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Observations and correlations for immiscible viscous-fingering experiments

Journal Article · · SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Reservoir Engineering; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2118/19670-PA· OSTI ID:5356390
 [1]
  1. Inst. Francais du Petrole (FR)
The authors studied immiscible two-phase flow instabilities in porous media under drainage conditions. The objective of the authors' experiments was to improve our understanding of viscous fingering so that we could avoid it or at least account for it in flow simulations. This paper first presents the molding technique used to observe and measure viscous fingering in large, 3D, natural consolidated porous samples. Moldings of 16 flows showed instabilities that looked like fingers and stable displacements behind the unstable front. The authors correlated breakthrough recovery, mean local saturation, finger volume and width, pressure drop, and saturation profiles with dimensionless numbers. Three kinds of displacements occurred: stable displacements, with macroscopic viscous fingering, and displacements with both macroscopic and microscopic viscous fingering. Finally, the authors determined linear 1D relative permeabilities.
OSTI ID:
5356390
Journal Information:
SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Reservoir Engineering; (United States), Journal Name: SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Reservoir Engineering; (United States) Vol. 7:2; ISSN SREEE; ISSN 0885-9248
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English