Capillary Effects in Heterogeneous Porous Media: Experiments, Pore Network Simulations, and Continuum Modeling

Chaouche, M.; Rakotomalala, N.; Salin, D.; Xu, Baomin; Vortsos, V.C.

doi:10.2118/26658-ms

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Pore network modeling work by Ferrand and Celia (1992) showed pronounced effects of heterogeneity on the capillary pressure‐saturation curve. Flow patterns and relative permeability curves were studied in heterogeneous rocks based on correlated networks and compared to experimental results (Chaouche et al., 1993; Jerauld & Salter, 1990). Blunt (1997) analyzed the hysteresis in capillary‐pressure and relative permeability curves by simulating primary drainage and imbibition cycles in the networks with different correlation lengths, ranging from 0 to 5 pores.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unravelling Effects of the Pore‐Size Correlation Length on the Two‐Phase Flow and Solute Transport Properties: GPU‐based Pore‐Network Modeling

Hasan

Erfani

et al. 2020

Water Resources Research

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Continuum‐scale models for two‐phase flow and transport in porous media are based on the empirical constitutive relations that highly depend on the porous medium heterogeneity at multiple scales including the microscale pore‐size correlation length. The pore‐size correlation length determines the representative elementary volume and controls the immiscible two‐phase invasion pattern and fluids occupancy. The fluids occupancy controls not only the shape of relative permeability curves but also the transport zonation under two‐phase flow conditions, which results in the non‐Fickian transport. This study aims to quantify the signature of the pore‐size correlation length on two‐phase flow and solute transport properties such as the capillary pressure‐ and relative permeability‐saturation, dispersivity, stagnant saturation, and mass transfer rate. Given the capability of pore‐scale models in capturing the pore morphology and detailed physics of flow and transport, a novel graphics processing unit (GPU)‐based pore‐network model has been developed. This GPU‐based model allows us to simulate flow and transport in networks with multimillions pores, equivalent to the centimeter length scale. The impact of the pore‐size correlation length on all aforementioned properties was studied and quantified. Moreover, by classification of the pore space to flowing and stagnant regions, a simple semianalytical relation for the mass transfer between the flowing and stagnant regions was derived, which showed a very good agreement with pore‐network simulation results. Results indicate that the characterization of the topology of the stagnant regions as a function of pore‐size correlation length is essential for a better estimation of the two‐phase flow and solute transport properties.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unravelling Effects of the Pore‐Size Correlation Length on the Two‐Phase Flow and Solute Transport Properties: GPU‐based Pore‐Network Modeling

Hasan

Erfani

et al. 2020

Water Resources Research

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“…Their model simulation results showed that drainage relative permeability may be a function of both viscosity ratio and capillary number. Chaouche et al (1994) and Haghighi et al (1994) presented another dynamic network model, similar to the one of Blunt and King (1991), to study drainage processes in heterogeneous porous media. Vizika et al (1994) investigated the role of viscosity ratio during forced imbibition and found that the viscosity ratio affects residual oil saturation significantly, even under low-capillary-number conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing two-phase flow relative permeabilities in chemicalflooding using a pore-scale network model

Liu¹,

Shen²,

Wu³

2004

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A dynamic pore-scale network model is presented for investigating the effects of interfacial tension and oil-water viscosity on relative permeability during chemical flooding. This model takes into account both viscous and capillary forces in analyzing the impact of chemical properties on flow behavior or displacement configuration, as opposed to the conventional or invasion percolation algorithm which incorporates capillary pressure only. The study results indicate that both water and oil relativepermeability curves are dependent strongly on interfacial tension as well as an oil-water viscosity ratio. In particular, water and oil relative-permeability curves are both found to shift upward as interfacial tension is reduced, and they both tend to become linear versus saturation once interfacial tension is at low values. In addition, the oil-water viscosity ratio appears to have only a small effect under conditions of high interfacial tension.When the interfacial tension is low, however, water relative permeability decreases more rapidly (with the increase in the aqueous-phase viscosity) than oil relative permeability.The breakthrough saturation of the aqueous phase during chemical flooding tends to decrease with the reduction of interfacial tension and may also be affected by the oilwater viscosity ratio.

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“…In the presence of viscous forces, where saturation profiles are no longer stationary and involve gradients, simple percolation models are not applicable. A number of pore network models that simulate displacements involving both viscous and capillary forces, have been developed , Blunt and King, 1991, Chaouche et al, 1993. In fact, there are increasing efforts to use pore-network models for the ab initio description of immiscible displacements in real porous media, at least at the laboratory scale (see, for example, recent works by .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modification of chemical and physical factors in steamflood to increase heavy oil recovery

Yortsos¹

2000

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The objectives of this contract were to continue previous work and to carry out new fundamental studies in the following areas of interest to thermal recovery: displacement and flow properties of fluids involving phase change in porous medizq the effect of reservoir heterogeneity at various scales; flow properties of non-Newtonian fluids; and the optimization of recovery processes. The specific projects are motivated by and address the need to improve heavy oil recovery from typical reservoirs as well as less conventional fractured reservoirs producing from vertical or horizontal wells. This report covers work performed in the various physicochemical factors for the improvement ofoilrecovery eficiency. Inthiscontext the following general areas were studied: (i) The understanding of vapor-liquid flows in porous media; including processes in steam injection; (ii) The effect of reservoir heterogeneityy in a variety of forms, from pore scale to macroscopic scale; (iii) The flow properties of additives for the improvement of recovery efficiency, particularly foams and other non-Newtonian fluids; and (iv) The development of optimization methods to maximize various measures of oil recovery.

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Capillary Effects in Heterogeneous Porous Media: Experiments, Pore Network Simulations, and Continuum Modeling

Cited by 9 publications

References 12 publications

Unravelling Effects of the Pore‐Size Correlation Length on the Two‐Phase Flow and Solute Transport Properties: GPU‐based Pore‐Network Modeling

Unravelling Effects of the Pore‐Size Correlation Length on the Two‐Phase Flow and Solute Transport Properties: GPU‐based Pore‐Network Modeling

Characterizing two-phase flow relative permeabilities in chemicalflooding using a pore-scale network model

Modification of chemical and physical factors in steamflood to increase heavy oil recovery

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