Relative Permeability Hysteresis: A New Model and Impact on Reservoir Simulation
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- The complex physics of multiphase flow in porous media are usually modeled at the field-scale using Darcy-type formulations. The key descriptors of such models are the relative permeabilities to each of the flowing phases. It is well documented that, whenever the fluid saturations undergo a cyclic process, relative permeabilities display hysteresis effects. The main mechanism for hysteresis is trapping of the nonwetting phase during an imbibition process (increasing wetting-phase saturations) History dependant relative permeabilities are especially relevant in water-alternating-gas (WAG) and CO2 sequestration processes, which are characterized by a sequence of multiphase drainage and imbibition cycles.In this report we investigate multiphase relative permeabilities and trapping of the wetting or non-wetting phase by means of laboratory experimental data and pore-network simulation of cyclic drainage and imbibition. We study the dependence of trapped (residual) saturation on several fluid/rock properties, most notably the wettability and the initial water saturation. We analyze different three-phase relative permeability models, relative permeability hysteresis models, and empirical trapping models. We assess their performance by first comparing their predictions with Oak's three-phase relative permeability data. We extend this comparison in different wettability conditions with pore-network simulations. This exercise allows us to establish limits of validity of the various empirical models and introduce a new model for trapping and relative permeability that overcomes the limitations of current trapping models.Here, we also study the impact of using history-dependent saturation functions in reservoir simulations of WAG injection and CO2 sequestration. We illustrate how the use of a hysteretic relative permeability model affects reservoir simulations. We find that there is striking disparity in the simulation results depending on whether a hysteretic or a non-hysteretic model is employed, and conclude that it is essential to incorporate hysteresis in the relative permeabilities in order to obtain accurate predictions of realistic WAG and CO2 sequestration processes.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Date created | June 2005 |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Spiteri, Elizabeth Jane |
|---|---|
| Primary advisor | Juanes, Ruben |
| Degree granting institution | Stanford University, Department of Petroleum Engineering |
Subjects
| Subject | School of Earth Energy & Environmental Sciences |
|---|---|
| Genre | Thesis |
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Preferred citation
- Preferred Citation
- Spiteri, Elizabeth Jane. (2005). Relative Permeability Hysteresis: A New Model and Impact on Reservoir Simulation. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at: https://purl.stanford.edu/fh950cq3642
Collection
Master's Theses, Doerr School of Sustainability
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