A critical review on fundamental mechanisms of spontaneous imbibition and the impact of boundary condition, fluid viscosity and wettability

Meng, Qingbang; Liu, Huiqing; Wang, Jing

doi:10.26804/ager.2017.01.01

Cited by 111 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 85 publications

(162 reference statements)

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“…Therefore, the scope of water-wetting angle (β) of matrix from 90 • to 180 • is chosen for sensitivity analyses of imbibition. The phenomenon, "the smaller contact angle, the more beneficial influence of imbibition", 49 is in accord with the results of sensitivity analysis of imbibition, as shown in Fig. 8.…”

Section: -10supporting

confidence: 85%

A Multi-Linear Fractal Model for Pressure Transient Analysis of Multiple Fractured Horizontal Wells in Tight Oil Reservoirs Including Imbibition

et al. 2019

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Most models for multiple fractured horizontal wells (MFHWs) in tight oil reservoirs (TORs) are based on classical simplified dual-porosity model that ignores the influence of imbibition, while the distribution of fracture system is heterogeneous, multi-scale and self-similar, which can be described by fractal dual-porosity model on fractal theory, and imbibition production is the important part of fracture system production. In this paper, a multi-linear fractal model (MFM) considering imbibition for MFHWs in TORs was established based on fractal theory and semi-analytical method. In this model, fractal theory was used to describe the heterogeneous, complex fracture network, and imbibition was considered by analogy of fluid crossflow law in fractured-porous dual media. And the approximate analytic solution was given by using the Laplace transformation and iteration method. The pressure responses in the domain of real time were obtained with Stehfest numerical inversion algorithms. The pressure transient and production rate were used to analyze, and sensitivity analysis of some related parameters were discussed. The results show that the fluid flow in MFHWs can be divided into nine main flow periods by analysis of type curves, and the fractal parameters of fracture system have great effect on the middle and later periods and imbibition influences the period of crossflow.

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Section: -10supporting

confidence: 85%

A Multi-Linear Fractal Model for Pressure Transient Analysis of Multiple Fractured Horizontal Wells in Tight Oil Reservoirs Including Imbibition

et al. 2019

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“…If the tube is fully immersed in water, spontaneous imbibition would not occur because the capillary pressure between the two sides of tube is the same. The capillary pressure in different side of tube must be different when the counter-current occurs (Unsal et al, 2007a;Meng et al, 2017a). Since the structure of porous media is complex, more tube models were developed.…”

Section: Capillary Model Of Spontaneous Imbibition With Different Boumentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent advances in spontaneous imbibition with different boundary conditions

Meng¹,

Cai²

2018

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Spontaneous imbibition plays an important role in many practical processes, such as oil recovery, hydrology, and environmental engineering. The past few years have witnessed a rapid development in the mechanism analysis and industry applications of spontaneous imbibition. In this paper, we focus on boundary conditions of spontaneous imbibition, which has important effects on the imbibition rate and efficiency. Various boundary conditions are first generated using different capillary model and introduced focusing on the fundamental physical mechanisms. Then, the studies of spontaneous imbibition in core scale are reviewed. The feature is discussed and the relative permeability for coand counter-current imbibition is analyzed. The scaling of imbibition data with different boundary conditions is also presented by combination of experimental and numerical methods. An analytical model to describe spontaneous imbibition is provided at the end.

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“…air, natural gas, oil). [5][6][7] This process, using water or brine with added surfactants to displace oil, has been proposed as an enhanced recovery technique. 8,9 With the rapid growth and implementation of fracking technology, SI is now being investigated as a method of improving the recovery of hydrocarbon resources from fractured unconventional reservoirs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spontaneous Imbibition of a Wetting Fluid Into a Fracture With Opposing Fractal Surfaces: Theory and Experimental Validation

et al. 2019

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Spontaneous imbibition (SI) is a capillary-driven flow process, in which a wetting fluid moves into a porous medium displacing an existing non-wetting fluid. This process likely contributes to the loss of fracking fluids during hydraulic fracturing operations. It has also been proposed as a method for an enhanced recovery of hydrocarbons from fractured unconventional reservoirs. Numerous analytical and numerical approaches have been employed to model SI. Invariably, these idealize a fracture as the gap formed between parallel flat surfaces. In reality, rock fracture surfaces are rough over multiple scales, and this roughness will influence the contact angle and rate of fluid uptake. We derived an analytical model for the early-time SI behavior within a fracture bounded by parallel impermeable surfaces with fractal roughness assuming laminar flow. The model was tested by fitting it to experimental data for the SI of deionized water into air-filled rock fractures. Twenty cores from two rock types were investigated: a tight sandstone (Crossville) and a gas shale (Mancos). A simple Mode I longitudinal fracture was produced in each core by compressive loading between parallel flat plates using the Brazilian method. Half of the Mancos cores were fractured perpendicular to bedding, while the other half were fractured parallel to bedding. The two main parameters in the SI model are the mean separation distance between the fracture surfaces, [Formula: see text], and the fracture surface fractal dimension [Formula: see text]. The [Formula: see text] was estimated for each core by measuring the geometric mean fracture aperture width through image analysis of the top and bottom faces, while [Formula: see text] was estimated inversely by fitting the SI model to measurements of water uptake obtained using dynamic neutron radiography. The [Formula: see text] values ranged from 45[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m to 190[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m, with a median of 93[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m. The SI model fitted the height of uptake versus time data very well for all of the rock cores investigated; medians of the resulting root mean squared errors and coefficients of determination were 0.99[Formula: see text]mm and 0.963, respectively. Estimates of [Formula: see text] ranged from 2.04 to 2.45, with a median of 2.24. Statistically, all of the [Formula: see text] values were significantly greater than two, confirming the fractal nature of the fracture surfaces. Future research should focus on forward prediction through independent measurements of [Formula: see text] and extension of the existing SI model to late times (through the inclusion of gravity) and fractures with permeable surfaces.

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A critical review on fundamental mechanisms of spontaneous imbibition and the impact of boundary condition, fluid viscosity and wettability

Cited by 111 publications

References 85 publications

A Multi-Linear Fractal Model for Pressure Transient Analysis of Multiple Fractured Horizontal Wells in Tight Oil Reservoirs Including Imbibition

A Multi-Linear Fractal Model for Pressure Transient Analysis of Multiple Fractured Horizontal Wells in Tight Oil Reservoirs Including Imbibition

Recent advances in spontaneous imbibition with different boundary conditions

Spontaneous Imbibition of a Wetting Fluid Into a Fracture With Opposing Fractal Surfaces: Theory and Experimental Validation

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