INTERNATIONAL SERIES IN PHYSICS P-K.RICHETAAYER, Coneing ache on Goudemi—Aroue Baan Br Trrnoorerion ro Feneowacner Cenkon ant Morse Quasren Macaanice Carte tuacrnens Mncnommeetre ‘ovey—Cavann Srascrony ano Tow Arras [Bondo hnsurme axe Vacron Macassice Herby ond Povin oe Pnoesrana oF Orvce arn nog —Barninea Aron Pon Mage and Dury -Poronsrnse PHENOMENA ene Femoneerns Pancrase oF Gono Kotte "on Passe or Bozcenoe TOE ar Pam Hoon Fas rnoeon Pealngond Gouda Sener 7 Lae Srecets ‘Boumjerternoneeron ro Monee Past Bork and UreyAvous, MOLECULES AND Quan ‘Blac nd Frenk—“Tsoneren Poon ‘Whi twreownenon 70 Aton BaCrAA ‘WaiameMaswric Praxonss THE FLOW OF HOMOGENEOUS FLUIDS” THROUGH POROUS MEDIA M. MUSKAT, Pu. def lee ear eyousancae hy RD. WYCKOFF, BS. w EE, J. W. EDWARDS, Inc. -1= ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN 1946PREFACE eal book it x cure tomary for the author to point out that the avilable texts or wenties do not cover or stras the partioular features of the subject that he emphasise or do not trea the mibjet from the ‘ame point of view. In the present ase, however, the situation in quite revert. The Geld hasbeen a wide open one, for prac tical purposes untouched by the literary efforts of thowe writing books for either exleiate natrietion ut industrial consumption ‘Even a this work is completed, no comprehensive elementary treatments of the flow of homogeneous Auidy through porous ‘media are avilable to which one might refer ax an introduction to the more advanced developments of the subjects nor are there any collected advanced disussons of any complelenea ‘requiring a more elementary introductory exposition a back: sround for the understanding of the more dicult probleme of interest, Infact, the (tality of summarized treatment ofthe flow of homogeneous fuids in porous medin given heretofore in book form consists in single chapters devoted to the subject in “Hydraulik"” by Ph. Forchbeimer and." Wasserbeuliche ‘Stromungslehre” by P. Nemenyi, and the recently published book “Grundwanserstromung” (1996) by Ro Dacher. In none of these, however, are problems of compressible liquide ot fares dincuned, while the teatrente of incompresible iguids ‘re brief and include only some of the cares presented in Chap TV and VI of this book. view of thin situation, it han need bos o make the present work as complete as posible. However, no attempt hes been rade simply to direuer every problem of uid flow. Teather the purpose has been to tret all pica probleme that are of ome practical interest Particular atrot bas been laid upon the llustration of the various analytical methods available for tolving flow probleme, and in sme eases this has been casted ‘ut af the deliberate expense of brevity, which might have been Attained by the use of a method already ilurated by another¥ peerace robles, In fac, fom an anlytioal point of view, the whole of Prt If might be summerized under the heading “Exercises in Potential Theory ‘With repect to the physieal significance of the problems tronted in this work, they are admittedly in many caso intrest only in the oil or gaa industetn. However, iis believed that & fontiderable part of the dseusion shouldbe applicable to the tudy of bydrelogieal questions, isgation, and dam-construction problems, and to problems invving fuid Row through refrac tories end ceramic materials Although no detailed enginocring discussions of auch applications are given in the text, and no fttempt as been mace to sgregnte the problems with reqpect Uo ‘thee interest n the lds of production, hydrology, izgation, fete, references to these related elds are indicated wherever pertinent. On the other bend, no pretense is mado of solving ‘what ix relly the fundamental pirical problem in most actual ‘ases of oil praduetion, namely, the nature of the flow of gail irises through porous media, ‘This problem ie one in the flow of Adergencous fide through porous media, while the ope of thir work ie explicitly limited to that of the flow of Homogeneous fide, However, as explained in detail n te ext, ‘tin fel that there is nevertheles «considerable rango of spplcn bility to real oil-production problems of ansltical results derived from a homogencour-uid theory, and indeed they ‘nay well find atl wider application in the future es advanced production methods become more common and more effeient ‘he is made of th posits of "Thi bok bas not been written it ten prepared exclusively for reference purposes & thorou Knowledge ofthe calcul and some faanty with the elements of diferential equations are presupposed in the developments beyond Chap. Although ho reasonably trsctabe problems have been excluded simply beeause of the complexity of the aly, allthoce requiring special methods have been discussed in considerable detail. Th fact, the trestments have been given swith suc detail as it was lt wl clearly lustre the analytical Content of the method of saltion at well at the physical sig- rifesnee of the problem. Tadeed, i i hoped that the reader ‘who goes through the analytical sections wil nd no difeulty in solving for himoel other problems of simailar nature that may r ‘occur to him. On the other hand, for thse who are intersted ‘sventially in the results and do not eare to fllow the snalyiel ‘lerivatione, extended noamathematicel summaries have been appended to each chapter, except the fist two, giving the Dhywiea content of tho various problems discussed and. the salient features ofthe solutions dexived theoretically. Moreover ‘complete Ist of the quantitative reults deived in the text, in forma or graphical frm, ie given in the lark appendix to the ook "The material trend in the text scemed to Sad a naturel subdivision into four parts. In the fst, esentilly nonmathe- matical, are developed the foundations and background for the Inter detailed analytical teeatmenta. ‘The experimental bass for the fundamental laws of ow of homogeneous Fuids through porous media is presented, and the technique is decribed for Aletermining. the basic dynamical constant characterising ® porous medium asthe cutie of homogeneous Mid, namely, i permeability. ‘The empivial laws are then formulated generally Into the three parti diferential equations whieh form. the Starting pointe forthe analysis of the other three parts. The xt part the most extended of al, treats problems of fui ow in the stendy state, the compresibiity of the iquids being formally neglected in the sense that the fundamental dependent variable gatisfying Laplace's equation iv taken av the pressure rather than the density, Potentil-theory methods are then ‘ppl uecesively forthe solution of two-dimensional problems, {howe of thee dimensions, eavity-fiow systems, thse in which rm permeability, ayrtema Involving two homogeneous lds, std- nally multipe-well, fm In reveal enson actual experiments with mand and tleetrial mlodes, performed to give results Tor eases where the snalysis becomes impractical, are described and discused, Part IIT gives ina single chapter the treatment of typial eases ofthe non-stady-stae flow of liquids, as based upon the Fourier Teat-eonduetion equation in the Aid density. The closing Par 1V, also a single chapter, is intended to give the solutions for typien eas of ets flow, though here the analysis for the unsteady state is only approximate owing to the dificlty of obtaining exact solutions to the base diferental equation, "No pretense it mae thatthe discussions of Pare IIT and TV exhaustthewe phate of Use nabject, Rather, ae explained in detail in the text, the approximations of the steady state are well Hale in mont ces of prneticl interet, #0 that the non eady-state soltions have been Iited to those problems whieh {at present definitely havo some practi! signifeanee Although no clsim it made Tor any orignal in the methods of solution presnted in this work—for they are all wellknown ‘developments of potential theory and Ue theory of emt on- ‘lution large part of the actual analysis has been taken from published papers of the author and bis colleagues, and helt reports written forthe Gulf Research & Development Company ‘ring the lasts years, or (rom derivations prepared for the purpose of this book. For, despite the fact that as Tong agp == 800 C. 5, Slichter ins clamial paper pointed out Ubat Datey'« fundamental law immediately led to the Laplace equation for the prewure ditsibution in a porous medium and. gave the sclations for several speiGe examples, the literature, unl very feeently, bas been practically baren of extensiona or develop- nents of this fundamental work, Rerhaps the moet notable ‘ceptions are the significant papers of Hopt and Tres, Weave are, and Wederikow discuaed in Secs 6 2,411, 63, 68, and 169, and veveral papers of Koseny and Dachler- The published bapers of most other ealer investigator of the problems of fiid flow though porous media have dealt with experimental stu, in particular the relation ofthe permenblty tothe grain ‘ruetite of a porous medium. Tis deep pleanuse to acknowledge the help and encourage rent of the many prople who have made the work. possible First among thest fe R. D, Wyckoff of the Gulf Revearch & Development Company, with whom the author had the privilege of working from 1891 to 1996 while the major part of the man= feript was being written, In fat, this book as orginally begun fn joit undertaking with Mr, Wyre, and Ss plan and meh ‘ofthe material were outined jointly. However, the pressure of hi other work forced him to withdraw from the original program, although he very generoualy aid take the time to write the fist fhapter. Tn addition, Mr. Wyckoff actually eolaborated with the author diretly in the study of many of the problems treated in this book, and practically all of Ubem were dieussed ‘daring the 634 years he was Chief of the Physics Division of thie Laboratory, For his frat introduetion to the subject of this book the author is indebted to Dr. AB: Rue formerly Of thin Laboratory. ‘The other members of this Laboratory who have worked on the flow offi through porous media, Mess. H. G. Bott, W. N. Arnquist, D. W. Reed, and M. W. Mere, have also been of invenble ai to the author throughout the preperstion of ‘this manuscript in cavtying his ideas and making seful sug- teatons. Many of the dncamine are the revult of Mr, Botts Fesearches of of joint investigations of Mr, Botse with the Author or other members of the Laboratory. And Mr, Mores hs been most helpful in carrying through the numerical sl- calations for more af the quantitative solutions prevented in the ‘work, ne well a in making ll che drawing, "The mile of this work woul, however have orn imposible ‘without the constant sistance and encouragement of Dr. Paul D. Foote, Executive Vier President of the Gulf Research & Development. Company. Both his diacusions of specie pliyicel problems of fuld flow and ereisms ofthe plan of the book have contributed greatly to whatever meri it may have And in edition to giving him the Treedom for working on this book he ar geerounly provided the author with complete senographie service—excellently performed by Mrs. H. B. CCrouseand printing fale, exeeuted in expert mannee by Mears C. G. Heim and W. 5. Jones all of this Laboratory For carrying through ina most painstaking and thorough manner the tedious tase of proofending, the sithor ie grateful {o Miss FB. Metager, brain of the Laboratory, who alo ‘every belpfl in seuting te wide variety of reference volumer ecennry Tor thoroughly covering the published literature of the subject of this hook. Finally appreciation ix extended to the many ether members of this Laboratory hone Kind interes ‘and varied auistance on many oeranione made the writing of thie bok a most pleasant experience Monaie Monat "Sent,Dances Lis aso sie Maseeswens or va Ps CONTENTS PART I, FOUNDATIONS (CHAPTER 1 TLE Beope of Sbjct 13. Homogsorin ie ‘owes Mode 4. Gener! Qualicalose Governing th Anil Ther ‘The Nera Porm Sei 1 yates Pain of Speen ‘ 2 ‘he Peking of Nataral Mater Compuctinn af and and Grae Compaction i Cay. Lat Kid Re a Thi Pid ering Proprio & 12 Stare ef Rok tnt Undyonnd Py © 22 Lia Stine, PadeTherOoerae an Mian) od ee og 3. Water Content ot icone Sue Btinenia =| 30 lt Movements he Canary Zoe > "Fd Movemcns tlw the Watt Tia Th Bice 116, Paid Movemeteiw tn Wate Fab, “Tie Depa 38 Lis, The Onereee f Comace Wate ° in. The brain of Cote Water S UA. The inte of Compctiono Siento Migration ot oy “ 22. The Oi of Gas Os & 28: The Sore af PalennCu nd & UAC The Migration Accumulation o at ad Oa *% uarreR 1 LL Dery’ Law 22 The Rann of Vaiiy ot Deroy Laexiv conrenrs ‘oranda 28. The Ponapiof he Math of Meturennt ano ‘ata of he Pons 8 Pore Ma 78 24, The Mustemet ofthe Femeahis 8 Unni 27, ‘Th Goer Tein it Femail Detemintn ‘Conanted Pos Media 25, Per Dea for Pormenity Nousiemenis wit ‘amie 29, rarer Det fr Penalty Mewaropeat wth ame 20, Com vrce isso Pema Marrone 422 Typeal Ferma Vee 218, Parnty Msurements ‘CHAPTER 111 rman Trpenransns Bavaro rom one Foes oF Fase SE. The Clea! Hydradynamien rg 35, Genmiand Form of Dre Lam id BE ‘The Hnaatns f Maton i 435. Booey and Tit Condition i 437 Ober Croanae Seems a Ak Bimmary F PART Il. STEADY-STATE FLOW OF LIQUIDS couaPrER ‘Teo-nmnsowat Feow Paostsws sno Porwrtaoupony Mertone 149 12 The Ral ow ito» Wa ie 1 Peter Sener is UE. Amarr Pree Dtbutan over be Bourdon” 168 LN The ioe betwen Nontonentne Crear Bondar, “Gres Paneton ry 4.7. Tan Fio tom Tait ine Boro ite « Wal.” Te Tage Dvn The eto images Ms ‘rae Faw toma inte Line Sues nts on Tne Send “Tue Mata ef Conga Fonctone Po ‘ToeFlewpm Pate Lae Boren a Wal.” Conjgnte- cores ~ "ho Set Pig wm 4.11 The Uplie Proware on Dam with Sha ing reed, "Po ohare Cartons Tar us 4.12 The Sepege Fi undor Du of ted to Wath No Sheet Ping lite fetionTraformaine 208 4.13 Te Seepage Flt under Dame of Extended Bas With het Pang Prost as 4.14 The Sepa Foe underoath Cite Dae zi 8 Aneto Bela 2s {0 Gtr Peta tinory Renita Gre’ Rcprocatin {G17 Appoints and Nomuniyle Metode of Saving Te “imensnel Fw Probie Pn 4.18 Saar mM CHAPTER AL Intodscton 52. Sper Foe Ed Milly Petning Wie.” Poiesl Distibutone ed m TSK The Prodetion Caputin of Prally Penetrating TAL ParulyPeomnting Wee Anaotepc Sand 58. Simmary (82, Tie Diinge ofa pig Sand. THe Problem of Hope a, The Trmtment of TeodimenooelGrvity-ow Bytes Boundaries (4 mice th Da ith Vata Pai (5. Namen! Appatince a A, The Sindy of Grp tow Bane by Maa of Bate el a 107, some Bunt Solution of apie’ Banton Approprinte “Gravy. Ste. 4 mie ee Wr Co ih i Ba (a, The Segue of Water om Can of Onto to Sand (aderian by Highly Permebie Cre Ho at Sion Bette a0 410. An Approsisne Tear o ihe Sepa of Wate inoue "bum mith ping Pest anSears or Nowosona Pesta corer ‘41, Steage Steams from Casals and Dees Wich Meee!" rt Salo Water Tblee “ (012, The Approve Teta of Bone Iigation adr 1a. sutimgeean i 16 The Prete of Waiting ae 1, The Bron Prob in (G18 Sandon! Experiments with Towedinnsoa! Cay: ow Sete ts 2 ae "Reponiate Foal "Tery of the Pat thigh 621. Seman 385 ccuarren vu TR Cantino Varatins othe Ferme 78 Dimestinuus Rial Vea ee Pome TA. Adjont Baie of Bierce Permetly. Fe Flow i 15. outed Limetoe Face tea a 2 The Tory of te eid Trexenet of Listane Weta | ad 422. The lifer ofA eso is Rai Stee red TH The Efe! of Ae reat Mg Paste nc 29. Parily Peotring Wits in Said Tito | 18 10, Tha bet o's Bel Line o the Potton Cpa 52, Blewett Gn te id Fr 83. Linea Broroehmn oe ‘Sistem in Hogi 188. The Ett of Gravy on the Shap of be ic aching Interface co 9. Th Ett the’ Diane in Viney ten ie hid once‘ Se tn Ite - conrenes wi 10, Water Coning; Phyical Bass of the Theory ie {GIL Anaya Devoapment. a {412 The Supprenion of Water Coin by Bate Lane. 06 ‘CHAPTER 1x Muxausenaes Seermen so Battin, oo 2 Stal Crops of Wot,” Gaoeal Tiny 0 23 Bangle sn 54 The Dependence oh rotina Capacity on the Namie 25. The Prowire Datebaton or the Hsia Bova 25. Sia Grape of Wels ppd by an Infinite Line Dive 821 8: Ine Sor of Walaa Lie aye, o 8 ThePremire Dutton aosta nite Avy of Wie “woe Aree Shing Bets = 210, Threwine Ara 50 1 Staggered Wala se Amoe oo 313, Sagieline Otto os SC Malti Obmtting 2 17 The Progrew of the ‘Water iivaoe— Heist ‘node Esperineate sat (948, Mol Bxperimants wih Le Pode oe 10 Buprinentn Coropondig to Artal Fong Opes a 2 Atlgucl Caeatos ofthe Const of Fading ‘etwonk "General Method 0 ita he Diet Line Poot. i ivf he Fiveapot Fan Ses 538 The Contactint ofthe Serenapet Fen i {38 The Contact ofthe Staged Line Drive, PA bar. The Causation sf Powting Beene 503 26 The key of tha Dirt Lined Food ow 2. The Kineapotoad Eases oo 950. The Rayo he Seve opt ld oor 31 The Licey of he Stagg Line dive Ford Bs 132 Geer! Obwivaton on Foding Networks = 533, Comparnn af tn ining Neteonte =PART IL THE NONSTRADY-STATE FLOWOF LIQUDS: cuarren x i “Tux Fu oF Conrnasnn Laci tanovon Ponoos Meta... 881 02 Radial Fow “Shai, ‘Some Prctmiary Ante Formal ew 103. Rada Sytem in’ Whi the Dua Jn Speed ver ‘Both Hovdase, on 14, Profarton Belin ina Fi Pode by « Water Drive 105, Tye Linitng Cue of Vani Inter ion on 108, The Rawat the Hotioncele Pree, Cen Wel 610 15, Raia yes a We he Dea To peel oer Ove cary an he Pox over the Other ox nso, A Wt Init Ra oe IRM: Rana Sac in Wh te Px a Spc oar Bath ‘oda oss 134 Nona Flow” Wall nterternce Gree’ Psion. 86 Tnvoling te Nerteiyatte Fe of Conprenbie rus trneh Pro Moa 1016, Summary ‘0 PART IN, THE FLOW OF GASES THROUGH POROUS MEDIA “Tne Fuow or Gases runovont Powe MaDe oe 114. The Bendgrtte iow of Gare. Leas Systeme oo 11. Twosdinenesl Sto nthe Stor State a S14 ‘cdi tna ny ne ie est 184, tie Stine Horo Gis vin Sto Nn TR Giro Ration n Pron Maia Caring Ga and OM ae 5 2 rieatng Gan anc 8 Pann conrkers 110, Get Rati for Kon Commanietng Ge and Oi Senda 692 TL The te ofthe Te 112 Gat Cong i Tube ee UA8 Mtpieel Systeme 114 The Nonny inte Paw of Gane thoy Param Mein 118 A'Cend Gas evr Dated fy = Wel Peds 1116 4 Gi i Dine hy» Pricing a the Gav Rar 1 bartac's Egouron x Courant Cooninares LI. Sue Fwo- mansions Guusws Fewerone IV. Tae Tauweronusri Povaavis OF we Mobtuan Busse TFenenon tg) oe" \. Pyoor or tn Gevansitto Poueon Fomweus. ba 6408) VIC Panett orm Scere eamnnurre moins Devons ‘a Taos Wns Ponwoua tm Gnarmcse Pons ERRATUM (On page 549, tne 10, read: “hasbeen seen for “hes se nm raPART I FOUNDATIONSCHAPTER I py RD. Wreeos INTRODUCTION 44.Seope of Subject—The subject iter of this treatise, the flow of homogeneous fide through porous medi, while distinctly limited by the qualieations “homogeneous” and porous,” is nevertheless puiently wide in scope vo Bnd spe ration in many branches of applied science. In auch Belds as sround-water hydrology, encompassing the provision and maine tenance of wate supple, iiation, and drainage probleme and petroleum engineering, involving the production of gus and ol from thelr underground reervoin, the aplleations are evidently of base importance. Equally important are ap serie probletn encountered in fil engineering, agri gineering, and many industries, ‘Thus the fasion of ude through ceramic materiale a ick and porosearthene ware has long been a problem of the ceramie industry, and the flow of ga through molding sand a problem of the Foundry. ‘The constriction of fterbedefor uncial wateraystemrand te ‘qwestion of water sepage through, around, and beneath dams, earthen reservoirs, und the ike, have been important phases of ‘vil engineering for which satisfactory diteasons have been svailble only within the Inst few years The aientie teat- ‘ment ofthe problems of irsgation, so rosin, and ile drinage though stl open to further development, ean be considered trendy as a welkenabished branch of the general tory of the flow of fide through porous media. ‘The draining of artesian basins by deep wells of of rivers and canals By wells contiguous thereto iv x problem inthe fow of igide through porous rok for wands, as isthe general subject of groundwater hydrology. ‘nd, ofcourse the whole physical probem ofthe production of ‘il and gas from underground soures is nothing more than that Of Suid ow through porous media 3