Change in apparent viscosity of CO sub 2 foam with rock permeability

Journal Article · Fri Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Reservoir Engineering; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2118/20194-PA· OSTI ID:5437786

Lee, H O ^[1]; Heller, J P; Hoefer, A M.W. ^[2]

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1. Rutgers--the State Univ., New Brunswick, NJ (United States)
2. New Mexico Inst. of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM (United States). New Mexico Petroleum Recovery Research Center

This paper summarizes new and previous high-pressure experiments measuring the mobility of CO{sub 2} foam in porous rock, including both sandstones and carbonates, with permeabilities ranging from {lt} 1 md to hundreds of millidarcies. Foam mobility is defined here as the ratio of the combined flow rate per unit superficial area to the pressure drop required for simultaneous flow of dense CO{sub 2} and brine/surfactant through the sample and can be expressed in units of millidarcies per centipoise. The measured results, which can also be expressed in terms of the apparent viscosity of the CO{sub 2} foam, give a quantitative basis for the belief that this displacing fluid should be particularly effective in heterogeneous formations. From a macroscopic viewpoint, the CO{sub 2} foam acts like a single fluid with a viscosity equal to the ratio of the rock's brine permeability to the measured mobility. According to the authors results, the apparent viscosity depends on rock permeability in a nonlinear fashion, increasing from a minimum of about 2 cp for the tightest rocks to an apparent maximum of about 1,000 cp for Berea.

• OSTI ID: 5437786
• 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

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200 -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
023000 -- Petroleum-- Properties & Composition
BRINES
CARBON DIOXIDE INJECTION
CARBONATE ROCKS
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FOAMS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HETEROGENEOUS EFFECTS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
OIL FIELDS
OIL WELLS
PERMEABILITY
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PHASE STUDIES
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESOURCES
ROCK-FLUID INTERACTIONS
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SURFACTANTS
VISCOSITY
WELLS