Interpretation of double-packer tests in heterogeneous porous media: Numerical simulations using the stochastic continuum analogue

摘要

Flow in fractured crystalline (hard) rocks is of interest in Sweden for assessing the postclosure radiological safety of a deep repository for high-level nuclear waste. For simulation of flow and mass transport in the far field different porous media concepts are often used, whereas discrete fracture/channel network concepts are often used for near-field simulations. Due to lack of data, it is generally necessary to have resort to single-hole double-packer test data for the far-field simulations, i.e., test data on a small scale are regularized in order to fit a comparatively coarser numerical discretization, which is governed by various computational constraints. In the present study the Monte Carlo method is used to investigate the relationship between the transmissivity value interpreted and the corresponding radius of influence in conjunction with single-hole double-packer tests in heterogeneous formations. The numerical flow domain is treated as a two-dimensional heterogeneous porous medium with a spatially varying diffusivity on 3 m scale. The Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate the sensitivity to the correlation range of a spatially varying diffusivity field. In contradiction to what is tacitly assumed in stochastic subsurface hydrology, the results show that the lateral support scale (e.g., the radius of influence) of transmissivity measurements in heterogeneous porous media is a random variable, which is affected by both the hydraulic and statistical characteristics. If these results are general, the traditional methods for scaling-up, assuming a constant lateral scale of support and a multi normal distribution, may lead to an underestimation of the persistence and connectivity of transmissive zones, particularly in highly heterogeneous porous media. (Atomindex citation 24:075663)