Computational rock physics at the pore scale: Transport properties and diagenesis in realistic pore geometries

Transport properties, such as permeability, are important in many geophysical and petroleum applications. However, complex pore geometry often makes modeling and simulation of transport properties in porous media very difficult. Conventional methods are usually based on partial differential equations, but the implementation of these techniques becomes very complicated when the geometry is extremely complex. As a result, simplified geometry is often used; thus the implementation depends heavily on the model. Solving the same problem in a different geometry often means that many parts of the implementation have to be changed. Therefore, a more robust and simple tool, which can handle complex pore space without oversimplification or modification of the model, is needed.