A new method to simulate the effects of viscous fingering on miscible displacement processes in porous media

Conference · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982 · Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5454045

Vossoughi, S; Green, D W; Smith, J E; Wilhite, G P

This paper presents a new method to simulate the effects of viscous fingering on miscible displacement processes in porous media. The method is based on the numerical solution of a general form of the convection-dispersion equation. In this equation the convection term is represented by a fractional flow function. The fractional flow function is derived from Darcy's law using a concentration-dependent, average viscosity and relative flow area to each fluid at any point in the bed. The method was extended to the description of a polymer flood by including retention and inaccessible pore volume. A Langmuir-type model for polymer retention in the rock was used. The resulting convection-dispersion equation for displacement by polymer was then solved numerically by the use of a finite element method with linear basis functions and Crank-Nicholson derivative approximation. History matches were performed on four sets of laboratory data to verify the model. These were: an unfavorable viscosity ratio displacement, stable displacement of glycerol by polymer solution, unstable displacement of brine by a slug of polymer solution, and a favorable viscosity ratio displacement. In general, computed results from the model matched laboratory data closely. Good agreement of the model with experiments over a significant range of variables lends support to the analysis.

• Research Organization: University of Kansas
• OSTI ID: 5454045
• Report Number(s): CONF-820927-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States) Journal Volume: SPE10970
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DARCY LAW
DATA
DISPERSIONS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
FLOW RATE
FLUID FLOW
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
INFORMATION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MICROSTRUCTURE
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
NATURAL GAS WELLS
NUMERICAL DATA
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
OIL WELLS
POLYMERS
POROSITY
RESERVOIR FLUIDS
RESERVOIR ROCK
ROCK-FLUID INTERACTIONS
SIMULATION
TESTING
VALIDATION
VISCOUS FLOW
WELLS