Generation of & mu;CT images from medical CT scans of carbonate rocks using a diffusion-based model

Author(s)

Souza, Joao P. P. ; Matheus, Gabriela F. ; Basso, Mateus ; Chinelatto, Guilherme F. ; Vidal, Alexandre C.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: APPLIED COMPUTING AND GEOSCIENCES; v. 18, p. 11-pg., 2023-06-01.

Abstract

Carbonate rocks are known for their high heterogeneity and textural and compositional complexity. Evaluating their petrophysical properties is thus challenging, especially with limited information. One way to obtain an internal image of such rocks is to scan them with X-ray computed tomography scanners, revealing their internal structures. The problem with this approach is the trade-off between cheap bigger volumes scanned with medical CT, but with lower spatial resolution, and higher spatial resolution with & mu;CT, but higher financial and time costs involved, as well as smaller samples (normally centimeter scales). This work proposes a way to have the volume and cost advantages of the medical CT with the spatial resolution of the & mu;CT using a diffusion probabilistic model to convert medical CT into a & mu;CT. The model was trained with a sample of the Brazilian pre-salt composed by Shrub boundstones and tested with one sample of the same facies and another composed of packstone-grainstones. The results show that the model could replicate both samples well, but worked better when the input sample has the same facies as the training set. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/15736-3 - Engineering Research Centre in Reservoir and Production Management
• Grantee: Denis José Schiozer
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Centers in Engineering Program