Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology

Analytically evaluate relative permeability at unsteady-state core flooding

3^rd International Conference and Expo on Oil and Gas

July 13-14, 2017 Berlin, Germany

Hisham Khaled Ben Mahmud and Walid Mohamed Mahmud

Curtin University, Malaysia
University of Tripoli, Libya

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Pet Environ Biotechnol

Abstract:

Simulation of multiphase flow in porous media requires knowledge of relative permeability, which is one of the essential measurements in reservoir engineering due to the common existence of two-phase flow in the reservoir. The precise test of relative permeability can be performed either by steady-state or unsteady-state flow method. The aim of coring and core analysis is to reduce uncertainty during reservoir evaluation via providing reservoir data in situ conditions. The advances in core flooding and core analysis techniques provide the premise to obtain essential petrophysical properties and to simultaneously find other reservoir rock dependent parameters. Thus, the aim of this work is to develop a model is utilizing Sendra software (Ref) for unsteady-state displacement method validated by two-phase flow experimental measurements. This model is based on a novel generalization of the classical Buckley-Leverett fractional flow theory for constant pressure boundary conditions. It includes the effect of fluids viscosities and the average fluid saturation at the breakthrough moment as measured by the rapid displacement method. Under constant pressure boundaries, relative permeability and fluid saturation were determined from unsteady-state measurements using Johnson, Bossler and Naumann (JBN), Pirsonâ??s correlations and Sandra simulation software. Based on analytical results, the most accurate relative permeability measurements were made on a native-state core, where the reservoir wettability was preserved. Moreover, Sendra software and JBN methods yielded close non-wetting phase relative permeabilities of an oil-wet sample while Pirson method yielded somewhat significant difference. Water-wet core samples were characterized by limited oil production after water breakthrough but generally yielded good recoveries and low water relative permeabilities at residual oil saturation.

Biography :

Email: hisham@curtin.edu.my