Key Characteristics of Three-Phase Oil Relative Permeability Formulations for Improved Oil Recovery Predictions

Balbinski, E. F.; Fishlock, T.P.; Goodyear, S.G.; Jones, P. I. R.

doi:10.3997/2214-4609.201406774

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…In the literature there are more models for three-phase relative permeabilities [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] than there are reports of experimental data. In the literature there are more models for three-phase relative permeabilities [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] than there are reports of experimental data.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Progress in Immiscible WAG Modelling

Skauge¹,

Dale²

2007

Proceedings of SPE/EAGE Reservoir Characterization and Simulation Conference

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fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractThe paper reviews recent development in modelling of immiscible WAG processes (IWAG). Several different approaches have been made to model three-phase relative permeability in particular. In most cases capillary pressure has been neglected in application of these models in numerical simulations of IWAG. The argument behind eliminating capillary pressure is to simplify the model, and the assumption that capillary pressure is of less importance for the problem analysed or because there are no experimental data available. This study also shows the consequence of neglecting capillary pressure.A novel approach to include three-phase capillary pressure is discussed, and also a procedure for estimation of three-phase capillary pressure from more available two-phase capillary pressure data. A practical case study of history matching IWAG core floods is also presented.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Progress in Immiscible WAG Modelling

Skauge¹,

Dale²

2007

Proceedings of SPE/EAGE Reservoir Characterization and Simulation Conference

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“…Many correlations for the oil relative permeability exists. [43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56] Several authors [57][58][59] have made summaries of correlations for three-phase relative permeability.…”

Section: Relative Permeability Correlations For Three-phase Flowmentioning

confidence: 99%

Progress in Immiscible WAG Modelling

Skauge¹,

Dale

2007

All Days

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The paper reviews recent development in modelling of immiscible WAG processes (IWAG). Several different approaches have been made to model three-phase relative permeability in particular. In most cases capillary pressure has been neglected in application of these models in numerical simulations of IWAG. The argument behind eliminating capillary pressure is to simplify the model, and the assumption that capillary pressure is of less importance for the problem analysed or because there are no experimental data available. This study also shows the consequence of neglecting capillary pressure. A novel approach to include three-phase capillary pressure is discussed, and also a procedure for estimation of three-phase capillary pressure from more available two-phase capillary pressure data. A practical case study of history matching IWAG core floods is also presented. Introduction Numerical simulation of any EOR process is a key to the prediction of incremental oil recovery. Water -alternating -gas (WAG) injection has found an increasing application in both clastic and carbonate reservoirs and at both miscible and immiscible gas conditions 1,2. The addition oil recovery is typically in the range of 5–10 percent of the original oil in place. WAG injection is an oil recovery method initially aimed to improve sweep during gas injection. Possible improved microscopic efficiency in three-phase zones of the reservoir may come as an added benefit from the WAG injection. Today the WAG process (both miscible and immiscible) is considered for a number of new fields in the North Sea. WAG is defined as any injection of both water and gas into the same reservoir. This including definition covers MWAG (miscible), IWAG (immiscible), HWAG (hybrid), SWAG (simultaneous), and also tertiary gas injection or tertiary water flooding. When miscibility is developed along the gas slug, as gas displaces oil, it is referred to as a miscible WAG. In this case the main purpose of the water slug is to increase the volumetric sweep since the residual oil saturation will be low after the miscible front has passed. Immiscible WAG (IWAG) is pulses of gas and water injected, where the gas cannot develop miscibility with oil. Still some compositional exchanges between gas and oil may be important for the fluid characterization and oil recovery. Hybrid WAG is when a large slug of gas is injected followed by a number of small slugs of water and gas. Simultaneous injection has also been performed, but is reported to give reduced injectivity in some cases. In this paper immiscible WAG processes will be discussed. This process involves both drainage and imbibition processes, three phase flow modelling approach, and hysteresis in relative permeabilities and capillary pressure. The complexity of the WAG process is further complicated by mass exchanges (swelling and stripping of the oil by the injected gas). The focus is here on fluid flow functions and the mass exchanges are here ignored. Simulation studies of IWAG3–7 have shown that analytical models like Stone 8 and Jenkins 9 may strongly underestimate the extent of the three-phase zone. The extent of the three-phase zone is influenced by phase trapping and three-phase relative permeabilities, see Figure 1. The residual oil saturation in the three-phase zone may also be reduced compared to two-phase flow, due to effect of trapped gas on residual oil and also three-phase relative permeabilities 10–12. Experimental studies showed accelerated oil production and higher core flood oil recovery as a result of three-phase flow 10–13. The oil recovery has been related to the trapped gas saturation 11–13, and the influence of the effect of trapped gas is found to be varying with core wettability 13. Experimental results have also shown that both gas and water relative permeability may be reduced during three-phase flow. Simulation results have shown that the two-phase relative permeability hysteresis models were unable to describe the three phase experiments. The match of WAG experiments was improved by the three-phase relative permeability approach 14,15.

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“…The first is when low gas saturations are injected into waterflood residual oil. Balbinski et al 44 showed that Eq. We show later how to account for this.…”

Section: Grader and O'meara Grader And O'mearamentioning

confidence: 99%

An Empirical Model for Three-Phase Relative Permeability

Blunt¹

1999

Proceedings of SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition

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TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractWe present an empirical model for three-phase relative permeability that overcomes the limitations of current formulations, such as Stone's methods. 1,2 We provide a selfconsistent treatment of wettability, changes in hydrocarbon composition, different saturation paths, and the trapping of oil, water and gas. The theoretical development is motivated by a review of recent three-phase experiments. The model is based on saturation-weighted interpolation between the two-phase values. 3 To account for the effects of wettability we apply saturation-weighting to all three phases. By writing the relative permeabilities as unique functions of a flowing saturation, the model predicts the behavior for any sequence of saturation changes and accounts for trapping. Layer drainage, which allows oil relative permeabilities to be extrapolated to low saturation, is included for water-wet media. The model ensures smooth changes in relative permeability with changes in hydrocarbon composition and tends to the appropriate limits as the gas and oil become miscible. The model is tested against the data of Oak and co-workers. 4,5 We show that it is necessary to include layer drainage and oil trapping to predict three-phase oil relative permeability at low oil saturation accurately.

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Key Characteristics of Three-Phase Oil Relative Permeability Formulations for Improved Oil Recovery Predictions

Abstract: 9th E uropean Symposi u m on I m proved Di l R ecovery, T he H ague -Th e N et h er lands, 20 -22 O ctober 199 7 E . F. BALBINSKI, T . P. FISHLOCK , S . G . GOODYEAR and P .I . R . JONES AEA Technology plc , A31 Winf ri th , Dorchester, Dorset DT2 8DH , UK

Cited by 9 publications

References 3 publications

Progress in Immiscible WAG Modelling

Progress in Immiscible WAG Modelling

Progress in Immiscible WAG Modelling

An Empirical Model for Three-Phase Relative Permeability

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