Computed Tomography 3D Super-Resolution with Generative Adversarial Neural Networks: Implications on Unsaturated and Two-Phase Fluid Flow

Fluid flow characteristics are important to assess reservoir performance. Unfortunately, laboratory techniques are inadequate to know these characteristics, which is why numerical methods were developed. Such methods often use computed tomography (CT) scans as input but this technique is plagued by a resolution versus sample size trade-off. Therefore, a super-resolution method using generative adversarial neural networks (GANs) was used to artificially improve the resolution. Firstly, the influence of resolution on pore network properties and single-phase, unsaturated, and two-phase flow was analysed to verify that pores and pore throats become larger on average and surface area decreases with worsening resolution. These observations are reflected in increasingly overestimated single-phase permeability, less moisture uptake at lower capillary pressures, and high residual oil fraction after waterflooding. Therefore, the super-resolution GANs were developed which take low (12 mu m) resolution input and increase the resolution to 4 mu m, which is compared to the expected high-resolution output. These results better predicted pore network properties and fluid flow properties despite the overestimation of porosity. Relevant small pores and pore surfaces are better resolved thus providing better estimates of unsaturated and two-phase flow which can be heavily influenced by flow along pore boundaries and through smaller pores. This study presents the second case in which GANs were applied to a super-resolution problem on geological materials, but it is the first one to apply it directly on raw CT images and to determine the actual impact of a super-resolution method on fluid predictions.