An improved method for the determination of pseudo-relative permeability data for stratified systems

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

OSTI ID:5454122

Simon, A D; Koederitz, L F

A procedure for modifying relative permeabilities for use in an areal model becomes necessitated in reservoir cases for which vertical equilibrium pseudo functions are not applicable and the displacement process is dominated by viscous horizontal flow. In practice, the areal model representation of stratified flow in such cases will lie between the extremes of the performance of a homogeneous layer of parallel-average permeability and the performance of a series of noncommunicating layers. To date, the only analytical method specifically developed to approximate viscous flow in a stratified reservoir with an areal model is attributed to Hearn. This method employed the assumption of a unit mobility ratio displacement to generate pseudo relative permeability curves reflecting an instantaneous change from non-wetting phase to wetting phase production at each layer breakthrough. Due to this assumption, the history match procedure involved correcting for both the effects of crossflow and subordinate non-wetting phase production after breakthrough. A technique has been developed to account for the effects of subordinate phase production in a nonunit mobility ratio displacement occurring in noncommunicating layers. This adaptation is an improvement to the original method of Hearn, providing both a closer initial approximation to reservoir fluid flow in stratified systems, as well as affording a consistent basis for history matching through adjustments to relative permeability.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Missouri-Rolla
• OSTI ID: 5454122
• Report Number(s): CONF-820927-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States) Journal Volume: SPE 10975
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
03 NATURAL GAS
030300 -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
FLOW RATE
FLUID FLOW
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
NATURAL GAS WELLS
OIL WELLS
PERMEABILITY
RESERVOIR FLUIDS
RESERVOIR ROCK
ROCK-FLUID INTERACTIONS
STRATIFICATION
VISCOUS FLOW
WELLS
WETTABILITY