A Theoretical Analysis of Pore Size Distribution Effects on Shale Apparent Permeability

Apparent permeability is an important input parameter in the simulation of shale gas production. Most apparent permeability models assume a single pore size. In this study, we develop a theoretical model for quantifying the effect of pore size distribution on shale apparent permeability. The model a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shouceng Tian, Wenxi Ren, Gensheng Li, Ruiyue Yang, Tianyu Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2017-01-01
Series:Geofluids
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/7492328
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Summary:Apparent permeability is an important input parameter in the simulation of shale gas production. Most apparent permeability models assume a single pore size. In this study, we develop a theoretical model for quantifying the effect of pore size distribution on shale apparent permeability. The model accounts for the nonuniform distribution of pore sizes, the rarefaction effect, and gas characteristics. The model is validated against available experimental data. Theoretical calculations show that the larger the pore radius, the larger the apparent permeability. Moreover, the apparent permeability increases with an increase in the width of pore size distribution, with this effect being much more pronounced at low pressure than at high pressure.
ISSN:1468-8115
1468-8123