Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Understanding the fluid storage and production mechanisms in sedimentary rocks is vital for optimising natural gas extraction and subsurface resource management. This study applies high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (≈15 μm) to digitise rock samples from onshore Cyprus, producing digital rock models from DICOM images. The workflow, including digitisation, numerical simulation of natural gas flow, and experimental validation, demonstrates strong agreement between digital and laboratory-measured porosity, confirming the methods’ reliability. Synthetic sand packs generated via particle-based modelling provide further insight into the gas storage mechanisms. A linear porosity–permeability relationship was observed, with porosity increasing from 0 to 35% and permeability from 0 to 3.34 mD. Permeability proved critical for production, as a rise from 1.5 to 3 mD nearly doubled the gas flow rate (14 to 30 fm3/s). Grain morphology also influenced gas storage. Increasing roundness enhanced porosity from 0.30 to 0.41, boosting stored gas volume by 47.6% to 42 fm3. Although based on Cyprus retrieved samples, the methodology is applicable to sedimentary formations elsewhere. The findings have implications for enhanced oil recovery, CO2 sequestration, hydrogen storage, and groundwater extraction. This work highlights digital rock physics as a scalable technology for investigating transport behaviour in porous media and improving characterisation of complex sedimentary reservoirs.
Source: Geosciences
Institutions: University of Nicosia, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Language: English
Subfield: Ocean Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,172
OpenAlex ID: W4414786711