we have been able to develop a new understanding of reservoir compaction, land slide stability and run-out, modeling of complex flow and pattern formation during weathering and karst formation as well as reactive fracture infiltration and dynamic permeability development. The package dealt with the development of an understand of the effects of stress and chemistry on deformation, how flow in chemically evolving fractures takes place and on the feedbacks between these processes during compaction of sedimentary basins (with special emphasis on the north sea and the Apennine fold and thrust belt in Italy). In the overarching strand d) locating flow and transformation, inversion and exploration we have developed new methods with our non-academic partners. With the company Magnitude we developed new methods to interpret micro-seismic signals using industry and client data. We also refined these techniques with the help of numerical simulations and several experimental setups that were specifically dealing with induced seismicity and fracturing due to induced air or fluid overpressure. This is ongoing work that resulted in the development of software and future projects with Magnitude with the aim to commercialize the products. With the company ORG we were directly working on the interpretation of electro-magnetic inversion techniques to predict the location of hydrocarbon resources off-shore. The newly develop technique is being applied directly by the company. With the company and research organization CSIRO we developed a new inversion technique for the prediction of the location of ore-deposits of the Mississippi Valley type that are associated with “Zebra” replacement dolomites. This application is in review now and is still in the exploratory stage, but will be followed up in future projects in collaboration with the company Amphos, CSIRO and non-academic partners in Peru. With the research institute IRIS, FlowTrans researchers developed new interpretations for compaction estimates during hydrocarbon recovery in the North Sea.
FlowTrans science has important implications for risk assessment associated with seismic hazards along faults and land-slide runout as well as de-risking of resource and energy management including the development of new exploration and monitoring techniques with special emphasis on micro-seismicity, ore deposits, off-shore hydrocarbon resources as well as basin and reservoir analysis. FlowTrans research has been extensively publicized to the scientific community through various FlowTrans led sessions and contributions at international conferences including EGU (2013,14,15,16,17), Gordon Conference on Rock Deformation and AGU and Goldschmidt as well as our international FlowTrans Conference in Strasbourg in 2015. FlowTrans researchers have and will continue to publish FlowTrans research including a special issue on Flow and Transformation in Porous Media in Frontiers in Physics. FlowTrans researchers are also ambassadors of science at schools, the European Researchers Night and numerous additional public outreach activities, for example through the Jardin des Science and education of secondary school teachers in collaboration with the Maison pour la Science.