Measurement and correlation of conditions for entrapment and mobilization of residual oil. Final report, January 1981-March 1984

Technical Report · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:6652181

Morrow, N R

The first task was to investigate the limits of reliability of laboratory waterflooding as an evaluation tool. A systematic study was made of factors which might affect residual oil. Wettability was identified as a key variable. The second task concerns the effects of high capillary number flows on trapping phenomena and residual oil saturation. Correlations of capillary number and relative permeability behavior at reduced residual saturations have been developed for displacement in sandstones. It was found that crude oil induced wettability increased the capillary number required for mobilization by a factor of about five. Another aspect of residual oil investigated was the relationship between electrical conductivity and reduced residual oil saturation. The third task deals with the mechanism of entrapment and mobilization and associated fundamental capillary phenomena. Comparison of the effects of extreme types of pore structure with aspect ratio identified as a key variable has been made. A study of the stability of displacement fronts in micromodels formed from sintered bead pack of about 10 layers thickness is reported. The thin models permitted the effects of varying interfacial tension, coalescence time, viscosity ratios and density differences to be followed directly and recorded on videotape. The fourth task involved study of the detailed structure of residual oil and the changes that take place during recovery. The technique of using a nonwetting phase which will solidify and can be separated from the rock has been applied. This work provides insight into the mechanisms by which residual oil can be moved, and more quantitative understanding of why the difficulty of recovering oil increases as the amount which remains is reduced. 53 references, 74 figures, 46 tables.

• Research Organization: New Mexico Inst. of Mining and Technology, Socorro (USA). New Mexico Petroleum Recovery Research Center
• OSTI ID: 6652181
• Report Number(s): NMERDI-2-70-3304; ON: DE84901674
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
CAPILLARY FLOW
DATA
DRILL CORES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUID FLOW
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INFORMATION
NUMERICAL DATA
OIL SATURATION
OIL WELLS
PETROLEUM
POROSITY
RECOVERY
RESERVOIR FLUIDS
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESIDUAL PETROLEUM
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SATURATION
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SIMULATION
WATERFLOODING
WELLS
WETTABILITY