SPE Journal
Volume 15, Number 1, March 2010, pp. 160-170

SPE-99505-PA

Experimental Confirmation for Analytical Composition Routes in Three-Phase Partially Miscible Flow

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DOI  More information 10.2118/99505-PA http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/99505-PA

Citation

  • LaForce, T., Cinar, Y., Johns, R.T., and Orr, F.M. Jr. 2010. Experimental Confirmation of Analytical Composition Routes in Three-Phase Partially Miscible Flow. SPE J.  15 (1): 160-170. SPE-99505-PA. doi: 10.2118/99505-PA.

Discipline Categories

  • 6.3.2 Multi-phase Flow
  • 6.3.1 Flow in Porous Media
  • 6.4.2 Gas-Injection Methods
  • 6.4.6 Chemical Flooding Methods Methods (e.g., Polymer, Solvent, Nitrogen, Immiscible CO2, Surfactant, Vapex)

Keywords

  • method of characteristics, conservation laws, three-phase flow, coreflood, multiphase flow experiment

Summary

In this paper, effluent data from laboratory experiments are compared with analytical composition routes and profiles for three-phase partially miscible flow of three-component mixtures. Coreflood experiments were run in vertical glass bead packs to achieve approximately 1D displacements with stable displacement fronts. The displacements employed in this study include modest effects of dispersion, but dispersion does not substantially alter the composition routes.

Analytical composition routes are developed by the method of characteristics (MOC) for 1D, dispersion-free flow where up to three flowing phases may be present. The exponents used in the relative permeability model were obtained by fitting profiles from one drainage (oil injection) and one imbibition (water/alcohol injection) displacement. The resulting parameters were used to construct the analytical solutions for the remaining displacements. Development of the analytical solutions to Riemann problems is outlined.

Different parameters are obtained for the imbibition and drainage experiments, indicating that hysteresis occurs in the experiments. Comparison of the experimental results with the analytical solutions shows that the mathematical model captures the essential features of the experimental displacements. In the cases in which the analytical solutions fail to model accurately the physical displacements, the effects of simplifying assumptions in the model are examined.

© 2009. Society of Petroleum Engineers

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History

  • Original manuscript received: 25 January 2006
  • Meeting paper published: 22 April 2006
  • Revised manuscript received: 17 April 2009
  • Manuscript approved: 21 April 2009
  • Published online: 24 September 2009
  • Version of record: 12 March 2010