The impact of capillary backpressure on spontaneous counter-current imbibition in porous media
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Foley, AY
Nooruddin, HA
Blunt, MJ
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We investigate the impact of capillary backpressure on spontaneous counter-current imbibition. For such displacements in strongly water-wet systems, the non-wetting phase is forced out through the inlet boundary as the wetting phase imbibes into the rock, creating a finite capillary backpressure. Under the assumption that capillary backpressure depends on the water saturation applied at the inlet boundary of the porous medium, its impact is determined using the continuum modelling approach by varying the imposed inlet saturation in the analytical solution.
We present analytical solutions for the one-dimensional incompressible horizontal displacement of a non-wetting phase by a wetting phase in a porous medium. There exists an inlet saturation value above which any change in capillary backpressure has a negligible impact on the solutions. Above this threshold value, imbibition rates and front positions are largely invariant. A method for identifying this inlet saturation is proposed using an analytical procedure and we explore how varying multiphase flow properties affects the analytical solutions and this threshold saturation. We show the value of this analytical approach through the analysis of previously published experimental data.
We present analytical solutions for the one-dimensional incompressible horizontal displacement of a non-wetting phase by a wetting phase in a porous medium. There exists an inlet saturation value above which any change in capillary backpressure has a negligible impact on the solutions. Above this threshold value, imbibition rates and front positions are largely invariant. A method for identifying this inlet saturation is proposed using an analytical procedure and we explore how varying multiphase flow properties affects the analytical solutions and this threshold saturation. We show the value of this analytical approach through the analysis of previously published experimental data.
Date Issued
2017-04-21
Date Acceptance
2017-04-14
Citation
ADVANCES IN WATER RESOURCES, 2017, 107, pp.405-420
ISSN
0309-1708
Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
Start Page
405
End Page
420
Journal / Book Title
ADVANCES IN WATER RESOURCES
Volume
107
Copyright Statement
© 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
This is an open access article under the CC BY license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
This is an open access article under the CC BY license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000410674200030&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Water Resources
EXACT INTEGRAL SOLUTIONS
2-PHASE FLOW
PRESSURE
OIL
EQUATION
0905 Civil Engineering
0907 Environmental Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Publication Status
Published