Effect of Capillary Number

and Its Constituents on Two-Phase

Relative Permeability Curves
R.A. Fulcher Jr., SPE, ARCO Oil and Gas Co.
Turgay Ertekin, SPE, Pennsylvania State U.
C.D. Stahl, SPE, Pennsylvania State U.

Summary
One primary goal of any enhanced recovery project is to
maximize the ability of the fluids to flow through a porous
medium (Le., the reservoir). This paper discusses the
effect of capillary number, a dimensionless group describing the ratio of viscous to capillary forces, on twophase (oil-water) relative permeability curves. Specifically, a series of steady-state relative permeability measurements were carried out to determine whether the capillary
number causes changes in the two-phase permeabilities
or whether one of its constituents, such as flow velocity,
fluid viscosity, or interfacial tension (1FT), is the controlling variable.
For the core tests, run in fired Berea sandstone, a Soltrol
170 oil/calcium chloride (CaCI 2) brine/isopropyl
alcohol (IPA)/glycerin system was used. Alcohol was the
1FT reducer and glycerin was the wetting-phase
viscosifier.
The nonwetting-phase (oil) relative permeability showed
little correlation with the capillary number. As 1FT
decreased below 5.50 dyne/cm [5.50 N/m], the oil
permeability increased dramatically. Conversely, as the
water viscosity increased, the oil demonstrated less ability
to flow. For the wetting-phase (water) relative permeability, the opposite capillary number effect was shown.
For both the tension decrease and the viscosity increase
(i.e., a capillary number increase) the water permeability
increased. However, the water increase was not as great
as the increase in the oil curves with an 1FT decrease.
No velocity effects were noted within the range studied.
Other properties relating to relative permeabilities were
also investigated. Both the residual oil saturation (ROS)
and the imbibition-drainage hysteresis were found to
decrease with an increase in the capillary number. The
irreducible water saturation was a function of 1FT tension only.
A relative permeability model was developed from the
experimental data, based on fluid saturations, 1FT, fluid
viscosities, and the residual saturations, by using regression analysis. Both phases were modeled for both the imbibition and the drainage processes. These models
demonstrated similar or better fits with experimental data
of other water- and oil-wet systems, when compared with
existing relative permeability models. The applicability
of these regression models was tested with the aid of a
two-phase reservoir simulator.
Copyright 1985 SOCiety of Petroleum Engineers

FEBRUARY 1985

Introduction
As world oil reserves dwindle, the need to develop EOR
techniques to maximize recovery is of great importance.
Methods such as chemical flooding, miscible flooding,
and thermal recovery involve altering the mobility and/or
the 1FT between the displacing and the displaced fluids.
Recovery efficiency was found to be dependent on the
capillary number, defined as
p.v

Nc ='Yep

................................ (1)

The viscous forces were defined as the fluid viscosity,

flow velocity, and the flow path length. Capillary forces
vary with the fluid 1FT and the pore geometry of the
medium.!
Taber defined the capillary number in terms of the
pressure drop between two points, the flow length, and
the IFT.2
IIp
N c = - . ................................ (2)
L'Y

He concluded that as this ratio increased to a value of 5

psi/ft/dyne/cm [0.2 kPa/m/N/m] the ROS was reduced
significantly. By decreasing the 1FT by using surfaceactive agents, or by decreasing the path length by altering the field geometry, the capillary number could be increased.
Others have shown similar results. Melrose and Brandner,3 for example, indicated that as the capillary number
rose to a value of 10 -4, the microscopic displacement
efficiency, which accounts for the residual saturations to
both oil and water, increased. The effects of the capillary
number on the recovery of residual oil 'are given by Chatzis and Morrow 4 and by other authors 5 (Fig. 1).
Few studies, however, have shown the effect of the
capillary number on the two-phase flow between the
residuals. The variables within this group have been
researched, but their combined effect on relative
permeabilities has been largely ignored.
Several authors have noted that the viscosity ratio of
oil and water alters the oil relative permeability but has
little effect on that of water. 6-8 Few or no changes by
fluid flow velocity were observed, provided that no
boundary effects were present during the core tests. 9-11
249

1.0 I-~~~S{-

alumina, and stainless steel rather than reservoir-type rock

samples. 16
Also, with the increased use of mathematical reservoir
simulators to predict recovery from different EOR processes, the need to model the various flow properties, such
as relative permeability, becomes important. Thus, experimental results need to be applied to empirical or
statistical models for use in numerical simulators.

Wagner & Leach

-'""-----....... ,

'C

'%\.,-

\&

'i

\~.

'"~

'"

\9"
\1:9
\~

0.5

\:>

,,

f;::

- - - Nonwetting Residual
- - - Wetting Residual

"

O~~L-~~~---L~~--~~~--~~~

10 0

10.8
Capillory Number, Nc

Fig. 1-Recovery of residual oil vs. capillary number.4

Studies on oil and gas permeabilities showed that as the

1FT decreased by increasing the temperature and the
equilibrium pressure between two phases, the relative
permeability curves increased and straightened out. 12 The
results of other tests on reducing the tension between oil
and water indicated that (1) few or no relative permeability
alterations occurred for tension above 0.1 dyne/cm [0.1
N/m]; however, larger increases were observed below 0.1
dyne/cm [0.1 N/m] for both phases; (2) the curves tended toward linearity; (3) the imbibition-drainage hysteresis
lessened; and (4) the residual saturations to both oil and
water decreased. 13-15
One study did show relative permeability increases with
increases in the capillary number; however, these experiments were run using artificial cores of Teflon ,

Materials and Experimental Procedure

For this study, a series of steady-state relative permeability
tests were carried out at 77F [25C] in 2-fi- [0.6-m- ]
long, 2-in.- [5-cm- ] diameter Berea sandstone cores fired
at 1,832F [1000C]. The cores were baked to prevent
large decreases in their absolute permeability because of
clay swelling during and between the experimental runs.
Cores were reused for several tests before being discarded to minimize differences in porosity, permeability, and
lithology. The properties of the cores for each test are
given in Table 1. The fluids used were mixtures of Soltrol
170 oil, * 2% CaCl 2 brine, IPA, and glycerin, as shown
in Table 2. Later, core measurements were taken using
Bradford crude oil, ** Kendex 0837 , t and 2 % sodium
chloride (NaCl) brine.
1FT effects were studied with the Soltrol170, IPA, and
CaCl 2 brine system. Alcohol acted as the tension
reducer. CaCl 2 brine was used instead of NaCI brine
because it does not form a precipitate with Soltrol and
IPA as does NaCl. 17 Glycerin was used as the viscosifying agent to increase the aqueous-phase viscosity.:j:
'Phillips Petroleum Co., Bartlesville, OK.
"Pennzoil Co., Bradford, PA.
tKendall Oil Co., Bradford, PA.
:j:Crookston, R., Ehrlich, R., and Bae, J.: private communication, Gulf R&D Co.,
Pittsburgh (Feb. 13, 1981).

TABLE 1-CORE PROPERTIES

Length
Run

Core

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

1*
2*
3**
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
6
6
6
6
7
8
9
10*
11*
12*

~
24
12
24
24
24
24
24
24
24
24
24
24
24
24
24
24
24
24
24
12
24
24
24
24
24

PV
(cm) 3

276
148
240
280
280
280
280
280
280
280
287
287
287
287
287
279
279
279
279
146
330
276
249
235
272

Porosity

(%)
22.46
23.96
19.42
22.48
22.48
22.48
22.48
22.48
22.48
22.48
23.05
23.05
23.05
23.05
23.05
22.40
22.40
22.40
22.40
23.48
26.50
22.16
20.15
19.02
22.01

Permeability
(Prerun)
(md)

Permeability
(Post-run)
(md)

241.3
198.1
240.6
325.3
278.4
247.8
251.0
219.7
219.7
123.2
365.9
408.2
355.3
353.4
311.1
433.1
433.1
416.4
384.5
531.6
388.1
357.7
177.3
279.1
160.2

115.1
136.0
115.1
278.4
247.8
251.0
219.7
219.7
182.1
128.3
408.2
355.3
353.4
311.1
259.3
433.1
416.4
384.5

(%)
-52.3
-31.3
-52.2
-14.4
-11.0
+ 1.3
-12.5
+0.0
-17.1
+4.1
+ 11.6
-13.0
-0.5
-12.0
-16.7
+0.0
-3.9
-7.7

398.5

+2.7

Change

Unfired core .

Core fired at 250C.

250

JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY

TABLE 2-PROPERTIES OF THE AQUEOUS AND OLEIC PHASES

Runs
1-7,9,
13,21,22
8
10,11
12,16
14
15

17
18
19
20
23,24
25
1-7,9,
12,21,22
8
10,11
12,16
14
15

Phase
aqueous
aqueous
aqueous
aqueous
aqueous
aqueous
aqueous
aqueous
aqueous
aqueous
aqueous
aqueous
oleic
oleic
oleic
oleic
oleic
oleic
oleic
oleic
oleic
oleic
oleic
oleic

17
18
19
20
23,24
25

2% CaCI 2
Brine
(%)
100.0
60.0
10.9
3.9
40.0
17.5
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
100.0'
100.0'
0.0
0.2
0.9
1.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0

JPA
(%)

Glycerin
(%)

Specific
Gravity
at 25C

0.0
0.0
14.0
43.5
0.0
0.0
9.6
0.1
20.6
0.0
0.0
0.0

0.0
40.0
75.1
52.6
0.0
0.0
63.5
38.3
62.8
0.0
0.0
0.0

0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
60.0
82.5
27.9
61.6
16.6
100.0
0.0
0.0

1.007
0.917
0.804
0.785
1.156
1.212
0.914
1.069
0.853
1.258
1.009
1.009

0.947
2.761
2.613
2.475
13.795
128.58
13.636
126.62
6.100
954.00
0.892
0.892

1.3385
1.3664
1.3879
1.3996
1.4231
1.4516
1.4115
1.4418
1.4050
1.4735
1.3356
1.3356

37.9
5.50
0.335
0.0389
30.3
29.7
0.454
2.91
0.118
25.3
24.5
10.8

0.0
4.5
15.9
27.4
0.0
0.0
22.4
10.0
30.2
0.0
0.0
0.0

0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.5
0.3
2.8
0.0
0.0
0.0

0.781
0.771
0.774
0.775
0.781
0.781
0.785
0.781
0.791
0.781
0.814
0.845

2.363
2.246
2.309
2.352
2.363
2.363
2.149
2.029
2.173
2.363
5.195
11.297

1.4339
1.4348
1.4277
1.4196
1.4339
1.4339
1.4207
1.4264
1.4168
1.4335
1.4504
1.4711

37.9
5.50
0.335
0.0389
30.3
29.7
0.454
2.91
0.118
25.3
24.5
10.8

100.0
95.3
83.2
71.5
100.0
100.0
76.1
89.7
67.0
100.0
100.0"
100.0"

Viscosity
at 25C
(cp)

Refractive
Index
at 25C

1FT with
Oleic/Aqueous
at 25 C
(dyne/cm)

Soltrol170
Oil
(%)

2% NaCI brine.
"Bradford crude oil.
tKendex 0837 oil.

vocuumt:J
I

I
1
I

Core

Fluid
Reservoirs

r-

Pump

__ J

Sample
Collector

Ruska
Pump

Manometer

Fluid
Reservoir

Fig. 2-Relative permeability experimental apparatus.

FEBRUARY 1985

251

tPA

tPA

2% CaCI 2 Brine

Soh,ol 170 OH

Glyce,in

Soh,ol 170 Oil

Fig. 3-Equilibrium phase diagrams for Soltrol 170/lPN20f0 CaCI 2 and Soltrol 170llPNglycerin
systems.

TABLE 3-SUMMARY OF CORE TESTS

Run

System

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

SC
SC
SC
SC
SC
SC
SC
SCA
SC
SCA
SCA
SCA
SC
SCG
SCG
SCA
SGA
SGA
SGA
SC
SC
SC
BN

BN*
KN

Flow
Rate
(cm 3 )
160
160
200
200
80
120
160
200
400
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200
200

1FT
(dyne/cm)
3.79 x 10 1
3.79 x 10 1
3.79 x 10 1
3.79 x 10 1
3.79x 10 1
3.79 x 10 1
3.79 x 10 1
5.50x 10
3.79x 10 1
3.35 x 10- 1
3.35 x 10- 1
3.89x10- 2
3.79x101
3.03x10 1
2.97 x 10 1
3.89 x 10- 2
4.54x 10- 1
2.91 x 10
1.18x 10- 1
2.59 x 10 1
3.79 x 10 1
3.79 x 10 1
2.45 x 10 1
2.45 x 10 1
1.08x 10 1

Wetting Phase
Viscosity
(cp)
0.947
0.947
0.947
0.947
0.947
0.947
0.947
2.761
0.947
2.613
2.613
2.475
0.947
13.795
128.58
2.475
13.636
126.62
6.100
954.00
0.947
0.947
0.892
5.195
0.892

Capillary
Number
2.47x10- 6
2.34x10- 6
3.61 x 10- 6
3.09x10- 6
1.24x10- 6
1.86x10- 6
2.48 x 10- 6
6.22x 10- 5
6.18x10- 6
9.66x10- 4
9.43x10- 4
7.65x10- 3
3.02 x 10- 6
5.50 x 10- 5
5.23 x 10- 4
7.92 x 10- 3
3.74x10- 3
5.41x10- 3
6.43x10- 3
4.37x10- 3
2.62x 10- 6
3.14x10- 6
4.41x10- 6
3.13x10- 5
1.06x10- 5

So,

Sw;,

(Ofo)

(Ofo)

Microscopic
Displacement
Efficiency (Ofo)

40.4
43.5
48.9
36.3
35.1
42.3
44.1
33.1
42.8
0.0
8.9
0.1
36.8
38.6
17.1
0.0
2.2
30.6
3.9
10.3
30.1
20.9
37.9
39.4
33.1

38.2
34.3
25.5
22.1
31.7
29.9
26.6
39.4
34.8
56.3
41.5
33.6
33.0
37.0
32.9
32.0
40.2
33.9
30.1
36.2
40.1
38.5
30.8
19.7
33.0

34.7
33.8
34.4
53.4
48.6
39.7
39.9
45.4
34.4
100.0
84.8
99.0
45.1
38.7
74.5
100.0
96.3
53.7
94.4
83.8
49.8
66.0
46.4
51.0
50.6

OilWet System.
System Notes:
S Soltrol 170 oil.
B - Bradford crude oil.
K - Kendex 0837 oil.
C - 2% (by weight) CaCI 2 brine.
N - 2% (by weight) NaCI brine.
A - Isopropyl alcohol.
G - Glycerin.

Glycerin mixed completely with the brine and was immiscible with the oil in all proportions. Combined effects
of interfacial tension and viscosity were studied by using
a Soltrol/lPA/glycerin fluid system.
The experimental apparatus is shown in Fig. 2. The
cores were prepared using the Lapp Pulsafeeder
pump. Relative permeability tests required two Ruska
constant-displacement pumps, one for each fluid phase.
All fluids were flowed through a O.4-micron [O.4-/-tm]
252

filter before entering the core.

Different procedures were used to prepare the fluids
for injection depending on the specific fluid system. For
viscosity alterations, the glycerin/CaCl 2 brine solutions
were mixed separately from the oil. For the 1FT and the
combined tension-viscosity systems, a tie line, on the
ternary diagram, yielding the desired properties was
chosen (Fig. 3). A mixture, lying approximately in the
center of the tie line, was selected, and the appropriate
JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY

Y = 37.9 diem
= 40 ft,day
P-w = 0.9468 ep
Ne = 3.09 x 10- 6

kro

= 37.9 diem
= 40 ft/day
P-w = 0.9468 ep
Ne = 3.02 x 10- 6

Run 4

Run 13

--Drainage

Drainage

- - --Imbibition

- - - - Imbibition

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

0.9

0.9

0.9

0.9

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.7

0.7

0.7

0.7

0.6

0.6

k rw

k ro

0.6

0.6

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

108.0

0.0

0.0

10 20

30 40 50

60

70

90

80

20 30

10

40

Sw (%)

50 60

70 80

k rw

90

Sw (%)

Fig. 4-Oil-water relative permeabilities for the base system and reproducibility of measurements.

amounts of each component were mixed. The resulting

solution was shaken, then allowed to sit quietly until complete phase separation occurred.
The Penn State steady-state relative permeability
method 19 then was run using the desired fluid system.
The experimental technique involved flowing both phases
simultaneously through the core and calculating the effective permeabilities with Darcy's law applied to each
phase. Fluid saturations were determined by material
balance. Drainage curves were found by moving the
wetting-phase saturation from 100% to its irreducible
value. Imbibition curves then were determined by reversing the saturation direction from irreducible water to the
ROS.
To avoid capillary end effects, the criterion given by

= 5.50 diem

= 40 It/dey

Run 8
--Drainage

"w = 2.7606 ep

- - - -Imbibition

y
y

Discussion of Results
A summary of the experimental core tests is shown in
Table 3. Two control tests were run (Fig. 4) to measure
the reproducibility of the procedure, test the viability of
using fired Berea cores, and establish a comparative base
for the altered fluid runs. Soltrol 170 and 2 % CaCl 2
brine were flowed at a total fluid flow rate of 200 mLlhr

Run II

Y = 0.03885 diem

Run 16

= 40 It/dey

--Drainage

., :;: 40 h/doy

- - Drainage

"w = 2.6126ep

- - - -Imbibition

""w :;: 2.4752 cp

- - - -Imbibition

Y = 0.3346 diem
y

He = 6.22 x 10- 5

Kyte and Rapoport,20 a 50-psi [345-kPa] pressure differential across the core, was required. Thus, an SO-mLlhr
[SO-cm 3 /h] minimum flow rate at a velocity of 16 fi/D
[4.9 mId] was needed for fluids of high 1FT (greater than
1.0 dyne/cm [1.0 N/m]), and 200 mLlhr [200 cm 3 Ih] at
40 fi/D [12.2 mId] was needed for low-tension (less than
1.0 dyne/cm [1.0 N/m]) systems. 21

He

He = 7.92 x 10- 3

= 9.43 x 10-4

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

0.9

0.9

0.9

0.9

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.7

0.7

0.6

0.6

0.6

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.4

0.3

0.8
0.7

0.7

0.6

0.6

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.1

0.1

0.7
k,e

k,e

0.0 0

10 20

30

40 50 60 70
Sw (%)

80

k rw kro

k,w

0.1

0.0
0

10

20 30

40

50 60 70
Sw (%)

80 90

0.0

Fig. 5-Behavior of oil/water relative permeabilities at low 1FT's.

FEBRUARY 1985

253

[24.4 m/d)) , the maximum rate attainable with the Ruska

pumps. Little or no significant change occurred in the
relative permeability curves within this range, which
agreed with the work of previous authors. 9- 11 Thus, further studies are required to test fluid velocity to attain at
least a two-fold order of magnitude increase in the
capillary number, although such rates are not seen except around a wellbore.

1. 0 rr---r--r.,-,-rncn--.----,-,--TTlTTr-,-TOOTnnr-----r-,---T"T1
0.9

--Droinoge
- - -Imbibition

0.8

= 200 cc/hr-

0.7

0.6

"'w '" 2 cp

kro 0.5
0.4
0.3

Oleic/Aqueous IFf Effects. The range of oleic/aqueous

1FT's for Soltrol and brine (Fig. 4) was from 37.9
dyne/cm [37.9 N/m] to 0.0389 dyne/cm [0.0389 N/m).
The relative permeability curves for low-tension systems
are shown in Fig. 5. The total flow velocity was maintained at 40 ft/D [12 mid] and the fluid viscosities were
kept at approximately 2.0 cp [0.002 Pa' s]. At a tension
of 5.50 dyne/cm [5.50 N/m], a slight increase was observed in the water permeabilities but none in the oil
values. The former result may have been attributed to the
slight increase in the brine viscosity from 0.947 to 2.761
cp [9.47 X 10- 4 to 27.61x1O- 4 Pa's], as is discussed
in the next section. At 0.335 dyne/cm [0.335 N/m] , both
sets of curves showed large increases, indicating less
resistance to flow for each phase. At the lowest attainable
tension for the oillbrine/IPA system (0.0389 dyne/cm
[0.0389 N/m)), further increases in the permeabilities
were noted. Also, the curves started to approach linearity, as was reported for fluids of zero 1FT. 22 To further
illustrate the tension effects, the relative permeabilities
of both the oleic and the aqueous phases at various aqueous
saturation values are given in Fig. 6. For both drainage
and imbibition, larger increase occurred below 5.50
dyne/cm [5.50 N/m] , indicating a critical point when fluid
began to move more easily.

0.2
0.1
0.0

.
10 2

10. 1
Interfacial Tension (diem)

1.0
0.9

--Drainage

- - -Imbibition

0.8
0.7

Q = 200 cc/hr

0.6

'" w",2

cp

kro 0.5
0.4

"0-_---

0.3

0.2

0.0 10. 2
Interfacial Tension (d 'em)

Fig. 6-Variation of oil and water relative permeabilities against

interfacial tension for different wetting-phase
saturations.

[200 cm 3 /h] in both imbibition and drainage. These

results compared favorably with one another and with
those for unfired Berea cores.

Wetting-Phase Viscosity Effects. The wetting-phase

viscosity range was from that of CaCl 2 brine (0.947 cp
[9.47 X 10 -4 Pa' s)) to that of glycerin (954.0 cp [0.954
Pas)). The fluid velocity was 40 ftlD [12 mid] and the
1FT was maintained at approximately 30 dyne/cm [30
N/m]. The relative permeability curves for four viscosity
values are shown in Fig. 4 (for brine) and in Fig. 7. As
the wetting phase (aqueous) viscosity increased, its

Velocity Effects. The initial variable altered was the fluid

flow velocity. The rates ranged from 80 mLlhr [80
cm 3 /h] (16 ftlD [4.9 mid)), the minimum rate to avoid
capillary end effects, to 400 mLlhr [400 cm 3 /h] (80 ftlD

y 0 lO.l diem
v 0 40 Itlday
"'w 0 13.795 ep
Ne 0 5.50 x 10.5

kro

0 29.7 diem
v = 40 It/day
"'w = 128.58 ep
Ne 0 5.2l x 10'4

Run 14
--D,oinag~

- - - -Imbibition

Y = 25.9 diem
v 0 40 Itlday
"'w 0 954.0ep
Ne 0 4.37 x 10 l

Run 15
--Drainage

- - - -Imbibition

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

0.9

0.9

0.9

0.9

0.9

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.7

0.7

0.7

0.7

0.6

0.6

0.6

0.6

krw k,o

k,w kro

Run 20
_ _ Drainage
- _ - - Imbibition

0.7

0.7

0.6

0.6

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.4

O.l

O.l

O.l

O.l

0.3

O.l

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.0

0.0
0

10 20

lO 40

50 60
Sw (%)

10

20 lO
Sw (%)

0.1

0.1

0.0

0.0
100

10

20

lO

krw

Sw (%)

Fig. 7-Behavior of oil/water relative permeabilities at different aqueous-phase viscosities.

254

JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY

permeability curves also increased and tended toward

linearity. However, the oleic (Soltrol 170) curves decreased in approximately the same order of magnitude as
the water curves increased. These effects are seen in Fig.
8, where the relative permeabilities for different saturations are plotted against aqueous viscosity values. Note
that caution must be exercised when applying these results
since the wettability of the glycerin/brine systems must
be verified as strongly water-wet.

Oil-Water Relative Permeabilities at Different

Capillary Numbers. To demonstrate the capillary number
effect, tests were carried out to measure the results of
combining 1FT reductions and aqueous viscosity increases
(Fig. 9). For a low-tension system of 0.118 dyne/cm
[0.118 N/m] and a wetting-phase viscosity of 6.10 cp
[61.0 x 10 -4 Pa' s], the curves showed near linearity, but
the oleic values were slightly less than those for the
0.335-dyne/cm [0.335-N/m] run for tension effects alone.
This observation indicated an interaction between the
aqueous phase viscosity and the 1FT. For a system of
higher tension (0.454 dyne/cm [0.454 N/mD and higher
viscosity (13.64 cp [136.4 x 10 -4 Pa' s]), the aqueous
curves remained relatively unchanged but the oleic curves
showed further decreases. However, the oil permeabilities
still were larger than those for the 13. 80-cp
[138.0 x 10 -4 -Pa' s] run at approximately 30 dyne/cm
[30 N/m] (Fig. 7). At combinations of even larger variable
values, the 1FT effect was almost negligible.
How the capillary number affected the oil-water relative
permeabilities is seen in Fig. 10 for the imbibition process
at a 50% wetting-phase saturation. The specific variable
within the capillary number determined the direction of
the oil curves. As the aqueous-phase viscosity increased,
the oleic permeability values decreased. As the tension
decreased, the curves shifted upward. Conversely, as the
capillary number increased, so did the ability of the wetting phase to flow. The correlation was not a perfect fit
because changes from the viscosity were larger than those
from the 1FT. Thus, the capillary number may not be a
true predictor of the wetting-phase permeability. Similar
effects were observed in both the oleic and the aqueous
drainage curves. 21

Y = 0.1180 diem
= 40 Itlday
U w =6.100 ep
Ne = 6.43 x 10,3
v

kro

--Drainage

= 0.4539 diem
. . = 40 h/doy

- - --Imbibition

Uw

Run ]9

Ne

= 13.6361 ep
= 3.74 x 10,3

0.6

O.S
--Drainage
- - -Imbibition

0.4

kro 0.3

0.2

s,.=

0.1

Sw-

------1w=6""

0.0

100
'VisCOlil, (cp)

0.5

= 200 cc/hr
y .. 30 d/cm

0.

- - Drainage Imbibition
- - - Imbibition

0.3

0.2

0.1

Viscosit, (cp)

Fig. 8-Variation of oil and water relative permeabilities against

aqueous-phase viscosity for different wetting-phase
saturations.

Y = 2.91 diem
v = 40 Itlday
U w = 126.62 ep
Ne = 5.41 x 10,3

Run 17
--Drainage

- - - - Imbibition

Run 18
--Drainage

- - - - Imbibition

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

0.9

0.9

0.9

0.9

0.9

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.7

0.7

0.7

0.7

0.6

0.6

kro
0.6

0.7

0.6
0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.0
100

0.0

0.00

10

20

30

40

50 60
Sw (%)

70 80

90

krw kro

krw

0.6

O
0

10 20

30

40

50 60
Sw (%)

70

80

90

0.00

10

20

30

40

50 60
Sw (%)

70

80 90

lr:

Fig. 9-Behavior of oil/water relative permeabilities at different capillary numbers,

FEBRUARY 1985

255

.~

10- 2

1.0

o-Ok,.IQ)

0.9

[',-<>k,.IY)

O.B

o--ok ro (j4.)

- - Melrose ond Brandner Data

- - - Experimental Data

+ - t kro(comb.)

1 0.7
E

~ 0.6

0.5

~ 0.4
6 0.3
0.2
0

0.1

. .J
00

10-3

"------- o +

6
4i

Capillary Number

"I

'I
0.5

..0

'I

'I

o-okrw(Q)

>-

6-!;,k rw (Y)

0.4

o-Ok rw (j4.)

0..
C

+ - t krw(comb.)

1
~

.
'"~
.
.;
D-

5 10-4

+
03

10-5

02
.

o
0.1

0.0

10- 5

10-

10-4

10- 3

10- 2

Copi Ilory Number

10~

Fig. 10-lmbibition oil and water relative permeabilities as functions of capillary number at 50% water saturation.

0.0

0.1 0.2 0.3

0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0

Microscopic Displacement Efficiency (Em)

Fig. 12-Microscopic displacement efficiency as a function of
capillary number.

,
40

.
J

30

__ 0-

---

20

10

<>

0,
0

~_--

f------- ----

- -_ + tJ,.
-~
'+

....................... (3)

e---4S or (bose; v) ~ - -oSwir (bose; 'I)

----"5.,IY)

..... --"5 w;, IY)

----Sor ("d

~--DSwir (JA,)

Capillary Number

Fig. 11-Experimental residual saturations as functions of the

capillary number.

Residual Saturation Changes. The effects on the residual

saturations of both phases also were noted. The ROS
showed a large reduction from 40 % to 0 % for both
decreases in the 1FT and increases in the wetting-phase
viscosity, corresponding to a capillary number increase
from 10- 6 to 10- 2 , respectively. As the tension decreased to 5.50 dyne/cm [5.50 N/m], the irreducible water
saturation showed very little change, but at the lowesttension value of 0.0389 dyne/cm [0.0389 N/m] it decreased back to 32 %. The residual saturations as functions of the capillary number are given in Fig. 11, with
the irreducible water saturation showing changes because
of tension changes only. As a check on our experimental
256

results, the microscopic displacement efficiency, defined

as

was plotted and compared with the results of Melrose and

Brandner 3 (Fig. 12). Although Em increased at approximately one order of magnitude lower for the experimental
capillary numbers than those reported, the data fell within
the same general range.
As the capillary number increased, no matter what
variable was being altered, the imbibition-drainage
hysteresis decreased but never disappeared entirely. This
result held true for both the aqueous and oleic phases. 21
Relative Permeability Model. To develop a relative
permeability model based on the experimental results, the
Minitab II@23 statistical computation system was used.
This system uses regression analysis to determine the best
coefficients for an equation and the statistical parameters
to evaluate the function.
The following functional forms were found for both imbibition and drainage. For the oil (nonwetting-phase)
relative permeabilities,
kro(dr) =AS* (B+CID ")')(/-tw ) D
/-to

..............

(4)

JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY

TABLE 4-SUMMARY OF RELATIVE PERMEABILITY MODEL COEFFICIENTS

Model

S*

kro(dr)

So

kro(im)

So -

MSER"

Ft

1.2861

0.08043

0
-0.37932

,2(%)*

0.72899

97.2

1020.8

4.04

1.56878

1.33874

0.09187

0.08528

96.2

511.2

4.13

0.70216

1.25579

0.0

-0.074482

97.9

2070.7

4.89

0.61135

1.25875

0.0

-0.070812

98.0

1704.1

4.92

0.70340

0.66596

0.0

-0.071513

97.8

1613.8

4.89

0.61135

0.69580

0.0

- 0.068221

97.4

1659.5

4.92

+ 1.8855 x 10- 3

96.6

122.3

5.74

Sor

; plot;

1-S or

k rw1 (dr)

Sw -Swir

1-S wir
k rw1 (im)

Sw -Sw;r
1-S wir

Sw-Swif
krw2(dr)

1-S w;r
Sw -SWir

K rw2 (im)

1-S wir

Sor

+5.846x10-'

+2.96x 10-'

+4.62x 10- 2

SWif

+4.0214 x 10- 1

+ 3.976 x 10- 3

- 7.065 X 10-3

0.0

62.4

6.64

4.46

Correlation coefficient for linear regression.

uMean square error ratio.
tFdistribution.
-= random scatter of ; values.

*'

kro

1.0

Bradford Crude-NaCI brine system (water-wet)

Il<w = 0:8918 ep
0--0 Experimental Data
110 0 = 5.195 ep
--- Model Data
Y = 24.5 diem
- - Naar-Henderson
Data (3OP)
v = 40 ft/day
Run
23
- DrGinage
6
Ne = 4.41 x 101.0

0.9

0.9

Bradford Crude-NaCI brine system (water-wet)

Il<w =0.8918 ep
0---0 Experimental Data
1100 = 5.195 ep
- - - Model Data
Y = 24.5 diem
- - - Naar-Henderson
v = 40 ft/day
Data (2</
Run 23 - Imbibi'tion
1.0 Ne = 4.41 x ~0-6
1.0
0.9

0.9

0.8

0.8

0.8

0.7

0.7

0.7

0.6

0.6

0.6

0.5

0.5

0:5

0.5

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.00

10 20

30 40 50 60
Sw (%)

70

80

90

10~'0

krw

o 0 L..L-..I..-...L..-~'S'It~::E:.....l-.--L-..J 0.0
. 0

10

20

30

40

50

60 70

80

90

100

FIg. 13-Drainage and imbibition relative permeability curves for water-wet system.

FEBRUARY 1985

257

1.0

Bradford Crude-NaCI brine system (oil-wet)

jJ.o = 5.195 ep
0--0 Experimental Data
jJ. = 0.8918 ep
- - - Model Data
___ Naar-Hendersan
w
Y = 24.5 diem
Data (2</
v = 40 h/day
Run 24 - Imbibition
Ne = 3.13 x 10- 5
1.0

1.0

0.9

0.9

0.9

,I

,I

0.8

kro

0.6

0.6

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.4

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.2

0.2

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.0

10 20

30

50

40

60

70

80

90

108.

0.9
0.8

0.7

0.7

,/

0.6

0.8

0.8

,I--

0.7

Bradford Crude-NaCI brine system (oi I-wet)

= 5.195 ep
0--0 Experimental Data
).I.
= 0.8918 ep
- - - Model Data
w
_ _ Naar-Henderson
Y = 24.5. diem
Data (3</
v = 40 h/day
Run 24 - Drai nage
Ne = 3.13 x 10- 5
1.0

lJ. a

0.00

0.7

0.5

0.4

\j

0.3

}'O

\.../ '" ....~

..??;;9?
"
.10" /.
--0
r---20 30 40 50 60 70

0.2

~~

0.1
80

90

0.0
100

Sw (%)
Fig. 14-Drainage and imbibition relative permeability curves for oil-wet system.

y = 0.03885 diem

80

g
ua

The ROS was modeled as a function of the capillary

number and the irreducible water saturation was a function of 1FT.

70

iL 60

1
5 SO

= 0.3:U6 diem

-;;
c

Swir =A

'Go 40

+B[ln('Y)] + C[ln('Y)] 2 .

.........

(9)

y= 5.SO diem

"0 30
~

l!

0':

20

The values of S., the regression constants A, B, C, and

D, and the statistical curve-fit parameters are given in

= 37.9 diem

10
OL---L---~---~--~--~-_-LJ

1000

2000

3000

4000

SOOO

6000

Time, (days)

Fig. 15-Recovery vs. time and interfacial changes.

and
kro(im) =AS * [B+C In 'Y+D In(I-' wll-' 0)] , ........ (5)

where S. is a normalized variable based on the fluid

saturation and the residual saturations.
The brine (wetting-phase) relative permeabilities were
modeled as functions of both the individual variables and
the capillary number, although those found by the
variables yielded a slightly better curve-fit.
krwl =AS.[B+D In(I-'wll-'I'Y)] .
krw2 =AS. [B+D In(N e)].

258

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (6)

. .................... (7)

Table 4.
To evaluate the regression models, three experimental
tests were run using different oillbrine systems. The test
curves were compared with those predicted from the
regression model and with those from the equations
developed by Naar and Henderson. 24 Both a water-wet
and an oil-wet Bradford crude oill2 % NaCI brine system
and a Kendex 0837/2% NaCI brine system were tested.
The Bradford crude water-wet runs for both drainage and
imbibition are given in Fig. 13. In both cases, the regression model yielded slightly larger water relative
permeability values than the experimental data. For oil
relative permeability, the model showed slightly larger
values for drainage but lower values for imbibition.
Similar results were observed for the Kendex/brine
system. 21 For the oil-wet runs (Fig. 14), the model gave
much improved fits over the Naar-Henderson equations
for both phases in both drainage and imbibition.
Application of the Proposed Relative Permeability
Model to a Reservoir Simulator. The reservoir simulator
used was that developed to model two-phase, twodimensional (Cartesian coordinate system) flow 25 The
JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY

problem was set up by the implicit pressure, explicit

saturation (1M PES) method and was solved using the
general band algorithm.
The runs were carried out in a 40-acre [162 000-m 2 ]
five-spot pattern with 3-darcy permeability, 35 % porosity, and 58 % initial oil saturation. A horizontal 6 X 6 grid
system was established with block lengths and widths of
110 ft [34 m] and a 30-ft [9-m] thickness. Initial reservoir temperature and pressure were 80F [27C] and
2,000 psia [13 789 kPa], respectively.
Fig. 15 illustrates the effect on the total oil recovery
by the 1FT expressed as a percentage of the original oil
in place (OOIP) for approximately 16 years. For highertension floods, production leveled at 1,000 days. For
0.335 dyne/cm [0.335 N/m], recovery slowed at 3,500
days while production at the minimum tension was still
increasing at 6,000 days. Total recovery improved from
approximately 30% to 89% OOIP. The aforementioned
results of the simulation runs clearly indicate the important role of a low-tension flood in achieving a high
mobilization efficiency, and more importantly, how influential the relative permeability characteristics are in the
recovery performance.
Conclusions
The following are the conclusions based on the experimental and computational observations.
1. The nonwetting (oil) relative permeabilities were
found to be functions of the 1FT and the viscosity variables
individually rather than a function of the capillary number.
2. The wetting (brine) relative permeabilities behaved
as functions of the capillary number but were better
modeled using the individual variables.
3. Insignificant 1FT effects were observed on both k ro
and k rw until a value of 2.0 dyne/ cm [2.0 N / m] was obtained. Below this value, the relative permeabilities increased with decreasing tension.
4. Increases in aqueous- (wetting-) phase viscosity yielded reductions in k ro and increases in k rw' provided that
the glycerin systems remained strongly water-wet.
5. At very low 1FT values, the relative permeability
curves straightened out and approached the theoretical
X-shape present at zero tension. For large aqueous
viscosities, only the water curves behaved in a similar
manner.
6. Low tensions 5.50 dyne/cm [< 5.50 N/m]) and
viscosity values in the range between 2.0 and 13.6 cp
[0.002 and 0.0136 Pa' s] interacted to yield the "X" appearance for the relative permeability curves. However,
above 5.50 dyne/cm [5.50 N/m] , tension seemed to have
little effect on k ro or k rw .
7. No rate effects were observed for the limited range
within this study (16 to 80 ftlD [4.9 to 24 mid]).
8. As the capillary number increased to 0.01, the ROS
decreased from approximately 40% to zero.
9. The irreducible water saturation showed no consistent change above a tension of 5.50 dyne/cm [5.50 N/m],
but decreased to 32% at 0.0389 dyne/cm [0.0389 N/m].
10. For increases in the capillary number, the
imbibition-drainage hysteresis was reduced for both k ro
and krw.
11. Mathematical relative permeability models were
developed from the experimental data. These models
FEBRUARY 1985

yielded similar results with experimental data for different

fluid systems.
12. Proposed relative permeability models were tested
with the aid of a two-phase reservoir simulator. Results
of the simulation studies showed that production increased
from 30% to 89% OOIP as 1FT decreased from 37.9
dyne/cm to 0.0389 dyne/cm [37.9 N/m to 0.0389 N/m].
Nomenclature
A, B, C,
D, S * = coefficients of variables in linear regression
model
Em = microscopic displacement efficiency,
fraction
kro(dr) = drainage relative permeability to oil,
fraction
k ro(im) = imbibition relative permeability to oil,
fraction
krw(dr) = drainage relative permeability to water,
fraction
k rw(im) = imbibition relative permeability to water,
fraction
k rwl = variable modeled water relative
permeability, fraction
krw2 = capillary number modeled water relative
permeability, fraction
L = flow length [m]
N c = capillary number, fraction
p = pressure, psia [kPa]
Sor = residual oil saturation, fraction
Swir = irreducible water saturation, fraction
v = flow velocity, in.lsec [cm/s]
'Y = interfacial tension, dyne/cm [N/m]
IL 0 = oil viscosity, cp [Pa' s]
ILw = water viscosity, cp [Pa' s]
cf> = porosity

References
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Capillarity on the Displacement of Oil by Water," Producers
Monthly (Aug. 1956) 20-30.
2. Taber, J.J.: "Dynamic and Static Forces Required to Remove a
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259

11. Sandberg, C.R., Gournay, L.S., and Sippel, R.F.: "The Effect of
Fluid-Flow Rate and Viscosity on Laboratory Detenninations of OilWater Relative Permeabilities," J. Pet. Tech. (Feb. 1958) 36-43;
Trans., AIME, 213.
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1980) 391-401.
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Eng. J. (June 1981) 296-308.
15. Lo, H.P.: "The Effect ofInterfacial Tension on Oil-Water Relative
Permeabilities," Research Report RR-32, Petroleum Recovery Inst.,
Calgary, Alta., Canada (Nov. 1976) 5-9.
16. Lefebvre du Prey, E.J.: "Factors Affecting Liquid-Liquid Relative
Permeabilities of a Consolidated Porous Medium," Soc. Pet. Eng.
J. (Feb. 1973) 39-47.
17. Taber, J.J., Kamath, LS.K., and Reed, R.L.: "Mechanism of
Alcohol Displacement of Oil from Porous Media," Soc. Pet. Eng.
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Permeability Measurements on Small Core Samples," Producers
Monthly (Aug. 1947)19-25.
19. Kyte, J .R. and Rapoport, L.A.: "Linear Waterflood Behavior and
End Effects in Water-Wet Porous Media," J. Pet. Tech. (Oct. 1958)
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20. Fulcher, R.A.: "The Effect of the Capillary Number and Its Constituents on Two-Phase Relative Permeabilities," PhD dissertation,
Pennsylvania State U., University Park (1982)

260

21. Batycky, J.P. and McCaffery, F.G.: "Low Interfacial Tension

Displacement Studies," paper 78-29-26 presented at the 1978
Petroleum Soc. of C.I.M. Annual Technical Meeting, Calgary,
Alta., Canada, June 13-16.
22. Ryan, T.A. Jr.: "Minitab Release 81.1," Computation Center
writeup, Dept. of Statistics, Pennsylvania State U., University Park
(1981).
23. Naar, J. and Henderson, J.H.: "An Imbibition Model - Its Application to Flow Behavior and the Prediction of Oil Recovery,"
Soc. Pet. Eng. J. (June 1961) 61-70; Trans., AIME, 222.
24. Ertekin, T.: "Numerical Simulation of the Compaction-Subsidence
Phenomena in a Reservoir for Two-Phase Nonisothermal Flow,"
PhD dissertation, Pennsylvania State U., University Park (1978).

SI Metric Conversion Factors

ep X 1.0*
dyne x 1.0*
ft X 3.048*
OF (OF-32)/1.8
in. X 2.54*
mL X 1.0*
Conversion factor is exact.

E-03
E-02
E-Ol
E+OO
E+OO

Pa's
mN
m
C
em
em 3

JPT

Original manuscript received in the Society of Petroleum Engineers office Oct. 5, 1983.
Paper accepted for publication June 6, 1984. Revised manuscript received Oct. 31,
1984. Paper (SPE 12170) first presented at the 1983 SPE Annual Technical Conference
and Exhibition held in San Francisco Oct. 5-8.

JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY