Mesoscale structure, mechanics, and transport properties of source rocks’ organic pore networks
Abstract
Significance In source rocks, natural hydrocarbons are generated from organic matter dispersed in a fine-grained mineral matrix. The potential recovery of hydrocarbons is therefore influenced by the geometry of the organic hosted porous networks. Here, the three-dimensional structures of such networks are revealed using electron tomography with a subnanometer resolution. The reconstructions are first characterized in terms of morphology and topology and then used to build a multiscale simulation tool to study the mechanics and the transport properties of confined fluids. Our results offer evidence of the prevalent role of connected nanopores, which subsequently constitutes a material limit for long-term hydrocarbon production.