Seminar Jan Vinogradov

Abstract

Multi-phase flow in a stationary porous medium is a complex phenomenon that requires in-depth understanding of interactions between minerals and fluids. Many subsurface settings are naturally saturated with water and non-aqueous phase fluids, NAPF (oil, gas), so that the flow of each fluid phase is controlled by a number of hydrodynamic and petrophysical properties. When rocks and/or NAPFs are in contact with electrolytes (e.g., water or aqueous solutions), the respective interfaces between them become electrically charged forming an electrical double layer (EDL). In most natural subsurface reservoirs, there exist gradients of pressure, concentration or temperature, which mobilise the excess counter-ions that populate the EDL causing the self-potential (SP) to arise down these gradients. Moreover, the electric potentials at rock-water and water-NAPF interfaces control the electrostatic force, which in turn plays an important role in stabilising the disjoining pressure of wetting films at the interfaces, thus controlling the wetting behaviour and impacting the flow dynamics.

Over the past decade there has been an increased interest in using SP methods for a variety of applications. This presentation will cover the most recent advancements in the fundamental and applied research on SP methods applied for continuous monitoring of subsurface flows, characterisation of subsurface flows and wettability, and power generation. The talk will provide some insights into recent achievements in understanding properties of EDL at mineral-water and CO₂-water interfaces, thermodynamics of wettability, and applications of SP to enhanced hydrocarbon recovery, groundwater management and H₂/CO₂ geological storage.

Bio

Jan Vinogradov (JV) holds a PhD in Physics and Mechanical Engineering from the Ben-Gurion University (BGU) of the Negev, Israel. Upon completion of the degree, JV worked for a year at BGU as research fellow. JV moved to Imperial College London in 2007, where he had worked as a Research Fellow until 2016, when he moved to the University of Aberdeen. JV’s research interests include reservoir physics, interfacial science, and multi-phase coupled electro-hydrodynamic flows in porous media and micro/nano-channels.