Experimental investigation of the effect of temperature on two-phase oil-water relative permeability.

Balogun, Yakubu; Iyi, Draco; Faisal, Nadimul; Oyeneyin, Babs; Oluyemi, Gbenga; Mahon, Ruissein

Abstract

Relative permeability is affected by several flow parameters, mainly the operating temperature and fluid viscosity. Fluid viscosities change with temperature, which correspondingly affects the relative permeability. Temperature is believed to have a considerable effect on oil–water relative permeability, thus a vital input parameter in petroleum reservoir production modelling. The actual effect of temperature on oil-water relative permeability curves has been a subject of debate within the scientific community. The literature shows contradictory experimental and numerical results concerning the effect of temperature on oil-water relative permeability. This work investigates the effect of temperature on oil-water relative permeability using well-sorted unconsolidated silica sandpacks, by adopting the unsteady-state relative permeability method, and by applying numerical history matching technique. The series of experiments were conducted at different temperatures of 40, 60, and 80 °C under three levels of injection flow rate (0.0083, 0.0125, 0.0167 cm3/s) for two different oil samples. The findings show that oil-water relative permeability is a function of temperature, water injection flow rate and oil viscosity. Generally, the profile of oil and water relative permeability curve changes with varying temperature, oil viscosity and water injection flow rate at the same operating condition.

Citation

BALOGUN, Y., IYI, D., FAISAL, N., OYENEYIN, B., OLUYEMI, G. and MAHON, R. 2021. Experimental investigation of the effect of temperature on two-phase oil-water relative permeability. Journal of petroleum science and engineering [online], 203, article ID 108645. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2021.108645

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 3, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Mar 14, 2021
• Publication Date: Aug 31, 2021
• Deposit Date: Mar 22, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 15, 2022
• Journal: Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering
• Print ISSN: 0920-4105
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-4715
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 203
• Article Number: 108645
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2021.108645
• Keywords: Multiphase flow; Relative permeability; Temperature; Porous media flow; Empirical model; History matching
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1269746
• Related Public URLs: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1299808