Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “fluid migration”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

An experimental study on gas-liquid phase fluid migration in hydrate-bearing sediments during hydrate dissociation

Natural gas hydrate production tests face problems such as severe sand blockage, poor gas-liquid phase separation, and significant land subsidence. This is because of the insufficient understanding of the complex phase transition and gas-liquid multi-phase fluid migration during hydrate dissociation. In hydrate-bearing sediment systems, hydrate phase transition couples with gas-liquid fluid migration. The phase transition causes changes in pore structure, which in turn modifies porous infiltration parameters and fluid flow capacity. Meanwhile, alterations in phase interfaces affect key parameters like surface tension and wettability. Gas-liquid fluid migration influences heat and mass transfer, thus affecting phase equilibrium and dissociation rates. To bridge the gap in describing gas-liquid fluid migration during hydrate dissociation in experiments, this research innovatively integrated an unsteady-state gas displacement by water and a quantitative hydrate dissociation process, independently developed a multi-phase seepage experimental system suitable for hydrate dissociation and determined the relationship between seepage parameters and hydrate saturation under different porosity. The results are as follows: a) Core samples with higher initial porosity show a greater recovery rate of fluid flow capacity. b) The retarding effect of multi-phase fluid has a more significant impact on the migration of the wetting phase fluid (water) than that of the non-wetting phase fluid (methane). c) During hydrate dissociation, the evolution of absolute permeability shows an “S-shaped” pattern, and the evolution of relative permeability shows a “wiring-harness” pattern. In conclusion, the findings can provide a theoretical basis for preventing geological disasters and for geotechnical engineering design during hydrate production.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Determining the extent of potential fugitive fluid migration from geologic carbon storage in hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs: Insights from one-dimensional numerical modeling

Numerical modeling of Geologic Carbon Sequestration in permeable reservoirs initially containing hydrocarbons is conducted using the multi-phase, multi-component thermohydrologic simulator TOGA (TOUGH Oil, Gas, Aqueous; TOUGH stands for Transport Of Unsaturated Groundwater and Heat), to determine how phase and composition of the original fluids influence the extent of the zone where upward fugitive fluid migration could potentially occur, denoted R f . The area within R f comprises regions of substantially elevated pressure and free-phase CO 2 saturation, where a breach in reservoir sealing capacity would lead to upward fugitive fluid migration. The model examines the conditions within the storage reservoir that could lead to fugitive flow, but does not model the fugitive flow itself. A one-dimensional radial model of the storage reservoir is used, and three initial phase conditions are considered: single-phase aqueous, two-phase gas-aqueous, and three-phase oil-gas-aqueous. Components that may be present are H 2 O, CO 2 , CH 4 , C 4 H 10 , and C 10 H 22 . The most important factors controlling Rf are (1) the initial gas-phase saturation within the reservoir, and (2) the lateral extent of multi-phase initial conditions, particularly CO 2 . The composition of liquid and gas phases has a secondary effect. The impact of reservoir depth, thickness, injection rate, and hydrologic properties are also briefly examined, with thickness (or equivalently injection rate) having the biggest effect. These results can help to understand important trends in potential response of CO 2 -EOR fields being considered for dedicated CO 2 storage.

CO₂ plume migration↗
DOE OSTI2022

Fluid migration in low-permeability faults driven by decoupling of fault slip and opening

Understanding the response of faults to the injection of high-pressure fluids is important for several subsurface applications, for example, geologic carbon sequestration or energy storage. Lab-based experiments suggest that fluid injection can activate fault slip and that this slip can lead to increased fluid transmission along low-permeability faults. Here we present in situ observations from a cross-borehole fluid-injection experiment in a low-permeability shale-bearing fault, which show fault displacement occurring before fluid-pressure build-up. Comparing these observations with numerical models with differing permeability evolution histories, we find that the observed variation in fluid pressure is best explained by a change in permeability only after the fault fails and slips beyond the pressurized area. Once fluid migration occurs along the fault as a result of slip-induced permeability increase, the fault experiences further opening due to a decrease in the effective normal stress. We then suggest that decoupling of fault slip and opening, leading to a rapid increase in fluid pressurization following the initial fault slip, could be an efficient driver for fluid migration in low-permeability faults.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Deep learning model for fast, science-based forecasting of fluid migration along faults in geologic carbon storage scenarios

Effective long-term geologic storage depends on robust site selection and credible, science-based forecasting of subsurface behavior to ensure storage integrity. For this work, we develop a deep learning–based reduced-order model (ROM) to quantify potential carbon dioxide (CO₂) and brine migration through geological faults. The ROM combines a Transformer model for binary classification and a Stacked Ensemble for regression, trained on a comprehensive dataset generated from 1400 physics-based reservoir simulations. Key geologic and operational parameters—including fault geometry, reservoir structure, and injection conditions—were systematically varied to capture a wide range of fluid migration scenarios. The ROM accurately predicts the onset of migration, cumulative migration volumes of both CO₂ and brine, and associated migration rates, as compared to an independent set of validation simulations, while significantly reducing computational cost compared to traditional simulation methods. Model performance was evaluated across diverse fault configurations, revealing that shallow reservoir geometry and fault angle are among the most influential factors governing migration behavior. Sensitivity analysis using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) provided interpretability, revealing distinct patterns in how geological and operational features drive transient versus cumulative migration outcomes. The ROM’s ability to rapidly simulate fault migration scenarios enables efficient sensitivity analyses, scenario evaluations, and decision support for site selection and monitoring design. This approach enhances the safety, scalability, and long-term operational performance of geologic carbon storage (GCS) systems by providing a robust, interpretable tool for predicting subsurface fluid migration and assessing fault-related migration potential.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

In-situ experiment reveals CO2 enriched fluid migration in faulted caprock

Abstract The sealing characteristics of the geological formation located above a CO 2 storage reservoir, the so-called caprock, are essential to ensure efficient geological carbon storage. If CO 2 were to leak through the caprock, temporal changes in fluid geochemistry can reveal fundamental information on migration mechanisms and induced fluid–rock interactions. Here, we present the results from a unique in-situ injection experiment, where CO 2 -enriched fluid was continuously injected in a faulted caprock analogue. Our results show that the CO 2 migration follows complex pathways within the fault structure. The joint analysis of noble gases, ion concentrations and carbon isotopes allow us to quantify mixing between injected CO 2 -enriched fluid and resident formation water and to describe the temporal evolution of water–rock interaction processes. The results presented here are a crucial complement to the geophysical monitoring at the fracture scale highlighting a unique migration of CO 2 in fault zones.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2019

Basin-wide gradients in dolomite d26Mg and 87Sr/86Sr identify the structural centre of the Williston Basin as a source of magnesium for dolomitization of the Middle Devonian Winnipegosis Formation

Dolomitized carbonates in the Williston Basin are common below the Middle Devonian Prairie Evaporite Formation, indicating a plausible role for brine-reflux as the source of Mg for dolomitization. However, the Lower Member Winnipegosis Formation, which directly underlies the evaporite sequence, exhibits dolomite 87Sr/86Sr ratios that are higher than expected for Middle Devonian seawater, instead suggesting that the dolomitizing fluids ascended from the deep basin where present-day formation waters are known to be more radiogenic. This interpretation is supported in this study by Mg isotope data showing a basin-scale gradient of increasing d26Mg values from the deep center (–2.03‰) to the edge (–1.34‰) of the Williston Basin along the lower Member Winnipegosis bed. Dolomite favors light isotopes of Mg when it forms, thus driving dolomitizing solutions, and the produced dolomite, towards heavier isotopic compositions in the direction of fluid flow. However, dolomite is also Mg-deficient when it forms, and its initial Mg isotope composition is susceptible to alteration by fluid-rock interactions occurring later in the depositional history of the deposit. We argue that the Mg isotope gradient in the Lower Member Winnipegosis was created by an ascending flow of isotopically light Mg-bearing fluid that differentially altered an earlier formed brine-reflux dolomite, with more alteration occurring deeper in the basin and less towards to edges. Alteration of pre-existing dolomite by an Mg isotope exchange mechanism requires large supplies of Mg. This fact, and the direction of fluid flow point to the underlying crystalline basement as an important Mg source for dolomitization in the Williston Basin. We speculate that ultramafic rocks supplied the Mg when they were hydrothermally altered during an anomalous heating event that affected the Williston Basin in the Late Devonian / Early Carboniferous. Seismic pumping drove these fluids upwards through fracture networks in the crust, and eventually into the deep center of the Williston Basin along vertically-oriented down-to-the-basement faults, pressuring deep aquifers like the Winnipegosis, which resulted in fluids migrating up the stratigraphic dip of the beds towards the edges of the basin. Plotting and contouring the dolomite d26Mg data on a map of the Williston Basin reveals the pathways taken by the migrating fluids. One prominent pathway extending outwards from the center of the basin towards the northeast bears a strong resemblance to petroleum migration fairways deduced for the underlying Late Ordovician Red River Formation. This study demonstrates that Mg isotopic mapping of large dolomite bodies is a useful tool for deciphering fluid flow histories in sedimentary basins and may assist in locating migrated petroleum and Mississippi Valley Type ore deposits.

Magnesium Isotopes, Strontium Isotopes, Dolomitiza↗
NASA NTRS1993

Trace elements in migrating high-temperature fluids: Effects of diffusive exchange with the adjoining solid

Trace element concentrations and isotopic ratios are frequently used to study the behavior of high-temperature fluids in both metamorphic and igneous systems. Many theoretical formulations of the effects of fluid migration on trace elements have assumed instantaneous reequilibration between the migrating fluid and the solid material through which it is passing. This paper investigates the additional effects which arise when equilibration is not instantaneous due to a limited rate of diffusion in the solid, using an analytical steady state solution to a set of partial differential equations describing the exchange of trace elements between the fluid and the solid during the migration of the fluid.

Kenyon, Patricia M.↗
DOE OSTI2019

Approaches to multi-scale analyses of mechanically and thermally-driven migration of fluid inclusions in salt rocks

Fluid inclusions are found within mineral crystals or along grain boundaries in many sedimentary rocks, notably in evaporite formations, and can migrate along a thermal or hydro-mechanical gradient. Shale and salt rocks have been considered potential host rocks for radioactive waste disposal, due to their low permeability. Previously stagnant inclusions may become mobilised by a perturbation of the in situ state by a geotechnical installation or the emplacement of heat-generating waste. Here, the migration of fluid inclusions can thus have important impacts on the long-term performance of a geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste disposal. As a part of the international research project DECOVALEX-2019, two aspects of fluid inclusion migration in rock salt are currently investigated under different boundary conditions: a) altered hydro-mechanical conditions as a consequence of tunnel excavation or borehole drilling and b) coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical conditions during the heating period of the post-closure phase of a repository.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Deep-learning-enhanced assessment of wellbore barrier effectiveness in geologic storage systems with intermediate aquifers

For geologic systems where carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is injected underground, existing wells represent potential pathways for fluid migration. Here, this study introduces a novel deep learning model to quantify the likelihood and potential magnitude of fluid migration through wellbores at sites with intermediate aquifers or thief zones between the injection units and underground drinking water sources. Synthetic datasets, generated using reservoir simulations, captured a wide range of subsurface conditions, well attributes, operational parameters, and fluid migration scenarios. Among the regression models developed to predict brine and CO 2 leakage rates and CO 2 saturations along leaky wellbores, convolutional neural network (CNN) outperformed both Light Gradient Boosting Machine and deep neural network. Additionally, a CNN-based classification model was created to predict whether brine and CO 2 would leak along a wellbore, further improving performance over regression alone. The best models were integrated into the National Risk Assessment Partnership Open-source Integrated Assessment Model for rapid, stochastic assessment of storage system containment and leakage risks. A case study demonstrated the model’s ability to simulate fluid migration through existing wells with multiple intermediate aquifers. This computationally efficient wellbore model offers value in support of site performance evaluation and risk-informed decision making by stakeholders.

CO2 leakage↗
NASA NTRS1966

Fiber length and orientation prevent migration in fluid filters

Stainless steel fiber web filter resists fiber migration which causes contamination of filtered fluids. This filter is capable of holding five times more particulate matter before arbitrary cutoff pressure drop and shows excellent retention in fuel flow at high rates.

Reiman, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Navier-Stokes analyses of the redistribution of inlet temperature distortions in a turbine

The flow exiting the combustor and entering the turbine of a gas turbine engine is known to contain both spatial and temporal variations in total temperature. Although historically it has been presumed that the turbine rotor responded to the average temperature, recent experimental evidence has demonstrated that the rotor actually separated the hotter and cooler streams of fluid so that the hotter fluid migrated toward the pressure surface and the cooler fluid migrated toward the suction surface. In the present study a time-accurate, two-dimensional, thin-layer, Navier-Stokes analysis of a turbine stage was used to analyze this phenomenon. The rough qualitative agreement between the measured and the computed results indicated that the analysis had successfully captured many of the important features of the flow.

Rai, Man Mohan↗
NASA NTRS1979

The migration of fluid droplets and their interactions in a thermal gradient

When materials are processed in free fall, buoyant forces will be substantially reduced. Thus, the buoyant migration of droplets and bubbles which normally occurs on earth is expected to be overshadowed by migration due to other mechanisms in space processing. In particular, capillary forces on droplets due to the variation of interfacial tension around their periphery will play a significant role in governing their motion in space. While such interfacial tension gradients can be caused by thermal, compositional, and/or electrical gradients in the continuous phase, thermal gradients are convenient to use in controlled experimentation. On earth, due to interference from buoyant effects, it is difficult to study thermocapillary migration in sufficient detail. Also, the effects of a thermal gradient on the interactions among droplets are hard to study on Earth. Thus, an orbital facility for conducting experiments on the migration and interactions of fluid droplets in a continuous phase due to the action of a thermal gradient appears attractive.

Subramanian, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Thermocapillary and Diffusocapillary Migration of a Fluid Drop

The migration of bubbles, or drops, plays an important role in many engineering science and space manufacturing problems. In material science processes as in the manufacturing of glasses, etc., gas bubbles can be formed from the by-products of chemical reactions or gas trapped in the interstices of the raw material. In the low-g environment of space, forces other than gravitational must be utilized as a bubble separation technique. It is well-known that gradients in interfacial tension on the bubbles' surface can promote droplet motion in the direction of decreasing interfacial tension and hence provide such a separation mechanism. Thus, the role of thermocapillary and diffusocapillary migration of a bubble, or drop, can be of paramount interest in materials processing in space.

Sani, R. L.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Capillary movement of liquid in granular beds in microgravity

A more complete understanding of the dynamics of capillary flow through an unsaturated porous medium would be useful for the development of an effective water and nutrient delivery system for the growth of plants in space. An experiment was conducted on the Mir Space Station that used an experimental cuvette called "Capillary Test Bed" to compare fluid migration under terrestrial laboratory conditions by positioning the cuvette such that the hydrostatic force is negated and on Mir under microgravity conditions. Differences in fluid migration in the cuvette were observed with migration being slower in microgravity compared with some ground control experiments.

Mir Project↗
NASA NTRS1994

Capillary Movement of Liquid in Granular Beds in Microgravity

A more complete understanding of the dynamics of capillary flow through an g unsaturated porous medium would be useful for a number of space and terrestrial applications. One such application involves the development of an effective water and nutrient delivery system for the growth of plants in space. An experiment was conducted on the Mir Space Station that used an experimental cuvette called "Capillary Test Bed". An objective of this experiment was to compare fluid migration in the "Capillary Test Bed" under terrestrial laboratory simulated microgravity conditions by positioning the cuvette such that the hydrostatic force is negated and on Mir at microgravity conditions. Difference in fluid migration in the cuvette were observed. Based on these observations, improvements in the design of the cuvette are under-way that should allow for collection of more precise data in future flight experiments. The results of the MIR experiment and modifications being made to the cuvette for improved data collection will be discussed.

Yendeler, Boris S.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Determination of permeability for hydrocarbon release due to excavation-induced stress redistribution in rock salt

Due to a stress redistribution after the excavation of an underground tunnel for radioactive waste disposal, an Ed/DZ (excavation disturbed/damaged zone) will be generated in the near field of the opening, resulting in significant changes in the hydraulic and mechanical properties of the rock mass in the zone. Initially more or less randomly distributed hydrocarbons at grain boundaries in rock salt, which sometimes can only be observed with ultraviolet light, can then be mobilised and migrate at a potentially significant rate towards the excavation. Within the international cooperative project DECOVALEX 2019, the migration mechanism of such fluid inclusions in rock salt is being studied intensively. Specifically, a multi-scale modelling strategy has been developed. A macroscale coupled hydro-mechanical modelling of an underground excavation was performed to determine hydraulic and time-dependent deviatoric stress conditions, by taking into account the rock salt creep behaviour. Under the obtained macro-scale constraints, micro-scale modelling of a pathway dilation along halite grain boundaries was performed using different model strategies: a) coupled hydromechanical modelling with a consideration of hydraulic pressure-induced dilatant deformation, b) nonlinear dynamic model taking account of fluid migration, stress-dependent grain boundary wetting and shear-induced dilatancy of salt, and c) phase-field modelling of flow pathway propagation. The permeability increase resulting from the pathway dilation is estimated to be as high as two orders of magnitude. Based on the permeability determined, a series of pressure buildups measured from a borehole with a high hydrocarbon release rate, a total of 430 build-ups within a monitoring time of 938 days, can be simulated with a macro-scale compressible flow model accounting for different zones around the opening.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗