Network Modeling of Drainage and Imbibition in Microfractured Porous Media

Abstract

TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractThis paper investigates two-phase flow in microfractured porous media. We obtain relative permeabilities and capillary pressure curves for drainage and imbibition processes using a two-dimensional microfracture network model. The system of microfractures is composed of interconnected parallel plates of varying apertures, lengths and pre-established orientation.Fluid flow in each microfracture unit is described by the paralle plate flow model. Capillary pressure for individual microfractures is obtained as a function of fracture aperture. The model takes into account capillary and viscous forces, thus the model allows for the analysis of different configurations of fluids on the network obtained with different capillary numbers and viscosity ratio. Relative permeabilities and capillary pressures are obtained as a function of the average saturation of the fluids in the network and the effect of different flow conditions on these curves is presented.

Pore-scale events in drainage process through porous media under high- and low-interfacial tension flow conditions

“…The studies after the year 2000 are mostly concerned with the experimental measurement and/or mathematical prediction of the capillary pressure and/or relative permeability curves for drainage (Bech et al, 2000;Hofman et al, 2001;Hilden and Trumble, 2003;Jackson et al, 2003;Masalmeh, 2003;Papatzacos and Skjaeeland, 2003;Sun and Mohanty, 2005;Wilson and Rodríguez, 2005;Al-Wahaibi et al, 2006;Rangel-German et al, 2006;Revil et al, 2007). Furthermore, a major portion of the studies on the subject of drainage after the year 2000 have focused on the pore-network modeling of various aspects of the drainage-type displacements such as pore network simulation using disordered networks (Patzek, 2001), capturing the geometry of angular capillaries for pore network calculations (Patzek and Kristensen, 2001), pore network simulator of NMR relaxation and nuclear magnetization for characterization (Chang and Ioannidis, 2002a,b), three-dimensional pore-scale network model of Berea sandstone (Jackson et al, 2003), two-dimensional microfracture network model (Wilson and Rodríguez, 2005), and verification of the correct choice of critical curvatures for the use in the network models (Peng et al, 2009).…”

“…Furthermore, a major portion of the studies on the subject of drainage after the year 2000 have focused on the pore-network modeling of various aspects of the drainage-type displacements such as pore network simulation using disordered networks (Patzek, 2001), capturing the geometry of angular capillaries for pore network calculations (Patzek and Kristensen, 2001), pore network simulator of NMR relaxation and nuclear magnetization for characterization (Chang and Ioannidis, 2002a,b), three-dimensional pore-scale network model of Berea sandstone (Jackson et al, 2003), two-dimensional microfracture network model (Wilson and Rodríguez, 2005), and verification of the correct choice of critical curvatures for the use in the network models (Peng et al, 2009).…”

“…Sun and Mohanty (2005) Used a genetic algorithm for simultaneous estimation of the relative permeability and capillary pressure after relative permeability tests. Wilson and Rodríguez (2005) Analyzed the effect of capillary number and viscosity ratio on the configurations of fluids in the porous networks. Al-Wahaibi et al (2006) Showed that the non-wetting phase relative permeability increases more rapidly than that of the wetting phase by the decrease in the IFT.…”