Chương 10: Porosity and Permabiality
They had arrived at a small plain devoid of trees, leaving Li Ming slightly perplexed. "Still, this is a bit strange. Since there is oil here, it should be impossible for trees to grow in this specific area. Yet..." Li Ming contemplated, glancing to the side. He noticed that the trees thrived in a fifteen-meter radius.
"No, wait. Is this what I think it is?" Li Ming murmured softly before turning to Li Xuan. "Li Xuan, is there a similar spot not far from here?"
Surprised by his knowledge, Li Xuan widened her eyes. "How did you know?"
Li Ming proceeded to ask, "How long did the oil last in that area?"
"For about three years. Why do you ask?" Li Xuan inquired, her curiosity piqued.
With a sense of certainty, Li Ming declared, "I believe we've found the perfect first target."
Perplexed, Li Xuan sought further explanation. "Can you elaborate? I'm still trying to understand."
Li Ming inquired if Li Xuan had any paper with her, but upon receiving a negative response, he proceeded to use his fingers to illustrate his point. Forming a 'U' shape with his fingers, he likened it to layers of soil. "Think of my fingers as the soil, a single layer. On top of this soil, there is another layer with different materials," he explained, pointing at the ground where the oil was expected to emerge. "Take a look at this stone."
Li Xuan knelt down, feeling the coarse surface of the ground. "It's sandstone."
Li Ming confirmed her observation. "Yes. But if you take a few steps from here, you'll encounter a different soil."
"That would be clay," Li Xuan acknowledged while examining the soil where the trees thrived.
Precisely, Li Ming reiterated, "Exactly. This is what I mean by layers. The shape of the soil underground is this 'U' shape. The area my thumb represents is another spot where the oil can only last for a few years, while the longer path corresponds to this place, where it lasted for almost a decade."
Understanding began to dawn on Li Xuan. "I see. But who has the power to bend the ground like that?"
"That would be tectonic power."
"Tectonic?" Li Xuan repeated, unfamiliar with the term.
Li Ming acknowledged the complexity of the subject and suggested, "Well, this is quite a complicated topic. If you're interested, I can explain it to you tomorrow."
Li Xuan agreed, recognizing that Li Ming possessed extensive knowledge and expertise in this area. In fact, he seemed more like a scholar to her.
Li Xuan pondered for a moment before questioning, "Since it creates a 'U' shape underground, why did the oil emerge? I mean, doesn't water flow down, not up?"
Li Ming drew a comparison to help her understand. "That's because the pressure from the ground pushes the oil to the surface. Imagine gathering air in your mouth and then blowing it. Eventually, you'll run out of breath, right?"
Li Xuan nodded and even mimicked the action, blowing air for a few seconds before she couldn't continue any longer.
Li Ming clarified, "That's actually incorrect. The air is still there, but the pressure required to expel it is gone." He acknowledged that his analogy might have been a bit stretched but felt it was the best he could come up with at the moment. "Well, you'll grasp it better through experience. Just know that the pressure from the ground is no longer sufficient to bring the oil to the surface."
Li Xuan made the connection. "So, the oil is still trapped underground?"
Li Ming confirmed her assumption with a smile.
A glimmer of excitement lit up Li Xuan's eyes as she innocently inquired, "Does that mean there's a pool of oil underground?"
Li Ming was taken aback by her question, but he couldn't help but chuckle. Initially, he had thought along the same lines, but Eyses had provided him with the necessary knowledge. However, he hadn't yet discussed the topic of tectonic movement with Eyses, so he informed Li Xuan that she would have to wait until tomorrow for a detailed explanation.
"Why are you laughing?" Li Xuan furrowed her brows, feeling that Li Ming's reaction was rude.
Apologizing, Li Ming took a deep breath to compose himself. He then picked up a small piece of sandstone and asked, "Do you have any water?"
Li Xuan grabbed a small bamboo from the baggage carrier and handed it to Li Ming.
Pouring a small amount of water onto his fingers, Li Ming allowed droplets to fall onto the sandstone.
To everyone's astonishment, the droplets reacted to the stone, creating tiny bubbles on the surface. Gradually, the water disappeared without a trace. In that moment, Li Ming appeared almost shamanic in their eyes.
Gasping, Li Xuan exclaimed, "What? How did you do that?" The others watched Li Ming with a mixture of awe and horror.
Li Ming clarified, "Basically, the stones have porous interiors, though it's not visible to the naked eye." He pondered for a moment before continuing, "Think of it as gathering a bunch of stones in a basket. It's just an analogy to help you understand. The oil is trapped inside the stone under sufficient pressure, causing the fluid to be released. Well, in the water well, there is no pool underground, right?"
Li Xuan listened attentively and posed a question based on this theory. "With that in mind, why does the clay not release oil? If the sandstone has a 'U' shape underground, wouldn't the oil flow through the layer above it?"
Li Ming introduced another factor to consider. "There is another element to consider—whether the rock is capable of allowing the liquid to flow or not. Unfortunately, clay isn't conducive to such flow, so the oil only moves through the sandstone. Picture a river flowing in a single direction instead of seeping through the pores of the clay."
Enlightenment washed over Li Xuan as she vigorously nodded her head.
"These are the two most important factors to consider, Porosity and Permeability. Of course, there are many more things to consider, but as much as I'd love to delve into it further, we should start digging," Li Ming suggested.
Apologizing for taking up so much of his time, Li Xuan recognized that satisfying her curiosity at the expense of his time would be impolite. She understood that learning often had its limits and decided to gradually acquire knowledge.
Their peaceful atmosphere was disrupted by a loud roar emanating from the hill.
Roar!
All heads turned upward as they witnessed several individuals pursuing a bear. In an instant, one of the guards sprang into action, positioning himself between the workers and the bear. An arrow struck the guard's raised blade, narrowly missing one of the workers.
Fists clenched, Li Xuan's voice reverberated with determination. "Who dares to attack members of the Li Clan?"
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