Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T07:45:05.444Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The visualization of flow paths in experimental studies of clay-rich materials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

A. C. Wiseall ,
R. J. Cuss ,
C. C. Graham  and
J. F. Harrington
A. C. Wiseall*
Affiliation:
British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
R. J. Cuss
Affiliation:
British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
C. C. Graham
Affiliation:
British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
J. F. Harrington
Affiliation:
British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
*
*E-mail: andyw@bgs.ac.uk
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

One of the most challenging aspects of understanding the flow of gas and water during testing in clay-rich low-permeability materials is the difficulty in visualizing localized flow. Whilst understanding has been increased using X-ray Computed-tomography (CT) scanning, synchrotron X-ray imaging and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) imaging, real-time testing is problematic under realistic in situ conditions confining pressures, which require steel pressure vessels. These methods tend not to have the nano-metre scale resolution necessary for clay mineral visualization, and are generally not compatible with the long duration necessary to investigate flow in such materials. Therefore other methods are necessary to visualize flow paths during post-mortem analysis of test samples. Several methodologies have been established at the British Geological Survey (BGS), in order to visualize flow paths both directly and indirectly. These include: (1) the injection of fluorescein-stained water or deuterium oxide; (2) the introduction of nanoparticles that are transported by carrier gas; (3) the use of radiologically tagged gas; and (4) the development of apparatus for the direct visualization of clay. These methodologies have greatly increased our understanding of the transport of water and gas through intact and fractured clay-rich materials. The body of evidence for gas transport through the formation of dilatant pathways is now considerable. This study presents observations using a new apparatus to directly visualize the flow of gas in a kaolinite paste. The results presented provide an insight into the flow of gas in clay-rich rocks. The flow of gas through dilatant pathways has been shown in a number of argillaceous materials (Angeli et al., 2009; Autio et al., 2006; Cuss et al., 2014; Harrington et al., 2012). These pathways are pressure induced and an increase in gas pressure leads to the dilation of pathways. Once the gas breakthrough occurs, pressure decreases and pathways begin to close. This new approach is providing a unique insight into the complex processes involved during the onset, development and closure of these dilatant gas pathways.

Keywords

gas flowpathway dilationkaolinitepathway visualizationgeological disposal
Type
Research Article
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 79 , Issue 6 , November 2015 , pp. 1335 - 1342
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2015. This is an open access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2015

References

Angeli, M., Soldal, M., Skurtveit, E. and Aker, E. (2009) Experimental percolation of supercritical CO2 through a caprock. Energy Procedia, 1, 3351–3358.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Autio, J., Gribi, P., Johnson, L. and Marschall, P. (2006) Effect of excavation damage zone on gas migration in a KBS-3H type repository at Olkiluotu. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 31, 649–653.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Besuelle, P., Viggiani, G., Desrues, J., Coll, C. and Charrier, P. (2013) A laboratory experimental study of thehydromechanical behaviour of Boom Clay. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 47, 143–155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, G.J., Maes, T., Vandervoort, F., Sillen, X., Van Marcke, P., Honty, M., Dierick, M. and Vanderniepen, P. (2014) Thermal impact on damaged Boom Clay and Opalinus Clay: Permeameter and isoastatic tests with uCT scanning. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 47, 87–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cuss, R.J., Harrington, J., Giot, R and Auvray, C. (2014) Experimental observations of mechanical dilation at the onset of gas flow in Callovo-Oxfordian claystone. Pp. 507–519 in: Clays in Natural and Engineered Barriers for Radioactive Waste Confinement, 400. Geological Society Special Publications, Geological Society of London, UK.Google Scholar
Graham, C.C., Harrington, IE, Cuss, R.J. and Sellin, P., (2012) Gas migration experiments in bentonite: implications for numerical modelling. Mineralogical Magazine, 76, 3279–3292.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harrington, IF, Milodowski, A.E., Graham, C.C., Rushton, J.C. and Cuss, R.J. (2012) Evidence for gas-induced pathways in clay using a nano particle injection technique. Mineralogical Magazine, 76, 3327–3336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Horseman, S.T., Harrington, J.F. and Sellin, P. (1999) Gas migration in clay barriers. Engineering Geology, 54, 139–149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marschall, P., Horseman, S. and Gimmi, T. (2005) Characterisation of gas transport properties of the Opalinus Clay; a potential host rock formation for radioactive waste disposal. Oil & Gas Science and Technology - Review IFP, 60, 121–139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ortiz, L., Volckaert, G. and Mallants, D. (2002) Gas generation and migration in Boom Clay, a potential host rock formation for nuclear waste storage. Engineering Geology, 64, 287–296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sathar, S., Reeves, II, Cuss, R.J. and Harrington, J.F. (2012) The role of stress history on the flow of fluids through fractures. Mineralogical Magazine, 76, 3165–3177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Geet, M., Bastiaens, W. and Ortiz, L. (2008) Self-sealing capacity of argillaceous rocks: review of laboratory results obtained from the SELFRAC project. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/ B/C, 33, S396-S406.Google Scholar
Weetjens, E. and Sillen, X. (2006) Gas generation and migration in the near field of a supercontainer-baseddisposal system for vitrified high-level radioactive waste. Proceedings of the 11th International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference. IHLRWM, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.Google Scholar
Wikramaratna, R.S., Goodfield, M., Rodwell, W.R, Nash, P.J. and Agg, P.J. (1993) A Preliminary Assessment of Gas Migration from the Copper/Steel Canister. SKB Technical report TR 93-31. Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB), Stockholm, Sweden.Google Scholar
Zhang, C-L, Rothfuchs, T., Su, K and Hoteit, N. (2007) Experimental study of the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of indurated clays. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 32, 957–965.CrossRefGoogle Scholar