InterPore2018 New Orleans

A Novel Mehtod to Correct Steady-State Relative Permeability for Capillary End-Effects Based on Simulation Approach

15 May 2018, 18:30

15m

New Orleans

Poster MS 1.01: Multi-scale Particulates Transport through Porous Media Saturated with Multi-Phase Fluids Poster 2

Speaker

Dr Shiyuan Zhan (School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China))

Description

In laboratory steady-state measurements of relative permeability, capillary discontinuities at sample ends give rise to capillary end-effects (CEE) and keep a higher water saturation toward the core end. The water saturation measured is higher than ideal saturation without CEE and result of erroneous relative permeability curves[1] finally. Especially in tight sand cores, high capillary force and low flow rates can cause end-effects to become more important in the interpretation of the steady-state experiment tests.
On the basis of capillary force measurement data，a novel method was initiated to make correction to relative permeability data combined experiment data and numerical simulation[2] for tight sand cores. First, one dimensional numerical simulator was created for oil and water two phase flow considering the mechanism of CEE. Water saturation distribution and CEE region could be clarified corresponding to the relative permeability curve input. And then correct relative permeability input constantly until the average water saturation simulated consistent with the saturation measured by experiment. The new method could make correction to relative permeability based on the traditional experiment data of multiple fractional flow and same total flow rate, which is more practical than “intercept method”[3]. The impact of end-effects and practical means of reducing the end effects for tight sand cores are also discussed in this paper.

References

[1] Huang D D, Honarpour M M. Capillary end effects in coreflood calculations[J]. Journal of Petroleum Science & Engineering, 1998, 19(1):103-117.
[2] Fassihi M R. Estimation Of Relative Permeability From Low Rate, Unsteady-State Tests - A Simulation Approach[J]. Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, 1989, 28(3).
[3] Gupta R, Maloney D R. Intercept Method--A Novel Technique To Correct Steady-State Relative Permeability Data for Capillary End Effects[J]. Spe Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, 2014, 19(2).