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Capillary pressure curves from centrifuge data by use of spline functions

Journal Article · · SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Reservoir Engineering; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2118/19019-PA· OSTI ID:5345677

This paper presents a new parameter-estimation method to obtain a capillary pressure curve from centrifuge data. The wetting-phase saturation is regarded as a function of the capillary pressure curve and is approximated by a spline function. The average wetting-phase saturation can then be calculated analytically if the coefficients in the spline function are known. The authors formulate an optimization problem and show how to determine these coefficients i.e., how to determine the capillary pressure curve. Neither numerical integration nor differentiation is performed at any stage in the calculation. The method fits a capillary pressure curve to the data in the interval given by the experiments without the use of the irreducible-wetting-phase-saturation concept. The presented method compares very well to synthetic data and fits a capillary pressure curve to experimental data with a high degree of accuracy. The authors compare the method to the Hassler-Brunner and Bentsen-Anli procedures for experimental data from a North Sea reservoir rock.

OSTI ID:
5345677
Journal Information:
SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Reservoir Engineering; (United States), Journal Name: SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Reservoir Engineering; (United States) Vol. 6:4; ISSN SREEE; ISSN 0885-9248
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English