In situ characterization of immiscible three-phase flow at the pore scale for a water-wet carbonate rock
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Published version
Author(s)
Scanziani, A
Singh, K
Bultreys, T
Bijeljic, B
Blunt, MJ
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
X-ray micro-tomography is used to image the pore-scale configurations of fluid in a rock saturated with three phases - brine, oil and gas - mimicking a subsurface reservoir, at high pressure and temperature. We determine pore occupancy during a displacement sequence that involves waterflooding, gas injection and water re-injection. In the water-wet sample considered, brine occupied the smallest pores, gas the biggest, while oil occupied pores of intermediate size and is displaced by both water and gas. Double displacement events have been observed, where gas displaces oil that displaces water or vice versa. The thickness of water and oil layers have been quantified, as have the contact angles between gas and oil, and oil and water. These results are used to explain the nature of trapping in three-phase flow, specifically how oil preferentially traps gas in the presence of water.
Date Issued
2018-11-01
Date Acceptance
2018-09-14
Citation
Advances in Water Resources, 2018, 121, pp.446-455
ISSN
0309-1708
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
446
End Page
455
Journal / Book Title
Advances in Water Resources
Volume
121
Copyright Statement
©
2018
The
Authors.
Published
by
Elsevier
Ltd.
This
is
an
open
access
article
under
the
CC
BY-NC-ND
license.
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
2018
The
Authors.
Published
by
Elsevier
Ltd.
This
is
an
open
access
article
under
the
CC
BY-NC-ND
license.
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Subjects
0905 Civil Engineering
0907 Environmental Engineering
Environmental Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2018-09-21