Relative permeability measurement at simulated reservoir conditions
Relative permeability was determined from laboratory displacement data at conditions ranging from ambient to a depth of 4000 feet. The relative permeability values were calculated at the terminal end of the core. Capillary pressure was included in the calculations to account for saturation anomalies caused by the abrupt capillary discontinuity at the end of the core. Inclusion of capillary pressure removes the constraint of collecting the data at high flow rates which are required to diminish the influence of capillary end effects. The results of this work show the capillary pressure effects, as well as the error introduced by not including them in the calculation of relative permeability. Relative permeability measurement at elevated temperature exhibits a characteristic temperature effect: the oil phase relative permeability is higher and the residual oil saturation is lower. These effects are due to a change of wettability to a more water wet condition that occurs when the temperature of an oil-water-rock system is elevated. The results of this work represent data collected at reservoir conditions of pressure and temperature. The cores are recompressed eliminating the adverse influence of microfractures and changes or pore size distribution that are frequently present in field cores run at ambient conditions. Measurement of relative permeability by this method is more reliable that the existing methods since it incorporates the reservoir conditions of temperature and pressure. Predictive mathematical computer models therefore, would generate better results if the values of relative permeability in these models are determined by this method. With some modifications relative permeability of multiphase systems which are applicable to enhanced oil recovery techniques can be determined by this method.
- Research Organization:
- Oklahoma Univ., Norman, OK (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 6809988
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
CALCULATION METHODS
CAPILLARY FLOW
COMPRESSION
DEPTH
DIMENSIONS
DRILL CORES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENGINEERING
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID FLOW
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MEASURING METHODS
MULTIPHASE FLOW
OIL SATURATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
PETROLEUM
PLANNING
POROSITY
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
RESERVOIR PRESSURE
RESERVOIR TEMPERATURE
RESIDUAL PETROLEUM
SATURATION
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
WATER
WETTABILITY