Development of in-situ permeability testing system for low-permeability sandstone-type uranium deposits
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2025.10.06Abstract
Rapid and accurate in-situ permeability testing is extremely important during the in-situ leaching of low-permeability sandstone-type uranium deposits. The current permeability testing methods rely on laboratory tests and the inversion of core or debris samples, which cannot reflect the true permeability of uranium deposits under their occurrence conditions. Therefore, this paper proposes a testing device based on the pressure pulse method for the in-situ permeability and corresponding automatic calculation software, and establishes the testing process. Specimen tests on a concrete model are carried out, and the testing results show consistency with the laboratory results and the micro-seepage numerical simulation results of uranium deposit cores in terms of magnitude and governing laws. However, due to factors such as the specimen tests not considering confining pressure, the uneven pouring, and the local cracking of the specimen caused by pulse pressure, the measured permeability deviation is between 7.14% and 21.47%. The permeability test results are related to the mineral stacking structure, the testing system, and the testing process. The permeability of uranium deposits with local gravel and basal cementation mode is relatively small. The main factors affecting the permeability test results are the deformation and friction of the high-pressure water storage tank and cable, the loose connection of various components, the integrity of the wellbore casing or the wellbore wall, and the installation position of the measuring section system. This study presents a rapid and accurate insitu permeability testing technology for low-permeability sandstone-type uranium deposits, providing technical support for site selection and effect prediction in in-situ learning.
Document Type: Original article
Cited as: Wang, W., Yang, K., Niu, Q., Han, Z., Zhang, J., Agarwal, V. Development of in-situ permeability testing system for low-permeability sandstone-type uranium deposits. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2025, 18(1): 69-83. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2025.10.06
Keywords:
In-situ test, permeability, pressure pulse method, sandstone-type uranium deposits, experimental modelReferences
Abzalov, M. Z. Sandstone-hosted uranium deposits amenable for exploitation by in situ leaching technologies. Applied Earth Science, 2012, 121(2): 55-64.
Akhtar, S., Yang, X., Pirajno, F. Sandstone type uranium deposits in the Ordos basin, northwest china: A case study and an overview. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 2017, 146: 367-382.
Al-Wardy, W., Zimmerman, R. W. Effective stress law for the permeability of clay-rich sandstones. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 2004, 109(B4): 04203.
Bauer, C., Homand, F., Henry, J. P. In situ low permeability pulse test measurements. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences & Geomechanics Abstracts, 1995, 32(4): 357-363.
Bernabe, Y., Brace, W. F., Evans, B. Permeability, porosity and pore geometry of hot-pressed calcite. Mechanics of Materials, 1982, 1(3): 173-183.
Bernabé, Y., Mok, U., Evans, B. A note on the oscillating flow method for measuring rock permeability. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2006, 43(2): 311-316.
Biot, M. A. General theory of three-dimensional consolidation. Journal of Applied Physics, 1941, 12(2): 155-164.
Bowell, R. J., Grogan, J., Hutton-Ashkenny, M., et al. Geometallurgy of uranium deposits. Minerals Engineering, 2011, 24(12): 1305-1313.
Bredehoeft, J. D., Papadopulos, S. S. A method for determining the hydraulic properties of tight formations. Water Resources Research, 1980, 16(1): 233-238.
Butler Jr, J. J. Pumping tests in nonuniform aquifers-the radially symmetric case. Journal of Hydrology, 1988, 101(1-4): 15-30.
Cao, C. Transient surface permeability test: Experimental results and numerical interpretation. Construction and Building Materials, 2017, 138: 496-507.
Chen, Q., Qi, Y., Mao, J., et al. Permeability test of granite mass by using pressure pulse test method. Rock and Soil Mechanics, 2005, 26(9): 1469-1472. (in Chinese)
Chen, S., Xing, W., Du, X. Forecast of the demand and supply plan of China’s uranium resources till 2030. International Journal of Green Energy, 2017, 14(7): 638-649.
Chi, P., Sun, J., Zhang, R., et al. Multidimensional data-driven porous media reconstruction: Inversion from 1D/2D pore parameters to 3D real pores. Petroleum Science, 2025, 22(7): 2777-2793.
Cooper Jr, H. H., Bredehoeft, J. D., Papadopulos, I. S. Response of a finite-diameter well to an instantaneous charge of water. Water Resources Research, 1967, 3(1): 263-269.
Cosenza, P., Ghoreychi, M., Bazargan-Sabet, B., et al. In situ rock salt permeability measurement for long term safety assessment of storage. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 1999, 36(4): 509-526.
Cui, X., Bustin, A., Bustin, R. M. Measurements of gas permeability and diffusivity of tight reservoir rocks: Different approaches and their applications. Geofluids, 2009, 9(3): 208-223.
David, C., Wong, T. F., Zhu, W., et al. Laboratory measurement of compaction-induced permeability change in porous rocks: Implications for the generation and maintenance of pore pressure excess in the crust. Pure and Applied Geophysics, 1994, 143(1): 425-456.
Dong, S., Xu, L., Dai, Z., et al. A novel fractal model for estimating permeability in low-permeable sandstone reservoirs. Fractals-Complex Geometry Patterns and Scaling in Nature and Society, 2020, 28(8): 2040005.
Egermann, P., Lenormand, R., Longeron, D., et al. A fast and direct method of permeability measurements on drill cuttings. SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, 2005, 8(4): 269-275.
Elkatatny, S., Mahmoud, M., Tariq, Z., et al. New insights into the prediction of heterogeneous carbonate reservoir permeability from well logs using artificial intelligence network. Neural Computing & Applications, 2018, 30(9): 2673-2683.
Fang, J., Lau, C. K. M., Lu, Z., et al. Estimating peak uranium production in china – based on a stella model. Energy Policy, 2018, 120: 250-258.
Fisher, Q., Lorinczi, P., Grattoni, C., et al. Laboratory characterization of the porosity and permeability of gas shales using the crushed shale method: Insights from experiments and numerical modelling. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 2017, 86: 95-110.
Gao, Q., Yu, X. An innovative Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) sensor to monitor earthquake induced void redistribution in layered soils. Intelligent Geoengineering, 2024, 1(1): 78-87.
Gao, Z., Hu, Q. Estimating permeability using median pore-throat radius obtained from mercury intrusion porosimetry. Journal of Geophysics and Engineering, 2013, 10(2): 025014.
Giot, R., Auvray, C., Conil, N., et al. Multi-stage water permeability measurements on claystone by steady and transient flow methods. Engineering Geology, 2018, 247: 27-37.
Hasanov, A. K., Dugan, B., Batzle, M. L. Numerical simulation of oscillating pore pressure experiments and inversion for permeability. Water Resources Research, 2020, 56(6): e2019WR025681.
Hu, M., Niu, Q., Yuan, W., et al. Evolution characteristic and mechanism of microstructure, hydraulic and mechanical behaviors of sandstone treated by acid-rock reaction: Application of in-situ leaching of uranium deposits. Journal of Hydrology, 2024, 643: 131948.
Huang, Y., Shi, Z., Li, J., et al. Quantifying the mechanical properties of coal matrix and cleat using digital image correlation method. Deep Resources Engineering, 2025, 2(1): 100168.
Iturrarán-Viveros, U., Parra, J. O. Artificial neural networks applied to estimate permeability, porosity and intrinsic attenuation using seismic attributes and well-log data. Journal of Applied Geophysics, 2014, 107: 45-54.
Jacob, A., Peltz, M., Hale, S., et al. Simulating permeability reduction by clay mineral nanopores in a tight sandstone by combining computer X-ray microtomography and focussed ion beam scanning electron microscopy imaging. Solid Earth, 2021, 12(1): 1-14.
Jiang, K., Zhou, W., Jia, N., et al. Analytical model of shale gas permeability based on the pore size distribution from FE-SEM and image analysis. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, 2024, 49(6): 8661-8677.
Johnson, C. R., Greenkorn, R. A., Woods, E. G. Pulse-testing: A new method for describing reservoir flow properties between wells. Journal of Petroleum Technology, 1966, 18(12): 1599-1604.
Katsube, T. J., Hume, J. P. Permeability determination in crystalline rocks by standard geophysical logs. Geophysics, 1987, 52(3): 342-352.
Kim, H., Lettry, Y., Park, D., et al. Field evaluation of permeability of concrete linings and rock masses around underground lined rock caverns by a novel in-situ measurement system. Engineering Geology, 2012, 137-138: 97-106.
Kozhevnikov, E., Turbakov, M., Riabokon, E., et al. Rock permeability evolution during cyclic loading and colloid migration after saturation and drying. Advances in GeoEnergy Research, 2024, 11(3): 208-219.
Kranz, R. L., Saltzman, J. S., Blacic, J. D. Hydraulic diffusivity measurements on laboratory rock samples using an oscillating pore pressure method. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences & Geomechanics Abstracts, 1990, 27(5): 345-352.
Leven, C., Dietrich, P. What information can we get from pumping tests? Comparing pumping test configurations using sensitivity coefficients. Journal of Hydrology, 2006, 319(1-4): 199-215.
Li, G., Yao, J. A review of in situ leaching (ISL) for uranium mining. Mining, 2024, 4(1): 120-148.
Li, J., Liu, D., Yao, Y., et al. Evaluation of the reservoir permeability of anthracite coals by geophysical logging data. International Journal of Coal Geology, 2011, 87(2): 121-127.
Li, K., Li, H., Khudhair, A., et al. Efficient generation of digital rock CT images using LoRA-enhanced stable diffusion models. Intelligent Geoengineering, 2025, 2(2): 96-108.
Li, K., Wang, W., Yang, D., et al. Application of periodic oscillation method in low permeability measurement. Rock and Soil Mechanics, 2020, 41(3): 1086-2094. (in Chinese)
Ling, K., He, J., Pei, P., et al. Determining the permeability of tight rock with gas transient flow. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2013, 15: 1-7.
Liu, Q., Lv, B., Konietzky, H., et al. A novel method for rock permeability determination based on the pressure pulse decay method and inverse numerical simulations. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 2024a, 57(12): 10229-10244.
Liu, Y., He, Y., Chen, J., et al. Progress on enhancing seepage-leaching mass-transfer research for in-situ leaching mining of low-permeability uranium-bearing sandstone: A review. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 2024b, 333(9): 4485-4502.
Long, H., Zhou, X., He, Y., et al. Artificial intelligence seismic permeability prediction method based on high-dimensional petrophysical template. Applied Geophysics, 2025, 22(2): 397-407.
Mansur, C. I., Dietrich, R. J. Pumping test to determine permeability ratio. Journal of the Soil Mechanics and Foundations Division, 1965, 91(4): 151-183.
Marsala, A. F., Figoni, A., Brignoli, M. Transient method implemented under unsteady-state conditions for low and very low permeability measurements on cuttings. Paper SPE 47202 Presented at SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, SPE/ISRM Rock Mechanics in Petroleum Engineering, Rondheim, Norway, 8-10 July, 1998.
Meng, Z., Zhang, J., Wang, R. In-situ stress, pore pressure and stress-dependent permeability in the southern qinshui basin. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2011, 48(1): 122-131.
Metwally, Y. M., Sondergeld, C. H. Measuring low permeabilities of gas-sands and shales using a pressure transmission technique. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2011, 48(7): 1135-1144.
Mukherjee, S., Goswami, S., Zakaulla, S. Geological relationship between hydrocarbon and uranium: Review on two different sources of energy and the indian scenario. Geoenergy Science and Engineering, 2023, 221: 111255.
Ni, H., Liu, J., Huang, B., et al. Quantitative analysis of pore structure and permeability characteristics of sandstone using SEM and CT images. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2021, 88: 103861.
Niu, Q., Cao, L., Sang, S., et al. Experimental study on the softening effect and mechanism of anthracite with CO2 injection. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 2021, 138: 104614.
Niu, Q., Hu, M., Chang, J., et al. Explosive fracturing mechanism in low-permeability sandstone-type uranium deposits considering different acidification reactions. Energy, 2024a, 312: 133676.
Niu, Q., Wang, J., He, J., et al. Evolution of pore structure, fracture morphology and permeability during CO2+O2 in-situ leaching process of fractured sandstone. Energy, 2025, 315: 134348.
Niu, Q., Wang, X., Chang, J., et al. Influencing mechanisms of multi-scale pore-fracture responses of coals on their macro/micromechanical behaviors under ScCO2 injection. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2024b, 14(1): 64-80.
Peyraube, N., Villanueva, J. D., Lastennet, R., et al. Assessing the dispersion of hydraulic conductivity values estimated using the dupuit, thiem, and boulton methods on repeated pumping tests in an unconfined aquifer. Hydrogeology Journal, 2023, 31(7): 1863-1882.
Ren, J., Niu, Q., Wang, Z., et al. CO2 adsorption/desorption, induced deformation behavior, and permeability characteristics of different rank coals: Application for CO2-enhanced coalbed methane recovery. Energy & Fuels, 2022, 36(11): 5709-5722.
Schembre, J. M., Kovscek, A. R. A technique for measuring two-phase relative permeability in porous media via X-ray CT measurements. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2003, 39(1-2): 159-174.
Selvadurai, A., Boulon, M. J., Nguyen, T. S. The permeability of an intact granite. Pure and Applied Geophysics, 2005, 162(2): 373-407.
Shannak, S. D., Cochrane, L., Bobarykina, D. Global uranium market dynamics: Analysis and future implications. International Journal of Sustainable Energy, 2025, 44(1): 2457376.
Stormont, J. C. Conduct and interpretation of gas permeability measurements in rock salt. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, 1997, 34(3-4): 301-303.
Su, X., Liu, Z., Yao, Y., et al. Petrology, mineralogy, and ore leaching of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits in the ordos basin, north China. Ore Geology Reviews, 2020, 127: 103768.
Tang, X., Cheng, C. Fast inversion of formation permeability from stoneley wave logs using a simplified biot-rosenbaum model. Geophysics, 1996, 61(3): 639-645.
Vemuri, V., Dracup, J. A. Analysis of nonlinearities in ground water hydrology: A hybrid computer approach. Water Resources Research, 1967, 3(4): 1047-1058.
Wang, B., Yue, L., Liu, J., et al. Ion migration in in-situ leaching (ISL) of uranium: Field trial and reactive transport modelling. Journal of Hydrology, 2022a, 615: 128634.
Wang, Q., Liang, X., Wang, W., et al. Mineral composition and full-scale pore structure of qianjiadian sandstone-type uranium deposits: Application for in situ leaching mining. Geofluids, 2022b, 2022: 2860737.
Wang, Q., Peng, H., Liu, C., et al. Constraints of reducing media on uranium mineralization in the uranium-bearing rock systems of the southern Songliao basin. Ore Geology Reviews, 2025, 176: 106406.
Wang, W., Liang, X., Niu, Q., et al. Reformability evaluation of blasting-enhanced permeability in in situ leaching mining of low-permeability sandstone-type uranium deposits. Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 2023, 55(8): 2773-2784.
Wang, X., Ge, H., Chen, H. Ultralow permeability measurements with periodic oscillation method. Rock and Soil Mechanics, 2015, 36(S2): 237-244. (in Chinese)
Zhao, J., Kang, Z. Permeability of oil shale under in situ conditions: Fushun oil shale (China) experimental case study. Natural Resources Research, 2021, 30(1): 753-763.
Zhao, Y., Wang, C., Bi, J. A method for simultaneously determining axial permeability and transverse permeability of tight reservoir cores by canister degassing test. Energy Science & Engineering, 2020, 8(4): 1220-1230.
Zhou, X., Sang, S., Niu, Q., et al. Changes of multiscale surface morphology and pore structure of mudstone associated with supercritical CO2-water exposure at different times. Energy & Fuels, 2021, 35(5): 4212-4223.
Zhou, X., Wang, W., Niu, Q., et al. Geochemical reactions altering the mineralogical and multiscale pore characteristics of uranium-bearing reservoirs during CO2+O2 in situ leaching. Frontiers in Earth Science, 2023, 10: 1094880.
Zhou, Y., Wu, S., Zhu, R., et al. A new model for determining the effective permeability of tight reservoirs based on Fractal-Monte Carlo method. Petroleum Science, 2025, 22(8): 3101-3118.
Zhu, H., Ju, Y., Lu, Y., et al. Natural evidence of organic nanostructure transformation of shale during bedding-parallel slip. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 2025, 137(5-6): 2719-2746.
Downloads
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.