In-situ characterization of wettability and pore-scale displacements during two- and three-phase flow in natural porous media

Khishvand, Mahdi; Alizadeh, Abdolali; Piri, Mohammad

doi:10.1016/j.advwatres.2016.10.009

Cited by 122 publications

(91 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…However, slower movement of triple line observed during the imbibition process causes stick-slip behavior of the interface and wider range of the contact angle. Khishvand et al [30] have also reported a wide range of contact angles during the imbibition process using micro-CT tomography and indicated that roughness and different minerals on the surface are the main reasons for such wide variations in contact angles.…”

Section: Dynamic Contact Anglementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The recent X-ray computed tomography (micro-CT) method has provided a powerful tool to study pore and micro-scale characterization of rocks and multiphase fluid flow mechanisms, including pore structure morphology and local capillary pressure measurement [33][34][35][36][37]. Using the micro-CT technique, it is really difficult to measure dynamic contact angles due to the slow imaging process [30]. Thus, static contact angles have been measured with rocks, sand packs, and glass bids, showing a wide range of contact angles at pore level.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When CO 2 injection is stopped, the movement of the CO 2 interface front stops and a static contact angle can be measured. At this moment, the interface is approaching an equilibrium condition called the relaxation of contact angle [30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whether the contact angle on a flat surface can properly represent wettability inside of a porous medium pore has been a great concern. Microscopic roughness and chemical heterogeneity of pore walls originate from different in-situ minerals and curvature of pore walls, making the contact angle measured on a smooth flat surface an unreliable one for pores inside porous media [30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, static contact angles have been measured with rocks, sand packs, and glass bids, showing a wide range of contact angles at pore level. The wide range of static contact angles are due to the following: (1) pore topology, hysteresis, surface chemical and physical heterogeneity, and injection patterns (i.e., drainage and imbibition) [9,30,33,[38][39][40]; (2) relaxation of contact angle [30]; and (3) low resolution of images. Thus, Scanziani et al [9] have proposed an "effective contact angle" measurement using fluid-fluid interface curvature instead of "true contact angle" at the contact line of fluids and rock surface.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Direct Measurement of Static and Dynamic Contact Angles Using a Random Micromodel Considering Geological CO2 Sequestration

Jafari

Jung

2017

Sustainability

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Abstract:The pore-level two-phase fluids flow mechanism needs to be understood for geological CO 2 sequestration as a solution to mitigate anthropogenic emission of carbon dioxide. Capillary pressure at the interface of water-CO 2 influences CO 2 injectability, capacity, and safety of the storage system. Wettability usually measured by contact angle is always a major uncertainty source among important parameters affecting capillary pressure. The contact angle is mostly determined on a flat surface as a representative of the rock surface. However, a simple and precise method for determining in situ contact angle at pore-scale is needed to simulate fluids flow in porous media. Recent progresses in X-ray tomography technique has provided a robust way to measure in situ contact angle of rocks. However, slow imaging and complicated image processing make it impossible to measure dynamic contact angle. In the present paper, a series of static and dynamic contact angles as well as contact angles on flat surface were measured inside a micromodel with random pattern of channels under high pressure condition. Our results showed a wide range of pore-scale contact angles, implying complexity of the pore-scale contact angle even in a highly smooth and chemically homogenous glass micromodel. Receding contact angle (RCA) showed more reproducibility compared to advancing contact angle (ACA) and static contact angle (SCA) for repeating tests and during both drainage and imbibition. With decreasing pore size, RCA was increased. The hysteresis of the dynamic contact angle (ACA-RCA) was higher at pressure of one megapascal in comparison with that at eight megapascals. The CO 2 bubble had higher mobility at higher depths due to lower hysteresis which is unfavorable. CO 2 bubbles resting on the flat surface of the micromodel channel showed a wide range of contact angles. They were much higher than reported contact angle values observed with sessile drop or captive bubble tests on a flat plate of glass in previous reports. This implies that more precaution is required when estimating capillary pressure and leakage risk.

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Section: Dynamic Contact Anglementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Direct Measurement of Static and Dynamic Contact Angles Using a Random Micromodel Considering Geological CO2 Sequestration

Jafari

Jung

2017

Sustainability

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In situ characterization of wettability alteration and displacement mechanisms governing recovery enhancement due to low‐salinity waterflooding

Khishvand

Alizadeh

Kohshour

et al. 2017

Water Resources Research

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A series of micro‐scale core‐flooding experiments were performed on reservoir core samples at elevated temperature and pressure conditions to develop better insights into wettability alteration and pore‐scale displacement mechanisms taking place during low‐salinity waterflooding (LSWF). Two individual miniature core samples were cut from a preserved reservoir whole core, saturated to establish initial reservoir fluid saturation conditions, and subsequently waterflooded with low‐salinity and high‐salinity brines. A third miniature sister core sample was also cut, solvent‐cleaned, and subjected to a dynamic wettability restoration process (to reestablish native state wettability) and then a low‐salinity waterflood. All samples were imaged during the experiments using a micro‐CT scanner to obtain fluid occupancy maps and measure in situ oil‐water contact angles. The results of the experiments performed on the preserved core samples show a significantly improved performance of low‐salinity waterflooding compared to that of high‐salinity waterflooding (HSWF). Pore‐scale contact angle measurements provide direct evidence of wettability alteration from weakly oil‐wet toward weakly water‐wet conditions during LSWF, whereas contact angles measured during HSWF remain unchanged. We believe that the reduction in oil‐water contact angles toward increased water‐wetness lowers the threshold water pressure needed to displace oil from some medium‐sized pore elements. Contact angles measured during the dynamic wettability restoration process show an equilibrium wettability state very similar to the initial one observed in the preserved samples. This indicates that drilling fluid contaminants had a negligible effect on the reservoir rock wettability. The experimental results also reveal similarities between saturation trends for the preserved‐LSWF and restored‐LSWF tests.

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Pore‐scale visualization and quantitative analysis of the spontaneous imbibition based on experiments and micro‐CT technology in low‐permeability mixed‐wettability rock

Liu

Song

et al. 2020

Energy Science & Engineering

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The pore‐scale imbibition mechanism in fractured water‐wetted reservoirs has been acknowledged as an efficient tool to enhance oil recovery. Most rock in a natural reservoir is mixed‐wetted, but most studies on the pore‐scale imbibition process only focused on the water‐wetted rock. This paper adopts two mixed‐wetted core samples for microspontaneous imbibition experiment, micro‐CT scanning, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) test. The results indicate that the pore radius distribution of the segmented CT images is consistent with that of the NMR test. The microimbibition recovery ratio of core No. 34‐1 and core No. 64 in the spontaneous imbibition experiment are 27.7% and 58.2%, which agrees well with that computed by the micro‐CT scanning image (27.63% and 56.09%). Based on the segmented images, the influences of the Jamin's effect, pore size distribution, and wettability on the microspontaneous imbibition are visualized and quantitatively studied. The Jamin's effect is the important factor that hinders the microimbibition process. The main pore size of imbibition distributes in the range of 1‐25 μm. Furthermore, the pore‐scale spontaneous imbibition process in a single pore with mixed wettability is investigated and analyzed. The relationships among the contact angle, capillary force, recovery ratio, wettability, and the microimbibition recovery are revealed.

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In-situ characterization of wettability and pore-scale displacements during two- and three-phase flow in natural porous media

Cited by 122 publications

References 40 publications

Direct Measurement of Static and Dynamic Contact Angles Using a Random Micromodel Considering Geological CO2 Sequestration

Direct Measurement of Static and Dynamic Contact Angles Using a Random Micromodel Considering Geological CO2 Sequestration

In situ characterization of wettability alteration and displacement mechanisms governing recovery enhancement due to low‐salinity waterflooding

Pore‐scale visualization and quantitative analysis of the spontaneous imbibition based on experiments and micro‐CT technology in low‐permeability mixed‐wettability rock

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