Pore-Scale Investigation of the Matrix−Fracture Interaction During CO2 Injection in Naturally Fractured Oil Reservoirs

Sequestration of CO2 into oil and gas reservoirs gains respect as an economically and environmentally convenient way of reducing emissions of greenhouse gas and increasing hydrocarbon production at the same time. Because the naturally fractured reservoirs (NFRs) constitute a great portion of current and potential CO2 injection applications, it is essential to understand the matrix−fracture interaction during such applications to maximize the efficiency of the process, maximizing incremental oil production with maximum CO2 storage. Visualization of the phase behavior and flow patterns to/from the fracture and from/to the matrix is critical in understating the process and discovering ways to co-optimize the oil production−greenhouse gas storage process. Hence, pore-scale behavior of the CO2−oil interaction was investigated experimentally using homo- and heterogeneous fractured micromodels. Glass-etched microfluidic models were employed to investigate the pore-scale interaction between the matrix and fractur...