Laura Frouté
Postdoctoral Scholar, Energy Science and Engineering
Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations
-
Vice President, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Stanford Student Chapter (2019 - 2020)
Contact
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4556-0450Current Research and Scholarly Interests
Laura is a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University, working on subsurface engineering solutions for the energy transition. Part of her research focuses on replicating geological hydrogen production in the laboratory and identifying and mitigating reactivity constraints at the microscale. Her research also focuses on investigating carbon storage into various basalt formations by measuring their carbon mineralization potential. Her expertise includes designing laboratory-scale pilots and conducting research on rock formations in the context of hydrocarbon production, carbon storage, and hydrogen production to understand the interplay of geochemistry, reaction mechanisms and complex storage and transport processes across length scales. To study the evolution of porous media properties following reaction or transport experiments, she uses a wide spectrum of multiscale, multimodal material characterization techniques (sorption, XRD, XRF, μCT, FIB-SEM, TEM). She holds a MS in Chemical Engineering from ENSIC (France) and a PhD in Energy Science and Engineering from Stanford University. Her interests range from subsurface engineering, fluid flow in porous media, to environmental and regulatory issues in the oil & gas industry, CCUS, climate solutions and energy policy.
All Publications
-
Scale translation yields insights into gas adsorption under nanoconfinement
PHYSICS OF FLUIDS
2024; 36 (7)
View details for DOI 10.1063/5.0212423
View details for Web of Science ID 001271335900004
-
Evaluation of Electron Tomography Capabilities for Shale Imaging.
Microscopy and microanalysis : the official journal of Microscopy Society of America, Microbeam Analysis Society, Microscopical Society of Canada
2023
Abstract
Despite the advantageous resolution of electron tomography (ET), reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) images from multiple two-dimensional (2D) projections presents several challenges, including small signal-to-noise ratios, and a limited projection range. This study evaluates the capabilities of ET for thin sections of shale, a complex nanoporous medium. A numerical phantom with 1.24 nm pixel size is constructed based on the tomographic reconstruction of a Barnett shale. A dataset of 2D projection images is numerically generated from the 3D phantom and studied over a range of conditions. First, common reconstruction techniques are used to reconstruct the shale structure. The reconstruction uncertainty is quantified by comparing overall values of storage and transport metrics, as well as the misclassification of pore voxels compared to the phantom. We then select the most robust reconstruction technique and we vary the acquisition conditions to quantify the effect of artifacts. We find a strong agreement for large pores over the different acquisition workflows, while a wider variability exists for nanometer-scale features. The limited projection range and reconstruction are identified as the main experimental bottlenecks, thereby suggesting that sample thinning, advanced holders, and advanced reconstruction algorithms offer opportunities for improvement.
View details for DOI 10.1093/micmic/ozad106
View details for PubMedID 37942573
-
Micro X-ray fluorescence reveals pore space details and spatially-resolved porosity of rock-based microfluidic devices.
Lab on a chip
2023
Abstract
Characterization of microscopic details of the fabric of mudstones and shales (i.e., structure and composition) is important to understand their storage and transport properties. Current characterization methods struggle to probe reliably multiple scales of interest (e.g., pore and fracture) and measure properties at the finest resolution under representative in situ conditions. Micro X-ray fluorescence (muXRF) is a high-performance imaging technique that produces elemental images at sub-10 mum spatial resolution and could offer insight into a diversity of shale properties, such as mineral composition, porosity, and in situ pressure gradients. This study designed and carried out a porosity mapping protocol using model and real-rock microfluidic devices and contrast fluids. Etched silicon micromodels with real-rock pore network patterns served as ideal models to establish a proof of concept. Measurements were performed on a novel muXRF microscope not powered by synchrotron radiation. We registered the muXRF datasets with the binary rock masks used for micromodel fabrication and applied segmentation algorithms to compare porosities. We assessed expected advantages and limitations through a sensitivity analysis and beam study. muXRF is an important new imaging technique for microfluidic applications.
View details for DOI 10.1039/d3lc00394a
View details for PubMedID 37591813
-
Environmental impact of solution pH on the formation and migration of iron colloids in deep subsurface energy systems.
The Science of the total environment
2023: 166409
Abstract
Deep subsurface stimulation processes often promote fluid-rock interactions that can lead to the formation of small colloidal particles that are suspected to migrate through the rock matrix, partially or fully clog pores and microfractures, and promote the mobilization of contaminants. Thus, the goal of this work is to understand the geochemical changes of the host rock in response to reservoir stimulation that promote the formation and migration of colloids. Two different carbonate-rich shales were exposed to different solution pHs (pH = 2 and 7). Iron and other mineral transformations at the shale-fluid interface were first characterized by synchrotron-based XRF mapping. Then, colloids that were able to migrate from the shale into the bulk fluid were characterized by synchrotron-based extended X-ray absorption structure (EXAFS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and single-particle inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (sp-icpTOF-MS). When exposed to the pH = 2 solution, extensive mineral dissolution and secondary precipitation was observed; iron-(oxyhydr)oxide colloids colocated with silicates were observed by SEM at the fluid-shale interfaces, and the mobilization of chromium and nickel with these iron colloids into the bulk fluid was detected by sp-icpTOF-MS. Iron EXAFS spectra of the solution at the shale-fluid interface suggests the rapid (within minutes) formation of ferrihydrite-like nanoparticles. Thus, we demonstrate that the pH neutralization promotes the mobilization of existing silicate minerals and the rapid formation of new iron colloids. These Fe colloids have the potential to migrate through the shale matrix and mobilize other heavy metals (such as Cr and Ni, in this study) and impacting groundwater quality, as well produced waters from these hydraulic fracturing operations.
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166409
View details for PubMedID 37597537
-
Multimodal study of the impact of stimulation pH on shale pore structure, with an emphasis on organics behavior in alkaline environments
FUEL
2023; 331
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.fuel.2022.125649
View details for Web of Science ID 000859556900003
-
Transport Simulations on Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope Images of Nanoporous Shale
ENERGIES
2020; 13 (24)
View details for DOI 10.3390/en13246665
View details for Web of Science ID 000602826900001
-
Determination of thermophysical properties of cyclopentane hydrate using a stirred calorimetric cell
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL THERMODYNAMICS
2018; 125: 136–41
View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jct.2018.05.023
View details for Web of Science ID 000439326700013