Parameter Determination Using 3D FIB-SEM Images for Development of Effective Model of Shale Gas Flow in Nanoscale Pore Clusters

A large amount of nano-pores exists in pore clusters in shale gas reservoirs. In addition to the multiple transport regimes that occur on the nanoscale, the pore space is another major factor that significantly affects the shale gas recoverability. An investigation of the pore-scale shale gas flow is therefore important, and the results can be used to develop an effective cluster-scale pore network model for the convenient examination of the process efficiency. Focused ion beam scanning electron microscope imaging, which enables the acquisition of nanometre-resolution images that facilitate nano-pore identification, was used in conjunction with a high-precision pore network extraction algorithm to generate the equivalent pore network for the simulation of Darcy and shale gas flows through the pores. The characteristic parameters of the pores and the gas transport features were determined and analysed to obtain a deeper understanding of shale gas flow through nanoscale pore clusters, such as the importance of the throat flux–radius distribution and the variation of the tortuosity with pressure. The best parameter scheme for the proposed effective model of shale gas flow was selected out of three derived schemes based on the pore-scale prediction results. The model is applicable to pore-scale to cluster-scale shale gas flows and can be used to avoid the multiple-solution problems in the study of gas flows. It affords a foundation for further study to develop models for shale gas flows on larger scales.