The Effect of Pore Structure on Non-Darcy Gas Flow in Some Low-Permeability Reservoir Rocks

Noman, Rashed; Archer, J. S.

doi:10.2118/16400-ms

Cited by 29 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…4. Typically, the Richardson number is used to describe the ratio of gravity and inertia forces (Israelachvili 1995;Rowlinson and Widom 1982 Noman and Archer (1987) held that, during flow through a straight pipeline at a low rate (i.e., at a low Reynolds number), the viscous forces are dominant and, therefore, the inertia term is usually ignored in the momentum-balance equation. For flow through a porous medium, the presence of a solid matrix ensures that fluid streamlines are never straight.…”

Section: Force Ratio For Analysis Of Interface Instability In Porousmentioning

confidence: 99%

Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Water-in-Oil Transverse Dispersion in Porous Media

Duan

Wojtanowicz

2010

SPE Reservoir Evaluation &Amp; Engineering

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Water production is controlled by the size and distribution of water saturation around wells. A recent discovery shows that not employing hydrodynamic mixing in numerical simulators may underestimate the water transition zone (Duan and Wojtanowicz 2006). This paper reports continuing research into mechanisms causing expansion of the water-saturation transition zone (transverse dispersion) in a segregated flow of oil and water approaching a vertical well's completion. The mechanisms-including nonlinear flow, turbulence, shear rate, and flow baffling at grains-all contribute to the instability of the oil/water interface, resulting in hydrodynamic mixing. Interface instability because of shearing rate has been demonstrated in our recent study on the Hele-Shaw model (Duan and Wojtanowicz 2007). In this paper, we mathematically model the effect of flow baffling and demonstrate transverse dispersion experimentally using a linear physical sandpack.A simple model of tortuous flow was developed to demonstrate the effect of two-phase-flow baffling in granular porous media. The model shows that the change in flow momentum of the two fluids at the point of collision with rock grains becomes the major factor causing water dispersion.A series of segregated-flow runs (top, oil; bottom, water) was carried out using a physical model packed with different porous media at a constant pressure drop. The runs were videotaped and analyzed for saturation distribution using a color-intensity-recognition software. The results clearly demonstrate onset of transverse dispersion of water into the flowing oil. Further dispersion, however, was overshadowed by the dimensional and end-point effects of the model. With a numerical estimation procedure, the initial dispersion rate-computed from the 1D flow model-is the essential data needed to estimate total dispersion in radial inflow to wells.

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Section: Force Ratio For Analysis Of Interface Instability In Porousmentioning

confidence: 99%

Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Water-in-Oil Transverse Dispersion in Porous Media

Duan

Wojtanowicz

2010

SPE Reservoir Evaluation &Amp; Engineering

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“…Noman 62 and Kalaydjian 10 summarized the origin of inertial effects and the influence of pore structure on β. In the case of immobile saturation, many correlations like Geertsma's 63 one exist, which expresses β as a function of porosity and permeability for unconsolidated and consolidated rocks, respectively:…”

Section: Forchheimer's Equation: State-of-the-artmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-Darcy Flow: Laboratory Measurements in Unconsolidated Porous Media

Macini

Mesini

Viola

2008

Europec/Eage Conference and Exhibition

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In recent years, the petroleum industry has shown a renovated interest in Non-Darcy flow, in order to better understand reservoir performances. Non-Darcy flow is typically observed in gas wells when the fluids converging to the wellbore attains the velocity peculiar of turbulent flow. As a consequence, pressure drop around the wellbore cannot be estimated from the classic Darcy equation, where the pressure gradient is a linear function of the flow velocity. In that case, in fact, the use of Darcy equation would lead to inaccurate production performances evaluation.In order to describe correctly this phenomenon, the well-known Forchheimer equation is normally used, where the inertial coefficient β is defined. In gas wells this coefficient is usually determined by the analysis of multi-rate pressure tests performed on site. Unfortunately, such data are not easily available (or not economical) in many cases. So, it is a common practice to use particular theoretical and empirical correlations that can be derived by exploiting experimental values of the inertial coefficient.This paper reports a laboratory study in which the inertial coefficient β can be correlated to the structure of the porous media, and, in particular, of its grain size distribution. Gas flow laboratory experiments have been performed on laboratory models of glass beads and natural sands of different sizes. Moreover, porosity and permeability, together with the Klinkenberg constant, have been determined on natural sand cores with both flat and peaked grain size distribution, and a correlation with the Forchheimer equation has been checked. Forchheimer's number has been calculated and correlated to the superficial velocity as well. In the light of the above, specific laboratory equipment has been devised in order to rely on a wide range of flow rate under appropriate pressure gradients.

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“…In most of the studies (Cornell and Katz, 1953;Bird, Stewart and Lightfoot, 1960;Geertsma, 1974;Neasham, 1977;Noman and Archer, 1987), the inertial factor β is essentially a function of geometrical features of the medium (porosity, permeability, and roughness). However, Tiss and Evans (1989) showed that β is also a function of the fluid properties.…”

Section: Single-phase Flowmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inertial Effects in Two-Phase Flow Through Fractures

Fourar

Lenormand²

2000

Oil & Gas Science and Technology - Rev. IFP

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Résumé -Effets inertiels dans les écoulements diphasiques en fractures -Différents modèles de description des écoulements diphasiques dans une fracture sont présentés : modèles du coefficient d'inertie, de « passabilité » et de Lockhart-Martinelli. Ces modèles sont ensuite utilisés pour interpréter des résultats expérimentaux obtenus avec un écoulement d'eau et d'air dans une fracture rugueuse. Il apparaît que les coefficients de perméabilités relatives classiques Kr (sans terme d'inertie) ne dépendent pas uniquement de la saturation mais également du rapport des débits des deux fluides. L'existence d'une famille de courbes des Kr en fonction de la saturation à débit élevé peut être considérée comme un critère de la manifestation des effets inertiels. En tenant compte des effets inertiels, les modèles du coefficient d'inertie et de passabilité permettent de décrire correctement les résultats expérimentaux. Cependant, ces modèles font intervenir quatre paramètres dont la détermination nécessite d'autres investigations. En revanche, le modèle de Lockhart-Martinelli ne comporte que deux paramètres et peut être utilisé pour prédire les résultats expérimentaux. Une relation empirique utilisée en génie chimique pour les milieux poreux permet de prédire les résultats expérimentaux avec un écart relatif moyen inférieur à 20 %, sans ajustement supplémentaire. Pour les trois modèles, l'utilisation du rapport des débits des fluides, plutôt que la saturation, donne de meilleurs résultats.Mots-clés : écoulement diphasique, perméabilités relatives, effets inertiels, Forchheimer, coefficient d'inertie, passabilité, milieu poreux, fracture. Abstract -Inertial Effects in Two-Phase Flow through Fractures

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The Effect of Pore Structure on Non-Darcy Gas Flow in Some Low-Permeability Reservoir Rocks

Cited by 29 publications

References 8 publications

Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Water-in-Oil Transverse Dispersion in Porous Media

Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Water-in-Oil Transverse Dispersion in Porous Media

Non-Darcy Flow: Laboratory Measurements in Unconsolidated Porous Media

Inertial Effects in Two-Phase Flow Through Fractures

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