Water injection in fractured/layered porous media. Co-current and counter-current imbibition in a water-wet matrix block. Quarterly report, January 1--March 31, 1996
Review of the literature indicates that imbibition in water-wet matrix blocks is commonly considered to be counter-current. Despite this general belief, our experimental and theoretical studies indicate that co-current imbibition may be the dominant mechanism. Using numerical simulation of the imbibition process it is found that oil is predominantly recovered by co-current imbibition, and the time for this recovery is only a fraction of that required for counter-current imbibition. This is because in counter-current imbibition, oil is forced to flow in the two-phase region. In co-current imbibition, however, oil is free to flow in the single phase region. This study reveals that co-current imbibition is much more efficient than counter-current imbibition.
- Research Organization:
- Reservoir Engineering Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG22-93BC14875
- OSTI ID:
- 231945
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/BC/14875-12; ON: DE96010325; TRN: 96:003154
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: [1996]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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