Pore size distribution from challenge coreflood testing by colloidal flow

Abstract

The transport of colloidal and suspension particles and the resultant particle retention occur in a wide range of porous media. The micro scale pore throat size distribution is an important characteristic of porous media, allowing for evaluation of important transport properties. An effective method based on micro scale modelling for the determination of overall pore throat size distribution (PSD) by injection of colloidal particle suspensions into engineered porous media with monitored inlet and breakthrough particle concentrations is developed. The treatment of inlet and outlet colloidal particle concentrations obtained in coreflooding results in a good agreement between the modelling and experimental data. Yet, some deviation was observed between the obtained PSD and that calculated by the Monte Carlo simulation based on the Descartes' theorem. © 2011 The Institution of Chemical Engineers.