Skip to main content

Compositional Flow in Fractured Porous Media: Mathematical Background and Basic Physics

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
  • 1585 Accesses

Part of the book series: Environmental Science and Engineering ((ENVSCIENCE))

Abstract

This chapter presents an overview of the equations describing the flow of multiphase and multicomponent fluids through fractured and unfractured porous media using the framework of continuum mixture theory. The model equations and constraint relationships are described by steps of increasing level of complexity. We first describe the governing equations for multiphase flow in both undeformable and deformable porous media. This model is extended to include the transport of chemical species by first describing the flow of a multicomponent, single-phase fluid and then of a compositional (multiphase and multicomponent) fluid in a porous medium. Finally, the equations governing the flow of compositional fluids in fractured porous media are described. The proposed methodology is suitable for modelling any type of fractured media, including dual-, triple-, and multiple-continuum conceptual models.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adler PM, Brenner H (1988) Multiphase flow in porous media. Annu Rev Fluid Mech 20:35–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allen MB (1985) Numerical modelling of multiphase flow in porous media. Adv Water Res 8:162–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amaefule JO, Handy LL (1982) The effect of interfacial tensions on relative oil/water permeabilities of consolidated porous media. Soc Pet Eng J 22:371–381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amiri A, Vafai K (1994) Analysis of dispersion effects and non-thermal equilibrium, non-Darcian, variable porosity incompressible flow through porous media. Int J Heat Mass Transf 37:939–954

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bai M, Elsworth D, Roegiers J-C (1993) Multiporosity/multipermeability approach to the simulation of naturally fractured reservoirs. Water Resour Res 29:1621–1633

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bardon C, Longeron DG (1980) Influence of interfacial tensions on relative permeability. Soc Pet Eng J, 391–401

    Google Scholar 

  • Barenblatt GI, Zheltov IP (1960) Fundamental equations of filtration of homogeneous liquids in fissured rocks. Sov Phys-Doklady 5:522–525

    Google Scholar 

  • Barenblatt GI, Zheltov IP, Kochina IN (1960) Basic concepts in the theory of seepage of homogeneous liquids in fissured rocks. J Appl Math Mech 24:1286–1303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bear J (1988) Dynamics of fluids in porous media. Dover, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Bear J, Berkowitz B (1987) Groundwater flow and pollution in fractured rock aquifers. In: Novak P (ed) Development of hydraulic engineering, vol 4. Elsevier Applied Science, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen Z (2007) Homogenization and simulation for compositional flow in naturally fractured reservoirs. J Math Anal Appl 326:12–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen Z, Huan G, Ma Y (2006) Computational methods for multiphase flows in porous media. SIAM, Philadelphia

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Coats K (1980) An equation-of-state compositional model. Soc Pet Eng J, 363–376

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellenbroek WG, van Hecke M, van Saarloos W (2009) Jammed frictionless disks: connecting global and local response. Phys Rev E 80:061307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Firoozabadi A (2000) Recovery mechanisms in fractured reservoirs and field performance. J Can Pet Technol 39(11):13–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forchheimer P (1901) Wasserbewegung durch Boden. Zeitschrift des Vereines Deutscher Ingenieure 45:1736–1741

    Google Scholar 

  • Frisch U (1968) Wave propagation in random media. In: Bharucha-Reid AT (ed) Probabilistic methods in applied mathematics. Academic Press, New York, pp 75–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewett TA (1986) Fractal distributions of reservoir heterogeneity and their influence on fluid transport. In: 61st annual technical conference and exhibition of the society of petroleum engineers, SPE Paper 15386, New Orleans, Louisiana, 5–8 October 1986

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoa NT, Gaudu R, Thirriot C (1977) Influence of the hysteresis effect on transient flows in saturated-unsaturated porous media. Water Resour Res 13:992–996

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang Z, Wu YS, Li J, Wu Y, Zhang J, Wang G (2006) A triple-continuum numerical model for simulating multiphase flow in naturally fractured vuggy petroleum reservoirs. In: SPE annual technical conference and exhibition. SPE Paper 102356, San Antonio, Texas, 24–27 September

    Google Scholar 

  • Karal FC, Keller JB (1964) Elastic, electromagnetic, and other waves in a random medium. J Math Phys 5:537–547

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khoei AR, Mohammadnejad T (2011) Numerical modeling of multiphase flow in deforming porous media: a comparison between two- and three-phase models for seismic analysis of earth and rockfill dams. Comput Geotech 38(2):142–166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lake LW (1996) Enhanced oil recovery. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Larose E (2006) Mesoscopics of ultrasound and seismic waves: application to passive imaging. Annales de Physique 31(3):1–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lemonnier P, Bourbiaux B (2010a) Simulation of naturally fracture reservoirs. State of the art. Part 1. Physical mechanisms and simulator formulation. Oil Gas Sci Technol - Rev IFP 65(2):239–262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lemonnier P, Bourbiaux B (2010b) Simulation of naturally fracture reservoirs. State of the art. Part 2. Matrix-fracture transfers and typical features of numerical studies. Oil Gas Sci Technol - Rev IFP 65(2):263–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lichtner PC (1988) The quasi-stationary state approximation to coupled mass transport and fluid-rock interaction in a porous media. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 52:143–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu HH, Ahlers CF, Cushey MA (2000) Analysis of hydrologic properties. Report ANL-NBS-HS-000002. Berkeley, California: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Las Vegas, Nevada: CRWMS M&O

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu JC, Bodvarsson GS, Wu YS (2003) Analysis of pressure behavior in fractured lithophysal reservoirs. J Contam Hydrol 62–63:189–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manrique EJ, Muci VE, Gurfinkel ME (2007) EOR field experiences in carbonate reservoirs in the United States. SPE Reser Eval Eng 10(6):667–686

    Google Scholar 

  • Mätthai SK, Belayneh M (2004) Fluid flow partitioning between fractures and a permeable rock matrix. Geophys Res Lett 31(7):7602–7606

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mei CC, Auriault J-L (1991) The effect of weak inertia on flow through a porous medium. J Fluid Mech 222:647–663

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller CT, Christakos G, Imhoff PT, l, McBride JF, Pedit JA et al (1998) Multiphase flow and transport modeling in heterogeneous porous media: challenges and approaches. Adv Water Res 21(2):77–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morel-Seytoux HJ (1969) Introduction to flow of immiscible liquids in porous media. In: De Weist RJM (ed) Flow through porous media. Academic Press, New York, pp 456–516

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker JC (1989) Multiphase flow and transport in porous media. Rev Geophys 27:311–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peaceman DW (1966) Improved treatment of dispersion in numerical calculation of multidimensional miscible displacements. Soc Pet Eng J 6:213–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips OM (1991) Flow and reactions in permeable rocks. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Pruess K, Narasimhan TN (1985) A practical method for modeling fluid and heat flow in fractured porous media. Soc Pet Eng J 25:14–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryzhik L, Papanicolaou G, Keller JB (1996) Transport equation for elastic and other waves in random media. Wave Motion 24:327–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sabathier JC, Bourbiaux B, Cacas MC, Sarda S (1998) A new approach of fractured reservoirs. In: SPE international petroleum conference and exhibition. SPE Paper 39825, Villahermosa, Mexico, 3–5 March 1998

    Google Scholar 

  • Sahimi M (1995) Flow and transport in porous media and fractured rock: from classical methods to modern approaches. VCH, Weinheim

    Google Scholar 

  • Sahimi M, Tajer SE (2005) Self-affine fractal distribution of the bulk density, elastic moduli and seismic wave velocities of rocks. Phys Rev E 71:046301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarda S, Bourbiaux B, Cacas MC, Sabathier JC (1997) An innovative procedure to compute equivalent block size in a dual-porosity model. Paper presented at the 9th European symposium on improved oil recovery. The Hague, The Netherlands, 20–22 October

    Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava RP, Sen MK (2009) Fractal-based stochastic inversion of poststack seismic data using very fast simulated annealing. J Geophys Eng 6:412425

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Starikovic̆ius V (2003) The multiphase flow and heat transfer in porous media. Report Fraunhofer-Institut für Techno- und Wirtschaftsmathematik ITWM 55, 30 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Steefel CI, Lichtner PC (1998a) Multicomponent reactive transport in discrete fractures: I. Controls on reaction front geometries. J Hydrol 209:186–199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steefel CI, Lichtner PC (1998b) Multicomponent reactive transport in discrete fractures: II. Infiltration of hyperalkaline groundwater at Maqarin, Jordan, a natural analogue site. J Hydrol 209:200–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stone HL (1973) Estimation of three-phase relative permeability and residual oil data. J Can Pet Technol 12(4):53–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stothoff S, Or D (2000) A discrete-fracture boundary integral approach to simulating coupled energy and moisture transport in a fractured porous medium. In: Faybishenko B, Witherspoon PA, Benson SM (eds) Dynamics of fluids in fractured rocks, concepts, and recent advances, vol 122. AGU Geophysical Monograph. American Geophysical Union, Washington, pp 269–279

    Google Scholar 

  • Warren JE, Root PJ (1963) The behavior of naturally fractured reservoirs. Soc Pet Eng J 3:245–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weaver RL (1990) Diffusivity of ultrasound. J Mech Phys Solids 38:55–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitaker S (1996) The Forchheimer equation: a theoretical development. Transp Porous Media 25:27–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu YS (2000) On the effective continuum method for modeling multiphase flow, multicomponent transport and heat transfer in fractured rock. In: Faybishenko B, Witherspoon PA, Benson SM (eds) Dynamics of fluids in fractured rocks, concepts, and recent advances, vol 122. AGU Geophysical Monograph. American Geophysical Union, Washington, pp 299–312

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu YS, Pruess K (1988) A multiple-porosity method for simulation of naturally fractured petroleum reservoirs. SPE Reserv Eng 3:327–336

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu YS, Qin G (2009) A generalized numerical approach for modeling multiphase flow and transport in fractured porous media. Commun Comput Phys 6(1):85–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu YS, Liu HH, Bodvarsson GS, Zellmer KE (2004) A triple-continuum approach for modeling flow and transport processes in fractured rocks. J Contam Hydrol 73:145–179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu YS, Ehlig-Economides C, Qin G, Kang Z, Zhang W, Babatunde A, Qingfeng T (2007) A triple-continuum pressure-transient model for a naturally fractured vuggy reservoir. In: SPE annual technical conference and exhibition. SPE Paper 110044-MS, Anaheim, California, 11–14 November

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyllie MRJ (1962) Relative permeability. In: Frick TC (ed) Petroleum production handbook, Chap. 25. McGraw-Hill, New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work has been partially supported by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología of Mexico (CONACyT) under the project CONACyT-EDOMEX-2011-C01-165873.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eloy Sira .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this paper

Cite this paper

Di G. Sigalotti, L., Sira, E., Trujillo, L., Klapp, J. (2015). Compositional Flow in Fractured Porous Media: Mathematical Background and Basic Physics. In: Klapp, J., Ruíz Chavarría, G., Medina Ovando, A., López Villa, A., Sigalotti, L. (eds) Selected Topics of Computational and Experimental Fluid Mechanics. Environmental Science and Engineering(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11487-3_1

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics