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Development of Electrical Resistivity Tomography Techniques for the Determination of Porous Media Water Saturations and Formation Factors in Laboratory Columns


EMSL Project ID
47640

Abstract

Recently, DOE-RL has funded a project proposal to develop a laboratory Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) technique to determine water saturations in the subsurface based on conductivity changes caused by partitioning gas tracers. An advantage of this novel method is that no sample analysis is needed. The data sets that are obtained in the tracer test can also be used to determine the formation factor, an important geophysical parameter. After a successful testing and demonstration of ERT in the laboratory for such measurements, the intent is to test the technique in the field for aqueous-phase spill detection and quantification or subsurface remediation methods involving changes in water saturations such as desiccation. The proposed experiments are to be conducted using the new ERT system in EMSL’s Subsurface Flow and Transport Laboratory.

Project Details

Start Date
2012-09-27
End Date
2013-09-29
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

Mart Oostrom
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Co-Investigator(s)

Timothy Johnson
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Team Members

Michael Truex
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Thomas Wietsma
Institution
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory