Immiscible Phases

Earlier discussions have considered only a single fluid in the pores porosity permeability Saturation: fraction of pore space occupied by a particular fluid (immiscible phases) Sw+So+Sg=1 When more than a single phase is present, the fluids interact with the rock, and with each other

DEFINITION OF INTERFACIAL TENSION

Interfacial (boundary) tension is the energy per unit area (force per unit distance) at the

surface between phases

Commonly expressed in milliNewtons/meter (also, dynes/cm)

DEFINITION OF WETTABILITY
Wettability is the tendency of one fluid to spread on or adhere to a solid surface in the presence of other immiscible fluids.

Wettability refers to interaction between fluid and solid phases.

Reservoir rocks (sandstone, limestone,

dolomite, etc.) are the solid surfaces

Oil, water, and/or gas are the fluids

DEFINITION OF ADHESION TENSION

Adhesion tension is expressed as the
difference between two solid-fluid

interfacial tensions.

AT os ws ow cos
A negative adhesion tension indicates that the denser phase (water) preferentially wets the solid surface (and vice versa). An adhesion tension of 0 indicates that both phases have equal affinity for the solid surface

CONTACT ANGLE
Oil

ow
Oil Water Oil

os
Solid

ws

os
The contact angle, , measured through the denser liquid phase, defines which fluid wets the solid surface.

AT = adhesion tension, milli-Newtons/m or dynes/cm)

= contact angle between the oil/water/solid interface measured through the water, degrees os = interfacial energy between the oil and solid, milli-Newtons/m or dynes/cm ws = interfacial energy between the water and solid, milli-Newtons/m or dynes/cm ow = interfacial energy (interfacial tension) between the oil and water, milli-Newtons/m or dynes/cm

OIL-WET RESERVOIR ROCK

Reservoir rock is oil-wet if oil preferentially wets the rock surfaces. The rock is oil-wet under the following conditions: os > ws AT > 0 (i.e., the adhesion tension is positive) 90 < < 180 If is close to 180, the rock is considered to be strongly oil-wet

OIL-WET ROCK
ow
Water

Oil

os

ws

os Solid

90 < < 180

The adhesion tension between water and the rock surface is less than that between oil and the rock surface.

WATER-WET
Air

OIL-WET

Oil

OIL

OIL

< 90

WATER
WATER WATER

> 90

WATER

SOLID (ROCK)

SOLID (ROCK)

FREE WATER

OIL
GRAIN GRAIN

OIL RIM
BOUND WATER FREE WATER
Ayers, 2001

WATER-WET
Air

OIL-WET
Oil

WATER

WATER

WETTABILITY CLASSIFICATION
Strongly oil- or water-wetting
Neutral wettability no preferential wettability to either water or oil in the pores Fractional wettability reservoir that has local areas that are strongly oil-wet, whereas most of the reservoir is strongly water-wet - Occurs where reservoir rock have variable mineral composition and surface chemistry Mixed wettability smaller pores area water-wet are filled with water, whereas larger pores are oil-wet and filled with oil - Residual oil saturation is low - Occurs where oil with polar organic compounds invades a water-wet rock saturated with brine

IMBIBITION
Imbibition is a fluid flow process in which the saturation of the wetting phase increases and the nonwetting phase saturation decreases. (e.g., waterflood of an
oil reservoir that is water-wet).

Mobility of wetting phase increases as wetting phase saturation increases

mobility is the fraction of total flow capacity for a particular phase

WATER-WET
Air

OIL-WET

Oil

OIL

OIL

< 90

WATER
WATER WATER

> 90

WATER

SOLID (ROCK)

SOLID (ROCK)

FREE WATER

OIL
GRAIN GRAIN

OIL RIM
BOUND WATER FREE WATER
Ayers, 2001