developing two-and three-phase relative permeability...

Developing Two- and Three-Phase Relative Permeability

Correlations for Heavy oil systems (Experimental and

Theoretical Studies)

Ostap Zarivnyy M.Sc.

Farshid Torabi, Ph.D., P.Eng.,

University of Regina, Canada

Oct. 2011

Agenda

�Introduction

�Experimental Procedure

�Results

�Correlations

�Conclusions

�Recommendations

Introduction

* Dandecar, Abhijit T.: “Petroleum Reservoir Rock and Fluid Properties”, (2006).

Objectives of this study:

I.To perform a series of relative permeability tests using light, medium, and heavy oil samples

II.Check the validity of existing relative permeability models whenused for heavy oil systems

III.Find the effect of key parameters (temperature, pressure, rock permeability, connate water saturation,…) on the relative permeability of all three phases (gas, water, and oil) in a multiphase system

IV.If possible, develop new series of correlations mainly for heavy oil systems and include the affecting parameters

Experimental Procedure

Schematic of experimental setup

1. Personal computer (PC) to collect data; 2. TEMCO core holder; 3. Pressure transducer; 4. Backup pressure regulator;

5. Temperature controller; 6. Flow meter; 7. Separator; 8. Nitrogen cylinder; 9. Overburden pump; 10. Transfer cylinder;

11. Syringe pump

Experimental Procedure

Photograph of experimental setup

Experimental Procedure

Experimental Procedure

Photograph of experimental core

Unused

Cleaned

Experimental Procedure

*G: Gas, O: Oil, W: Water, 250: pressure in psi. 0.2, 0.4, 11 and 22: flow rate, ml/min, 27 and 45: temperature in

°C.

Two-phase flow experimental matrix

Experimental Procedure

*G: Gas, O: Oil, W: Water, 250: pressure in psi. 0.2, 0.4, 11 and 22: flow rate, ml/min, 27 and 45: temperature in °C

Three-phase flow experimental matrix

Results

Effect of pressure on two-phase flow

Water-oil system Gas-oil system

Gas-water system

Results

Effect of pressure on three-phase flow

Oil relative permeability Water relative permeability

Gas relative permeability

Results

Effect of temperature on two-phase flow

Water-oil system Gas-oil system

Gas-water system

Results

Effect of temperature on three-phase flow

Oil relative permeability Water relative permeability

Gas relative permeability

Results

Effect of flow rate on two-phase flow

Water-oil system Gas-oil system

Gas-water system

Results

Effect of flow rate on three-phase flow

Oil relative permeability Water relative permeability

Gas relative permeability

Results

Effect of oil viscosity on two-phase flow

Water-oil system Gas-oil system

* - real value is multiplied by 100

to show visual effect of oil viscosity

Correlations

is base viscosity of displaced fluid (oil);

is reservoir pressure, equal to average

reservoir pressure in typical Canadian oil

reservoirs;

is optimal injection flow rate for the system

is average water saturation

are normalized water and oil saturations&

Correlations

Developing two-phase correlations: W-O 250-0.2-27

(Base case )

Water relative permeability correlation Oil relative permeability correlation

Correlations

Developing two-phase correlations: W-O 500-0.2-27

Water relative permeability correlation Oil relative permeability correlation

Correlations

- Effect of flow rate (W-O 250-0.4-27)

Developing two-phase correlations:

- Effect of viscosity (W-LO 250-0.2-27)

Correlations

Correlations for a Gas-Oil System

Correlations for Gas-Water System

Correlations

Developing three-phase correlations:

Oil relative permeability correlation W-O-G 250-11-27 Oil relative permeability correlation W-O-G 500-11-27

Correlations

Correlations

Stone’s I Type Correlation

multipliers, dimensionless;

is oil normalized saturation, fraction;

is minimum oil saturation, fraction.

&

where:

Conclusions

The following specific conclusions can be made: (Phase-I of this study)

•Pressure has a negligible effect on oil relative permeability for a

water-oil system. For a gas-oil system, oil relative permeability

increased slightly with pressure, while gas relative permeability was

2.7 to 4 times higher when the pressure was doubled.

•Relative permeabilities of both water and oil increased with an

increase in system temperature; with oil relative permeability showing

a more pronounced effect. In contrast for a three-phase system, a

higher temperature caused an increase in water and gas relative

permeability, while a negligible effect on oil relative permeability.

Conclusions

• Higher injection rates resulted in higher oil relative permeability,

but lower water relative permeability in a two-phase system; this

could be due to in-situ emulsion formation.

• For the light oil system, both oil and water relative permeability

curves were shifted to the right compared to the heavy oil

system. The light oil system exhibited a higher connate water

saturation and reduced residual oil saturation.

• For the gas-light oil system, gas relative permeability increased

nearly 500 times compared to the gas-heavy oil system.

Phase-II of this Study• Continue investigating the effect of other parameters and include

new ones (absolute permeability, wettability, slug size,…) with respect to two- and three-phase relative permeability and extend their range to cover the vast majority of light and heavy oil reservoirs.

• Improve the developed correlations by using more relative permeability data points from new experiments.

• Run similar experiments using the steady-state technique and compare the results to those obtained in the study, and address the reliability of each model.

• Examine the newly developed correlations by using them in the history matching process in simulation of a field study

Acknowledgements

Thank you for your attention!

Developing Two- and Three-Phase Relative Permeability

Correlations for Heavy oil systems (Experimental and

Theoretical Studies)