Shape of Liquid Bridges in a Horizontal Fracture

Dejam, Morteza; Chen, Zhangxin

doi:10.11159/jffhmt.2014.001

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…They also showed that inertial force is important only for a very short period in the early stages of reinfiltration. Dejam et al [19] presented a numerical solution of the YLE, which determines the interface profile of a liquid bridge between two parallel plates in the absence of gravity. They neither studied the stability criteria of liquid bridges nor the capillary pressure relationship to liquid bridge volume or liquid saturation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An insight into the formation of liquid bridge and its role on fracture capillary pressure during gravity drainage in fractured porous media

2021

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The formation of liquid bridges can maintain capillary continuity between matrix blocks during gas/oil gravity drainage in fractured reservoirs. A travelling oil drop draining into a fracture either forms a liquid bridge or breaks into detached drops. However, the different characteristics of a travelling drop during its elongation and required conditions for transformation into a liquid bridge are not well described in the published literature. In this work, a onedimensional model based on slender-drop theory is employed that holds gravity, viscosity, and surface tension forces but ignores inertia. This model, together with Young-Laplace equation, gives the fracture capillary pressure.Then, the effect of liquid influx rate, viscosity, surface tension, density difference, contact angle, and contact radius on the shape, critical (or maximum) volume, and length of travelling liquid drops is analyzed and compared with the results in the absence of flow (ie, pendant drops). Critical length is shown to be an increasing function of both liquid viscosity and the influx rate, but the effect of surface tension and density is somewhat case dependent. Furthermore, it is found that if fracture aperture is equal to or less than the critical length of a drop, the formed liquid bridge would be stable. Also, fracture capillary pressure is shown to be remarkable in thin fractures (apertures of less than 50 μm) with embedded liquid bridge. On the other hand, the suspended oil drops, even when reaching critical length, cannot provide considerable capillary pressure.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An insight into the formation of liquid bridge and its role on fracture capillary pressure during gravity drainage in fractured porous media

2021

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“…Within nanoscale pores, the gas flow mechanisms can be classified as four types according to Knudsen number ( Kn ), which is defined as the ratio of the molecular mean free path to the characteristic length of a certain geometry. The gas transport mechanism belongs to continuum flow ( Kn < 0.001), slip flow (0.001 < Kn < 0.1), transition flow (0.1 < Kn < 10), and Knudsen diffusion ( Kn > 10). − ,− It should be highlighted that the value of Kn is heavily dependent on atmospheric pressure and temperature. As a result, during the depressurization development process of shale gas reservoirs, the gas flow mechanism within a nanoscale shale matrix will change with production, leading to changing gas transport capacity through a shale matrix.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Pore Shape on Nanoconfined Gas Flow Behavior: Implication for Characterizing Permeability of Realistic Shale Matrix

Shi

Sun

et al. 2019

Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.

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Good knowledge of nanoconfined gas flow behavior will significantly contribute to advance ultimate gas recovery from shale gas reservoirs. However, up to now, it has still been extremely challenging to have a clear understanding of the key issue. In particular, little attention is drawn to the effect of pore geometry on nanoconfined gas flow behavior. By means of developed experimental technology, realistic images reflecting pore characteristics can be obtained, which demonstrate that various pore shapes are exhibited in the shale matrix. To my knowledge, current related research is focused on gas transport through several conventional pore shapes, including circle, rectangle, and slit. As a result, the urgent issue, i.e., research on gas flow behavior through unconventional pore shapes, is highlighted. In this work, a model for gas transport through elliptical nanopores is established, which possesses an excellent varying-shape nature with changing aspect ratio (AR) and therefore covers lots of pore shapes and shares great application value. Both effects of gas slipperiness and surface diffusion are incorporated in this model. Moreover, the Langmuir isotherm is utilized to quantify the thickness of the adsorption layer of methane. When AR is equal to 1 and an infinite number, the proposed model can achieve excellent agreement compared with gas transport data through circular and slit-like nanopores. Results show that (a) the gas transport capacity will decrease with increasing AR value at a specific pressure point; (b) contribution of surface diffusion will become more prominent with higher AR value; (c) under different gas adsorption/desorption characteristics, there is no difference in gas transport capacity through nanopores with different ARs at high pressure and relatively large difference at low-pressure atmosphere; (d) current production prediction models or commercial software require consideration of the effect of various pore shapes to enhance application accuracy. In sum, the findings of this study can help in better understanding the methane flow feature through nanopores with various cross-sections, which further serve as the necessary theoretical attempt with regard to accurate characterization for flow capacity of a realistic shale matrix.

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“…This system is associated with some physical mechanisms such as block‐to‐block interaction phenomenon. The block‐to‐block interaction can be explained by the capillary continuity and reimbibition processes . Capillary continuity exists between the two matrix blocks if the oil from the first block forms a liquid bridge through the horizontal fracture and moves into the second matrix block.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They coupled this model with the fracture capillary pressure models to study the liquid bridge formation and capillary continuity between matrix blocks. Dejam et al presented a dimensionless mathematical model to study the static shape of liquid bridges between matrix blocks under the absence of gravity. Later, Dejam et al proposed a model that can be used to find a relationship between the net capillary force, contact angle, and liquid bridge volume.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying the reimbibition effect on the performance of gas‐oil gravity drainage in fractured reservoirs: Mathematical modelling

Rahmati¹,

Rasaei

2019

Can J Chem Eng

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As a major oil production mechanism, gravity drainage in fractured oil reservoirs is heavily affected by the reimbibition phenomenon. In this work, a stack of oil-saturated two matrix blocks surrounded by oil-saturated fractures are considered as a synthetic fractured reservoir. A mathematical computer program is developed to numerically simulate the fluids' flow through the matrixes and fractures employing the finely gridded single porosity concept. Simulation results are validated by checking the continuity of the gas volume through the reservoir. The percentage of oil recovered by gravity drainage is determined employing the new material balance equation approach. A new procedure is employed for deactivating the reimbibition phenomenon, introducing the zero transmissibility for the oil phase in the case of oil transfer from the fracture to matrix region. According to the simulation results and considering the proposed model, under the constraints of constant gas injection and oil production rates, fully or partially deactivating the reimbibition phenomenon causes a faster gas movement through vertical fractures. The reason for this is that some of the oil leaving the upper matrix block goes to vertical fractures and causes a faster gas breakthrough in them due to reduced available pore volume to gas. In this case the oil recovered by gravity drainage from the system is decreased. Inactivating this phenomenon in the simulated case study causes a 40 % reduction in oil production by gravity drainage from the matrix blocks until the breakthrough time.

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Shape of Liquid Bridges in a Horizontal Fracture

Abstract: -

Cited by 4 publications

References 41 publications

An insight into the formation of liquid bridge and its role on fracture capillary pressure during gravity drainage in fractured porous media

An insight into the formation of liquid bridge and its role on fracture capillary pressure during gravity drainage in fractured porous media

Effect of Pore Shape on Nanoconfined Gas Flow Behavior: Implication for Characterizing Permeability of Realistic Shale Matrix

Quantifying the reimbibition effect on the performance of gas‐oil gravity drainage in fractured reservoirs: Mathematical modelling

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