Quantifying the crossover from capillary fingering to viscous fingering in heterogeneous porous media
Studying immiscible fluid displacement patterns can provide a better understanding of displacement processes within heterogeneous porous media, thereby helping improving oil recovery and optimizing geological CO2 sequestration. As the injection rate of water displacing oil increases and the displace...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | Energy Geoscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666759224000775 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832582076719693824 |
|---|---|
| author | Xin Yang Xingfu Li Bo Kang Bin Xu Hehua Wang Xin Zhao Bo Zhang Kai Jiang Shitao Liu Yanbing Tang |
| author_facet | Xin Yang Xingfu Li Bo Kang Bin Xu Hehua Wang Xin Zhao Bo Zhang Kai Jiang Shitao Liu Yanbing Tang |
| author_sort | Xin Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Studying immiscible fluid displacement patterns can provide a better understanding of displacement processes within heterogeneous porous media, thereby helping improving oil recovery and optimizing geological CO2 sequestration. As the injection rate of water displacing oil increases and the displacement pattern transits from capillary fingering to viscous fingering, there is a broad crossover zone between the two that can adversely affect the oil displacement efficiency. While previous studies have utilized phase diagrams to investigate the influence of the viscosity ratio and wettability of the crossover zone, fewer have studied the impact of rock heterogeneity. In this study, we created pore network models with varying degrees of heterogeneity to simulate water flooding at different injection rates. Our model quantifies capillary and viscous fingering characteristics while investigating porous media heterogeneity's role in the crossover zone. Analysis of simulation results reveals that a higher characteristic front flow rate within the crossover zone leads to earlier breakthrough and reduced displacement efficiency. Increased heterogeneity in the porous media raises injection-site pressure, lowers water saturation, and elevates the characteristic front flow rate, thereby expanding the extent of crossover zone. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-14405408450648ca80cbe62292b23c69 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-7592 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energy Geoscience |
| spelling | doaj-art-14405408450648ca80cbe62292b23c692025-01-30T05:15:05ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Energy Geoscience2666-75922025-03-0161100362Quantifying the crossover from capillary fingering to viscous fingering in heterogeneous porous mediaXin Yang0Xingfu Li1Bo Kang2Bin Xu3Hehua Wang4Xin Zhao5Bo Zhang6Kai Jiang7Shitao Liu8Yanbing Tang9China Zhenhua Oil Co., Ltd, Beijing, 100000, China; Chengdu Northern Petroleum Exploration and Development Technology Co. Ltd., Chengdu, 610000, Sichuan, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610500, China; Corresponding author.China Zhenhua Oil Co., Ltd, Beijing, 100000, ChinaChengdu Northern Petroleum Exploration and Development Technology Co. Ltd., Chengdu, 610000, Sichuan, ChinaChengdu Northern Petroleum Exploration and Development Technology Co. Ltd., Chengdu, 610000, Sichuan, ChinaChina Zhenhua Oil Co., Ltd, Beijing, 100000, China; Chengdu Northern Petroleum Exploration and Development Technology Co. Ltd., Chengdu, 610000, Sichuan, ChinaChina Zhenhua Oil Co., Ltd, Beijing, 100000, ChinaChengdu Northern Petroleum Exploration and Development Technology Co. Ltd., Chengdu, 610000, Sichuan, ChinaResearch Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development (RIPED), PetroChina, Beijing, 100083, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610500, ChinaStudying immiscible fluid displacement patterns can provide a better understanding of displacement processes within heterogeneous porous media, thereby helping improving oil recovery and optimizing geological CO2 sequestration. As the injection rate of water displacing oil increases and the displacement pattern transits from capillary fingering to viscous fingering, there is a broad crossover zone between the two that can adversely affect the oil displacement efficiency. While previous studies have utilized phase diagrams to investigate the influence of the viscosity ratio and wettability of the crossover zone, fewer have studied the impact of rock heterogeneity. In this study, we created pore network models with varying degrees of heterogeneity to simulate water flooding at different injection rates. Our model quantifies capillary and viscous fingering characteristics while investigating porous media heterogeneity's role in the crossover zone. Analysis of simulation results reveals that a higher characteristic front flow rate within the crossover zone leads to earlier breakthrough and reduced displacement efficiency. Increased heterogeneity in the porous media raises injection-site pressure, lowers water saturation, and elevates the characteristic front flow rate, thereby expanding the extent of crossover zone.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666759224000775Immiscible displacementHeterogeneous porous mediaCapillary fingeringViscous fingeringPore network model |
| spellingShingle | Xin Yang Xingfu Li Bo Kang Bin Xu Hehua Wang Xin Zhao Bo Zhang Kai Jiang Shitao Liu Yanbing Tang Quantifying the crossover from capillary fingering to viscous fingering in heterogeneous porous media Energy Geoscience Immiscible displacement Heterogeneous porous media Capillary fingering Viscous fingering Pore network model |
| title | Quantifying the crossover from capillary fingering to viscous fingering in heterogeneous porous media |
| title_full | Quantifying the crossover from capillary fingering to viscous fingering in heterogeneous porous media |
| title_fullStr | Quantifying the crossover from capillary fingering to viscous fingering in heterogeneous porous media |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantifying the crossover from capillary fingering to viscous fingering in heterogeneous porous media |
| title_short | Quantifying the crossover from capillary fingering to viscous fingering in heterogeneous porous media |
| title_sort | quantifying the crossover from capillary fingering to viscous fingering in heterogeneous porous media |
| topic | Immiscible displacement Heterogeneous porous media Capillary fingering Viscous fingering Pore network model |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666759224000775 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xinyang quantifyingthecrossoverfromcapillaryfingeringtoviscousfingeringinheterogeneousporousmedia AT xingfuli quantifyingthecrossoverfromcapillaryfingeringtoviscousfingeringinheterogeneousporousmedia AT bokang quantifyingthecrossoverfromcapillaryfingeringtoviscousfingeringinheterogeneousporousmedia AT binxu quantifyingthecrossoverfromcapillaryfingeringtoviscousfingeringinheterogeneousporousmedia AT hehuawang quantifyingthecrossoverfromcapillaryfingeringtoviscousfingeringinheterogeneousporousmedia AT xinzhao quantifyingthecrossoverfromcapillaryfingeringtoviscousfingeringinheterogeneousporousmedia AT bozhang quantifyingthecrossoverfromcapillaryfingeringtoviscousfingeringinheterogeneousporousmedia AT kaijiang quantifyingthecrossoverfromcapillaryfingeringtoviscousfingeringinheterogeneousporousmedia AT shitaoliu quantifyingthecrossoverfromcapillaryfingeringtoviscousfingeringinheterogeneousporousmedia AT yanbingtang quantifyingthecrossoverfromcapillaryfingeringtoviscousfingeringinheterogeneousporousmedia |