Open AccessSimulation of diagenesis and permeability variation in two‐dimensional rock structure
Author(s) -
Sadhukhan S.,
Dutta T.,
Tarafdar S.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
geophysical journal international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0956-540X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-246x.2007.03426.x
Subject(s) - diagenesis , geology , permeability (electromagnetism) , porosity , characterisation of pore space in soil , pressure gradient , porous medium , deposition (geology) , mineralogy , mechanics , geotechnical engineering , geomorphology , chemistry , physics , membrane , biochemistry , oceanography , sediment
SUMMARY A model is suggested to simulate the physical aspect of diagenesis in porous rocks. A bidisperse ballistic deposition model with relaxation of deposited grains is used to generate the porous structure. Sedimentation and erosion are allowed to restructure the pore space as a fluid flows through the rock. The effect of this restructuring of the pore space on permeability is studied. The Navier–Stokes equation is solved numerically by the finite difference method to determine the pressure and velocity distributions in the pore space. We find that though deposition is the dominant process in our model of diagenesis, reducing the porosity, the permeability may increase dramatically in some cases. These are when the erosion takes place at a single narrow constriction in the pore channel.