Abstract
Direct insight into the mechanisms of flow and displacements within small-scale (cm) systems having permeability heterogeneities that are not parallel to the flow direction (cross-bedding and fault zones) have been carried out. In our experiments, we have used visual models with unconsolidated glass bead packs having carefully controlled permeability contrasts to observe the processes with coloured fluids and streamlines. The displacements were followed visually and by video recording for later analysis. The experiments show the significance that heterogeneities have on residual saturations and recovery, as well as the displacement patterns themselves. During a waterflood, high permeability regions can be by-passed due to capillary pressure differences, giving rise to high residual oil saturations in these regions. This study demonstrates the importance of incorporating reservoir heterogeneity into core displacement analysis, but of course the nature of the heterogeneity has to be known. In general, the effects created by the heterogeneities and their unknown boundaries hamper interpretation of flood experiments in heterogeneous real sandstone cores. Our experiments, therefore, offer clear visual information to provide a firmer understanding of the displacement processes during immiscible displacement, to present benchmark data for input to numerical simulators, and to validate the simulator through a comparison with our experimental results for these difficult flow problems.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Al-Hinai, S., Fisher, Q.J., Al-Busafi, B., Guise, P., Grattoni, C.A.: Recent Application of Special Core Analysis to Fault Rocks. SCA2006-15, International Symposium Society of Core Analysts, Trondheim, Norway September 13–15 (2006)
Al-Hinai S., Fisher Q.J., Al-Busafi B., Guise P., Grattoni C.A.: Laboratory measurements of the relative permeability of cataclastic fault rocks: An important consideration for production simulation modelling. Mar. Pet. Geol. 25, 473–485 (2008)
Bear, J.: Dynamics of Fluids in Porous Media (especially section 7.1.10.), originally published by American Elsevier, New York, (1972); now by Dover Publications, New York, (1988)
Bennett C.W.: Glycerol as sensitizer. J. Phys. Chem. 16(7), 614–615 (1912)
Caruana, A.: Immiscible flow behaviour in the presence of heterogeneous porous media. PhD thesis, University of London, Imperial College (1997)
Caruana A., Dawe R.A.: Flow Behaviour in the presence of wettability heterogeneities. Transp. Porous Media. 25, 217–233 (1996)
Dawe R.A., Grattoni C.A.: The visualisation of the pore-scale physics of hydrocarbon recovery from reservoirs. First Break. 16, 371–386 (1998)
Dawe R.A., Grattoni C.A.: Experimental displacement patterns in a 2x2 quadrant block with permeability and wettability heterogeneities - problems for numerical modelling. Transp. Porous Media. 71, 5–22 (2008)
Dawe R.A., Richardson M.D.: The Recovery of oil from reservoirs, part 4, model studies of displacement in reservoirs. Sch. Sci. Rev. 64(229), 746–752 (1983)
Dawe, R.A., Wheat, M.R., Wright, R.J.: Effects of Heterogeneities on Miscible Flow Processes in EOR. In: Presented at 3rd European Meeting on Improved Oil Recovery, Rome, Vol. 1, pp. 99–110 (1985)
Dawe R.A., Wheat M.R., Bidner M.S.: Experimental investigation of capillary pressure effects on immiscible displacement in lensed and layered porous media. Transp. Porous Media. 7, 83–101 (1992)
Dawe, R.A., Caruana, A., Grattoni, C.A.: Microscale visual study of end effects at permeability discontinuities. Transp. Porous Media. (2010). doi:10.1007/s11242-010-9642-4
Evans R.N., Dawe R.A.: The danger of neglecting nodal crossflow in heterogeneous near-wellbore conditions. J. Pet. Sci. Eng. 11, 113–121 (1994)
Heaviside, J., Black, C.J.J., Berry, J.F.: Fundamentals of relative permeability: experimental and theoretical considerations. SPE12173. 58th Annual Technical Conference, San Francisco, Ca, USA (1983)
Hove A.O., Dawe R.A., Evans R.N.: Evaluation of gravity segregation in cores in miscible and low interfacial tension floods including In-situ tomography. J. Pet. Sci. Eng. 14, 89–98 (1995)
Huang Y., Ringrose P.S., Sorbie K.S.: Capillary trapping mechanisms in water-wet laminated rocks. SPE Reserv. Eng. 10, 287–292 (1995)
Huppler J.D.: Numerical investigation of the effects of core heterogeneities on waterflood relative permeabilities. Soc. Pet. Eng. J. 10, 381–392 (1970)
King Hubbert, M.: The theory of ground-water motion. J. Geol. 48, 785–944, (especially pp 844–847 (1940); plus The Theory of Groundwater Motion and Related Papers, Hafner, New York, especially pp 84–87, (1968))
Kortekaas T.F.M.: Water/oil displacement characteristics in crossbedded reservoir zones. Soc. Pet. Eng. J. 25, 917–926 (1985)
Lambeth N., Dawe R.A.: Viscous effects for miscible displacements in regular heterogeneous porous media. Chem. Eng. Res. Des. 65, 52–62 (1987)
Lambeth N., Dawe R.A.: Boundary and crossflow behaviour during displacement in nodal systems. SPE Reserv. Eng. 3, 1137–1142 (1988)
McKean H.C., Dawe R.A.: Numerical simulation of displacements in systems containing a lens heterogeneity. J. Can. Pet. Technol. 29, 88–93 (1990)
Muggeridge, A.H., Jackson, M.D., Al-Mahrooqi, S., Al-Marjabi, M., Grattoni, C.A.: Quantifying bypassed oil in the vicinity of discontinuous shales. SPE77487. Annual Technicla Meeting, San Antonio (2002)
Muggeridge, A.H., Jackson, M.D., Agbehi, O., Al-Shuraiqi, H., Grattoni, C.A.: Quantifying bypassed oil in the vicinity of discontinuous shales during gravity dominated flow, SPE 94134, SPE Europec, Madrid, Spain, June (2005)
Ringrose P.S., Sorbie K.S., Corbett P.W.M., Jensen J.L.: Immiscible flow behaviour in laminated and cross-bedded sandstones. J. Pet. Sci. Eng. 9, 103–124 (1993)
Roti Ø., Dawe R.A.: Modelling fluid flow in crossbedded sections. Transp. Porous Media. 12, 143–159 (1993)
Shaw D.C., Dawe R.A.: Averaging methods for numerical simulations of flows through heterogeneous porous media. Transp. Porous Media. 2, 241–267 (1987)
Weber K.J.: Influence of common sedimentary structures in fluid flow in reservoir models. J. Pet. Tech. 34, 665–672 (1982)
Wheat M.R., Dawe R.A.: Transverse dispersion in slug mode chemical EOR processes in stratified porous media. SPE 14890. SPE Reserv. Eng. 3, 466–478 (1988)
Wright R.J., Wheat M.R., Dawe R.A.: Slug size and mobility requirements for chemically enhanced oil recovery within heterogeneous reservoirs. SPE 13704. SPE Reserv. Eng. 2, 92–102 (1987)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dawe, R.A., Caruana, A. & Grattoni, C.A. Immiscible Displacement in Cross-Bedded Heterogeneous Porous Media. Transp Porous Med 87, 335–353 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-010-9687-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-010-9687-4