Impact of permeability anisotropy misalignment on flow rates

Permeability is the most critical parameter controlling fluid flow in porous media. The general form of permeability is anisotropic but setting its tensor values appropriately can be cumbersome. Numerical modellers often chose therefore simpler representations, opting either for isotropy, or setting different horizontal and vertical permeability components when anisotropy is required. In reality, however, permeability tend to follow geological structures (e.g. strata) and should be set accordingly.

In our latest publication in the Hydrogeology Journal, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-023-02708-4, we show how minor misalignment of the permeability tensor can lead to large errors in fluid flow magnitude and corresponding transport times for strongly anisotropic rocks. We also provide a method to set anisotropic permeability orientation appropriately in geometrically complex 3D models using implicit 3D geological modelling.