The fundamental function of a laboratory hydraulic system in this context is to generate and maintain constant confining pressure on the core holder. By utilizing a high-performance hydraulic pump to apply external force, the system effectively replicates the significant overburden stress that rock formations experience deep underground. This ensures the experimental core sample remains physically constrained under a realistic stress field throughout the simulation.
By maintaining constant confining pressure, the hydraulic system creates a realistic geomechanical environment for the core sample. This simulation of overburden stress is essential for capturing accurate injection decline curves and reliably calculating well impedance and skin factor.
Simulating Downhole Conditions
Replicating Overburden Stress
The primary mechanical goal of the hydraulic system is to simulate the weight of the earth.
In a reservoir, rock is compressed by the formations above it. The hydraulic system mimics this by applying constant external pressure to the core holder, ensuring the rock sample behaves as it would in a deep well.
Establishing a Realistic Stress Field
Without this external pressure, the core sample would exist in a relaxed state that does not reflect reality.
The hydraulic system ensures the sample is subjected to a realistic stress field. This allows researchers to observe how the rock structure reacts to CO2 injection under actual reservoir conditions.
Ensuring Data Integrity
Capturing Permeability Damage
The experiment aims to measure how CO2 injection alters the rock, specifically looking for changes in permeability (damage) and the resulting skin factor.
Because rock permeability changes significantly under stress, the hydraulic system allows for the observation of permeability damage as it would occur in a pressurized environment, not just in an open-air lab setting.
Acquiring Accurate Decline Curves
The ultimate output of these experiments involves analyzing the injection decline curve.
The text indicates that maintaining the stress field is the specific mechanism that allows for the acquisition of accurate injection decline curve data. Without the hydraulic system's stabilization, this data would likely be skewed or invalid.
Operational Criticality and Trade-offs
The Necessity of Constant Pressure
The effectiveness of the simulation relies entirely on the stability of the hydraulic pump.
The system must provide constant pressure, not fluctuating pressure. If the hydraulic system allows the confining pressure to vary, the "overburden stress" simulation fails, introducing variables that distort the skin factor calculations.
The Risk of Experimental Artifacts
If the stress field is not maintained, the data may reflect the equipment's limitations rather than the rock's properties.
Researchers must ensure the hydraulic system is robust enough to maintain pressure throughout the entire CO2 injection process to prevent false readings on well impedance.
Ensuring Experimental Success
To ensure your simulation yields valid skin factor and impedance data, consider these strategic focal points:
- If your primary focus is Geomechanical Accuracy: Ensure the hydraulic pump is calibrated to apply specific confining pressures that match the target depth of the reservoir being simulated.
- If your primary focus is Data Precision: Monitor the hydraulic system to verify that the external pressure remains absolutely constant during the injection phase to validate the decline curve data.
The hydraulic system is not just a pump; it is the critical component that bridges the gap between a bench-top experiment and the physical reality of a subterranean reservoir.
Summary Table:
| Feature | Function in CO2 Injection Simulation | Impact on Data Accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| Confining Pressure | Replicates overburden stress from earth's weight | Ensures geomechanical realism of the core sample |
| Stress Field Stability | Maintains a constant external force on the core holder | Prevents artifacts in injection decline curve data |
| Permeability Tracking | Observes rock structure changes under pressure | Captures realistic permeability damage and skin factor |
| Hydraulic Precision | Prevents pressure fluctuations during injection | Validates calculations for well impedance and reservoir health |
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References
- Amin Shokrollahi, Pavel Bedrikovetsky. CO2 Storage in Subsurface Formations: Impact of Formation Damage. DOI: 10.3390/en17174214
This article is also based on technical information from Kintek Press Knowledge Base .
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