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Numerical physics of porous media

This laboratory works on increasing our understanding of the multiphysical phenomena at play during transfer in porous media and the development of multi-scale models of the thermal, hydraulic, mechanical and chemical (THMC) behavior of natural environments, in order to address the challenges of the energy and environment transition.

It implements numerical techniques to interpret experimental data, integrate field data, predict the evolution of the underground environment and resources, evaluate uncertainties and optimize exploitation and storage processes by assessing risks.

Expertise

The laboratory is organized around four fields of expertise:

“Multi-scale modeling of transfers in porous media”: development of core expertise in the numerical modeling of physical phenomena in porous media, drawing on experimental characterization and observation of data from natural sites.
“Geomechanics”: determination of behavior laws and development of numerical approaches combining mechanics and flows. Fields of application cover various scales from representative elemental volume through to reservoir and sedimentary basin.
“Reactive transport”: development of expertise in the geochemistry of fluid systems interacting with the rock, in order to model complex mechanisms such as diagenesis, hydrothermal fluid circulation and sour gas injection.
“Digital methods and uncertainties”: development of cross-cutting expertise in the management of uncertainties at various stages in the life of models for a broad variety of applications ranging from the core scale to the sedimentary basin scale, as well as in the design and testing of software and web applications.