Capturing the effective permeability of field compaction band using hybrid lattice Boltzmann/Finite element simulations

Abstract

As observed in reconstructed 3D images of the field compaction bands (Lenoir et al 2010), their formation may cause a significant reduction in porosity and permeability. This paper describes essential a lattice Boltzmann/finite element model that may be advantageous for calculating effective permeability of compaction bands from obscured structure in a cost-efficient way. The pressing issues include the homogenization technique and the scale effect of the effective permeability.