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Flow of miscible and immiscible hydrocarbons in heterogeneous porous media

Abstract

A series of large-scale two-dimensional physical model studies has been carried out in order to better understand and predict the multiphase flow of hydrocarbon contaminants and the release of the water-soluble fraction of such contaminants into the groundwater stream. The detailed measurements of the fluid saturations within the bulk hydrocarbon plume as well as the aqueous concentrations recorded downstream should provide a useful data set for testing and improving numerical models of both multiphase flow and transport. Predictions of a numerical model of immiscible multiphase flow developed in the petroleum industry were found to compare favourably with the observed oil plume for the case of an immiscible oil spill. Nevertheless, subtle layering within the experimental flume altered the long-term development of the oil plume in a manner not predicted by the numerical model. A stochastic model for three-dimensional, two-phase incompressible flow in heterogeneous soil and rock formations is developed. Analytical solutions for the resulting stochastic differential equations are derived for asymptotic flows using a perturbation approach. These solutions were used to derive general expressions for the large-scale (effective) properties for large-scale two-phase flow in porous media. An important observation from this analysis is that general large-scale flow in heterogeneous soils  More>>
Authors:
Publication Date:
Dec 31, 1996
Product Type:
Thesis/Dissertation
Report Number:
DTU-ISVA-SP-61
Reference Number:
SCA: 020200; 420400; 020300; PA: DK-98:001609; EDB-98:104736; SN: 98002011313
Resource Relation:
Other Information: TH: Thesis (ph.d.); PBD: 1996
Subject:
02 PETROLEUM; 42 ENGINEERING NOT INCLUDED IN OTHER CATEGORIES; RESERVOIR ENGINEERING; POROSITY; HYDROCARBONS; MULTIPHASE FLOW; SOILS; GROUND WATER; SATURATION; STOCHASTIC PROCESSES; THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS; INJECTION WELLS
OSTI ID:
655589
Research Organizations:
Danmarks Tekniske Univ., Lyngby (Denmark). Inst. for Stroemningsmekanik og Vandbygning; Danmarks Tekniske Univ., Lyngby (Denmark)
Country of Origin:
Denmark
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ON: DE99701951; TRN: DK9801609
Availability:
OSTI as DE99701951
Submitting Site:
DK
Size:
[420] p.
Announcement Date:
Oct 30, 1998

Citation Formats

Butts, M B. Flow of miscible and immiscible hydrocarbons in heterogeneous porous media. Denmark: N. p., 1996. Web.
Butts, M B. Flow of miscible and immiscible hydrocarbons in heterogeneous porous media. Denmark.
Butts, M B. 1996. "Flow of miscible and immiscible hydrocarbons in heterogeneous porous media." Denmark.
@misc{etde_655589,
title = {Flow of miscible and immiscible hydrocarbons in heterogeneous porous media}
author = {Butts, M B}
abstractNote = {A series of large-scale two-dimensional physical model studies has been carried out in order to better understand and predict the multiphase flow of hydrocarbon contaminants and the release of the water-soluble fraction of such contaminants into the groundwater stream. The detailed measurements of the fluid saturations within the bulk hydrocarbon plume as well as the aqueous concentrations recorded downstream should provide a useful data set for testing and improving numerical models of both multiphase flow and transport. Predictions of a numerical model of immiscible multiphase flow developed in the petroleum industry were found to compare favourably with the observed oil plume for the case of an immiscible oil spill. Nevertheless, subtle layering within the experimental flume altered the long-term development of the oil plume in a manner not predicted by the numerical model. A stochastic model for three-dimensional, two-phase incompressible flow in heterogeneous soil and rock formations is developed. Analytical solutions for the resulting stochastic differential equations are derived for asymptotic flows using a perturbation approach. These solutions were used to derive general expressions for the large-scale (effective) properties for large-scale two-phase flow in porous media. An important observation from this analysis is that general large-scale flow in heterogeneous soils cannot be predicted on the basis of simple averages of the soil hydraulic properties alone. The large-scale capillary pressure saturation relation is evaluated for imbibition into a wet soil or rock formation. (EG) 194 refs.}
place = {Denmark}
year = {1996}
month = {Dec}
}