Multi Phase Flow I

Flow Transport in Porous Media
Multi-Phase Flow in Porous Media

Multi-Phase Flow Concepts
Capillary End Effect
Multiphase Fluid-Flow Concepts
Mechanisms-Channel
Mechanisms Channel Flow
• Channel Flow:
– Oil
Oil and water flowed simultaneously at constant overall rates.
and water flowed simultaneously at constant overall rates.
– Each phase was observed to flow through its own network of
interconnected, tortuous channels
– Boundaries of the channels varied from solid/liquid interfaces to
/ q
liquid/liquid interfaces
– Flows within a channel followed streamlines that conformed to the
shape of the channel.
– Eddy (circulating) flow patterns were not observed
– The width of a flow channel varied from less than one grain diameter
to several grain diameters
– As the saturation of one phase increased, the widths of the channels
containing that phase increased
– multiphase flow of water, oil, and gas at or above velocities attainable
in reservoirs occurs through a series of continuous but tortuous
in reservoirs occurs through a series of continuous but tortuous
channels
Mechanisms-Channel
Mechanisms Channel Flow
• Channel Flow:
– Boundaries of flow channels for simultaneous flow of oil and water
Boundaries of flow channels for simultaneous flow of oil and water
Mechanisms- Slug Flow or Dispersed Phase Flow
Mechanisms
• Slug Flow or Dispersed Phase Flow :
– occurs
occurs at velocities that are higher than those found in
at velocities that are higher than those found in
petroleum reservoirs.
– IFT's are large (30 dynes/cm) in these flows.
– The rupture of stable oil and water flow channels was observed
The rupture of stable oil and water flow channels was observed
at the velocities of about 100 ft/D
– Oil was the dispersed phase in water wet systems while water
became dispersed in oil wet systems
became dispersed in oil‐wet systems.
– This mechanism is not important in conventional multiphase
flow processes in petroleum reservoirs where velocities are on
the order of 1 ft/D
the order of 1 ft/D
– If there is an equivalence between viscous and capillary forces
as indicated by correlations in, the mechanism of slug flow may
be important at reservoir velocities when interfacial forces are
be important at reservoir velocities when interfacial forces are
reduced
Extension of Darcy
Darcy'ss Law to Multiphase Flow
• The effective permeability of a phase is a function of the
saturation, varying from zero when the phase is immobile at
saturation, varying from zero when the phase is immobile at
residual saturation to a maximum when the other phase or
phases are at their residual saturations.
• Mathematical representation of multiphase flow in porous
media when channel flow exists is based on the hypothesis
that Darcy's law applies to each phase.
y pp p
Extension of Darcy
Darcy'ss Law to Multiphase Flow
• The potentials of each phase are defined as
• Z is the elevation above a horizontal datum, Zd is the elevation
of the reference datum, and Pod is the oil phase pressure at
the reference datum.
• When x is in the horizontal plane
• The phase pressures are related through capillary pressure
p p g p yp
curves
Relative Permeability
• Three different base permeabilities are
– (1)
(1) the absolute air permeability,
the absolute air permeability
– (2) the absolute water permeability, and
– (3) the effective permeability to oil at residual wetting‐phase
saturation.
saturation
• The three base permeabilities do not have the same values.
• It is necessary to know which base permeability was used for
y p y
a particular set of relative permeability data.
• The relative permeability of a phase usually depends on the
path that was followed to reach the saturation.
h h f ll d h h i
• This path dependency, termed hysteresis, is analogous to the
variation of capillary pressure with the direction of saturation
variation of capillary pressure with the direction of saturation
change
Hysteresis of Relative Permeability Curves
• Relative permeability curves for a strongly water‐wet rock
Hysteresis of Relative Permeability Curves
• Hysteresis of water and oil‐flood relative permeability curves
• Except the contact angle value, other possible contributors to hysteresis of
p g , p y
relative permeability curves include surface roughness and hysteresis of the
contact angle
Validity of Darcy
Darcy'ss Law for Multiphase Flow
• To show that Darcy's law was valid for phase velocities
expected in oil and gas reservoirs it was necessary to show
expected in oil and gas reservoirs it was necessary to show
that the effective permeability of a phase is independent of
the pressure gradient when the measurement is made on the
same saturation path
t ti th
• All measurement techniques used in laboratory
determination of relative permeability must be conducted
p y
under conditions that overcome capillary end effects
• To verify the validity of Darcy’s law, water/oil relative
permeability data were obtained at different pressure
bilit d t bt i d t diff t
gradients using a Pennsylvania State U. method.
Validity of Darcy
Darcy'ss Law for Multiphase Flow
• Effect of pressure on relative permeability measurements
Effect of Wettability on Relative Permeability Curves
• Wettability is the most important factor influencing relative
permeability curves
permeability curves
• There is growing evidence that many reservoirs do not have
uniform wettability.
• Wettability controls the location and shape of oil and water
relative permeability curves on saturation plots
• Non uniform wetting conditions introduce uncertainty in the
Non uniform wetting conditions introduce uncertainty in the
use of relative permeability curves to infer wettability of a
reservoir
• There is good agreement between wettability from contact
angle measurements and wettability inferred from relative
permeability curves
permeability curves
Effect of Wettability on Flow Transport
• oil and water relative permeabilities of sandstone cores for
water‐wet
water wet and oil
and oil‐wet
wet conditions
conditions
Effect of IFT on Relative Permeability Curves
• Changes of lFT over the range of 10 to 40 dynes/cm have little
effect on relative permeability curves as long as wettability
effect on relative permeability curves as long as wettability
remains the same.
• The net effect of reduced IFT should be to increase the
relative permeability of each phase.
• Reduction of lFT from 35.0 to 5.0 dynes/cm increased the
permeabilities of both oil and water phases by 20 to 30 %
of both oil and water phases by 20 to 30 %
• The reduced lFT was obtained by using amyl alcohol for the
hydrocarbon phase, wettability was considered constant.
• There are limited experimental data that show the effect of
IFT on relative permeability curves.
• Thus the permeability of the displaced phase was affected to
Thus the permeability of the displaced phase was affected to
a larger extent by 1FT than the displacing phase permeability.
Effect of IFT on Relative Permeability Curves
• Steady‐state relative permeability data for water and oil floods, the 2nd plot is
for a crude‐oil surfactant system that had IFT's of 0.02 to 0.0002 dynes/cm.
• Relative permeabilities of both phases increased as expected, and hysteresis
of relative permeability curves was not observed.
Effect of Viscosity Ratio on Relative Permeability Curves
• There is little effect of viscosity ratio on relative permeability
curves when a wetting fluid displaces a non wetting fluid in
g p g
strongly wetted systems.
• Limited data for systems of intermediate wettability indicate
large effects.
large effects.
• Changes of relative permeability curves with viscosity have
been observed for viscosity ratios between 1 and 26.5 for the
displacement of a wetting fluid by a non wetting fluid
displacement of a wetting fluid by a non wetting fluid.
• This dependence has been discussed in terms of viscous
fingering, microscopic rock heterogeneities, relative
importance of viscous forces to capillary forces in a
f f ll f
displacement process, and inadequate time for fluids to attain
capillary equilibrium in laboratory relative permeability tests.
• No single explanation appears to account for all variations.
• The effect of the viscosity ratio (oil to water) on the relative
permeabilities in a 100
in a 100‐ to 200
to 200‐mesh
mesh sand
sand
• Relative permeability curves for oil/water viscosity ratios of
1:1, 5: 1, and 37: 1 in an 11.5‐darcy
1:1, 5: 1, and 37: 1 in an 11.5 darcy packed bed
packed bed
Two-Phase Relative Permeability Curves
• It observes in laboratory experiments involving the steady
flow of two immiscible phases.
flow of two immiscible phases.
• At the end of the core, the two phases enter a common
header where the pressures of both phases are essentially
equal.
• Thus the capillary pressure must undergo a rapid change from
a finite value in the core to a value close to zero outside the
a finite value in the core to a value close to zero outside the
core
• For the system to remain at capillary equilibrium, the
saturation of the wetting phase must increase to the value
corresponding to "zero" capillary pressure.
• Thus the end effect causes a saturation gradient near the end
Thus the end effect causes a saturation gradient near the end
of the core.
• rapid change in oil and water phase pressures near the end of
a core ‐‐‐ capillary pressure discontinuity during steady two
a core capillary pressure discontinuity during steady two
phase flow in laboratory cores.
• Experimental and computed saturation profiles demonstrating
capillary end effect in steady‐state
capillary end effect in steady state flow of oil and gas in a
flow of oil and gas in a
laboratory model
• The boundary conditions for both water and oil phases at x=L are: Pc=0 and
pwL=poL=pL
• From the capillary pressure curves , there must be a saturation change in
the core from Swi at the inlet of the core where Pc =Poi ‐ Pwi to SwL at the exit
of the core corresponding to Pc =0
• A consequence of a saturation gradient in the core is that we can no longer
consider ko to be constant from 0 <x<L
• The oil and water flow equations solved to find the saturation distribution if
q
relative permeability and capillary pressure curves are known along the
same saturation path.
• Recall the definition of the capillary pressure
• The capillary pressure curve is a function of the water saturation, the chain
rule of differentiation can be used as
• So
• This equation can be rearranged to numerically solve
hi i b d i ll l
• The integration is done between x and x=L where the boundary condition
Pc =0 is applied at Sw =SwL
• From a practical point of view, this equation is rewritten as an integral
where distance is measured from the outlet end of the core‐that is, if
x1 =L‐x, and equation can be rewritten as below with x1 the distance from
the end of the core
• The dashed line in saturation profile plot is the predicted saturation
gradient obtained by solution of this equation when oil and gas were the
gradient obtained by solution of this equation when oil and gas were the
flowing phase
• making the two fluids flow at higher rates, is used to reduce end effects in
laboratory cores
laboratory cores.
• End effects encountered during the steady flow of two phases through a
porous rock may be reduced by using "boundary effect absorbers" placed
on both ends of the core sample in modified PSU method
• Three‐section core assembly‐modified PSU method for determination of
relative permeability.
• The test core is assumed to have uniform saturation that is determined
gravimetrically or by electrical resistance measurements.
• Individual phase pressures are not measured. Usually the non wetting
phase pressure is measured.
• In interpreting the data, it is reasoned that errors introduced by neglecting
p g , y g g
the difference in phase pressures are small because the change in total
pressure over the length of the test section is much larger than the change
in the capillary pressures.
• oil‐ and water‐phase permeabilities measured from
• ∆p is the pressure drop across the test section measured through the non
∆ i h d h i d h h h
wetting phase
• Here, the effect of assuming equal oil‐ and water‐phase pressures in the
determination of phase permeabilities using the PSU method is examined.
• The pressure drop measured between the dp taps is Po1 ‐ Po2
• If the rock is strongly water wet, the oil permeability will be correct.
• The true water permeability, can be computed as below but the water
The true water permeability can be computed as below but the water‐
phase pressures are not known
• The pc curve is a correlation of oil‐phase pressure to water‐phase pressure
• Thus,
• or
• Capillary pressure is a function of water saturation. If there is no
saturation gradient in the core, Pc1 =Pc2 and kw*=kw . the same result
is obtained if (Po1 –Po2)>>(Pc1 – Pc2)
• Consider the effect of small changes in the water saturation in the
test section. Saturation gradients on the order of 2 % saturation are
g
not unusual over test sections 1.2 to 3 in. long.
• Table in the next slide contains imbibition capillary pressure data at
several water saturations
several water saturations.
• This table presents the estimates of the oil‐phase pressure difference
(Po1 –Po2)'which would be needed if kw/kw*=0.98 and 0.80.
• At Sw =0.368 the pressure drop in the oil phase would have to be
more than 1,029 psi in the test section for the computed water‐
phase permeability to be within 98 % of the true permeability.
• In contrast, a pressure change in the oil phase of 1.5 psi at an
average water saturation of 0.782 would be required to obtain the
water‐phase
water phase permeability that would be within 98% of the true
permeability that would be within 98% of the true
value.
• Estimated pressure required to overcome capillary pressure gradient
by the PSU method
• This data shows how capillary pressure differences affect
computed values of wetting‐phase
computed values of wetting phase (water) permeabilities
(water) permeabilities
when non wetting phase pressures are measured.
• Maintenance of large pressure changes in the oil phase by
operation at high flow rates can reduce these errors.
• Substantial errors in wetting‐phase permeabilities may occur at
a low wetting‐phase
a low wetting phase saturation because small changes in
saturation because small changes in
saturation produce large changes in capillary pressure.
• In some cases, pressure drops required to reduce the effect of
a small saturation change may not be attainable in the
experimental apparatus.

Multi Phase Flow I

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Multi Phase Flow I

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Flow Transport in Porous Media

Multi-Phase Flow in Porous Media

• The pressure drop measured between the dp taps is Po1 ‐ Po2

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