Pore-scale flow characterization of low-interfacial tension flow through mixed-wet porous media with different pore geometries

Journal Article · Sat Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EXPTHERMFLUSCI.2010.09.009· OSTI ID:21390726

Yadali Jamaloei, Benyamin ^[1]; Asghari, Koorosh ^[1]; Kharrat, Riyaz ^[2]

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1. Petroleum Systems Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, The University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan (Canada)
2. Petroleum Research Center, The Petroleum University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

The low-interfacial tension flow through porous media occurs in surfactant-based enhanced oil recovery (EOR), soil clean-up, underground removal of the non-aqueous phase liquid and dense non-aqueous phase liquid, etc. In surfactant-based EOR processes, numerous works have been carried out to characterize - either qualitatively or quantitatively - the micro- and macro-scale flow behavior. What has been lacking is to link the statistics of oil blobs population (e.g., distribution of blob length and diameter) to the pore-scale phenomena and macro-scale quantities. In particular, no work has been reported to elucidate the effect of the ratio of pore body to throat diameter (i.e., aspect ratio) on the pore-scale characterization based on the blobs population statistics. The significance of the aspect ratio lies in that it describes the geometry of a porous medium and is one of the foremost morphological features. The aspect ratio is also one of the fundamental factors governing the pore-level events. This study presents the effect of aspect ratio on the statistical distribution of the blob length and equivalent diameter and links the blobs population statistics to the observed pore-level events. The pore-scale variation of the ratio of viscous-to-capillary forces acted on the oil blobs at the threshold of displacement is utilized to characterize the effect of blob length distribution at different aspect ratios. It also provides some insight into correlating the change in oil recovery efficiency and capillary number, by change in aspect ratio, with the change in blobs population statistics. (author)

• OSTI ID: 21390726
• Journal Information: Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, Vol. 35, Issue 1; Other Information: Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved; ISSN 0894-1777
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
ASPECT RATIO
CAPILLARY FLOW
PETROLEUM
POROUS MATERIALS
STATISTICS
LENGTH
POPULATIONS
VISCOSITY
DISTRIBUTION
SURFACTANTS
UNDERGROUND
EFFICIENCY
REMOVAL
SOILS
VARIATIONS
ENHANCED RECOVERY
REMEDIAL ACTION
MORPHOLOGY
Low-interfacial tension flow characterization
Blob size statistics
Pore-scale mobilization capillary number
Micromodels