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Gas migration in saturated argillaceous rock is studied in this work. Dependent on the pressure level the gas transport process is controlled by different mechanisms. Gas injection tests have been carried to investigate the gas transport process in low permeable argillaceous rock. We focus on the Opalinus Clay, which has been widely researched and is important for searching possible host rock of the radioactive waste disposal. Gas injection tests at different scales (laboratory, in-situ borehole and in-situ tunnel test) are intensively investigated in this work. The measurements of the tests are analysed and interpreted with numerical modelling method. A coupled multi-phase flow and mechanical model has been developed and implemented in the scientific computed codes OpenGeoSys (OGS). In the applied numerical model the relationship between capillary pressure and water saturation degree is described with van Genuchten model. The Darcy’s law is used for the phase flux, and the relative permeability of both water and gas phase is considered. The deformation process is calculated with elastic perfect-plastic model. The anisotropic hydraulic and mechanic behaviours of the Opalinus Clay are involved in the numerical model. The hydraulic anisotropy is controlled by the permeability tensor. The elastic deformation process is modelled by generalized Hooke’s law. The plastic behaviour is calculated with return mapping algorithm, and the anisotropy is considered with a so called microstructure tensor method. The permeability change during the gas injection is described using pressure dependent or deformation dependent approach. With considering the permeability evolution the measured data can be in the numerical model quantitatively represented, and test observations can be interpreted. Under laboratory condition it can be determined that the specimen permeability is reduced during compression. The significant permeability increase takes places when the gas injection pressure higher than the confining pressure. By the in-situ tests damage zone can be generated due to the drilling of boreholes and tunnel. The highly permeable areas dominate the hydraulic process. Fluid flows through the damaged zone into the not sealed section, e.g. the seismic observation boreholes by the in-situ borehole tests and the section out of the megapacker by the in-situ tunnel tests. In this work, the two phase flow controlled and pathway dilatancy controlled gas migration mechanisms are successfully simulated. The developed numerical model can be used to investigate the gas injection tests at different scales and conditions. |
