Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Modeling The Relative Permeability Relationship in A Tar Sand Formation
Modeling The Relative Permeability Relationship in A Tar Sand Formation
o
=Viscosity of oil, cp
h =Thickness of a grid block, ft
k
ro
=Relative permeability to oil
o
=Density of oil, lbmol/cu.ft
P
w
=Wellbore pressure, psia
= Productivity index constant
From the oil production rate equation, input of different values of K
ro
, will give different values of q
o
in a particular
reservoir. Therefore, the relationship between K
ro
and q
o
can be established.
2.3 Capillary Pressure Model
The capillary pressure shows the pressure at which complete vaporization of oil and water will occur. It is a function of
S
w
, S
g
and S
we
. This relationship is expressed as:
For gas/oil:
International Journal of Application or Innovation in Engineering& Management (IJAIEM)
Web Site: www.ijaiem.org Email: editor@ijaiem.org
Volume 3, Issue 6, June 2014 ISSN 2319 - 4847
Volume 3, Issue 6, June 2014 Page 60
(9)
Where
P
cg
=Gas/Oil Capillary pressure, psia
C
G
=Gas constant
For oil/water:
(10)
Where
P
cw
=Oil/Water Capillary pressure, psia
C
W
=Water constant
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The model is validated using the data from the Ugnu field, Alaska [5] shown in the table below.
Table 1: Reservoir Rock and Fluid Properties Data [5]
Properties Values
Net Thickness, ft 500
Porosity, % 22
Permeability, md 77
Oil gravity,
o
API 24
Reservoir Temperature,
o
F 175
Reservoir Pressure, psia 110
Oil Viscosity, cp 0.6
Water Viscosity, cp 0.8
The assumed fluid saturations to which the model is adapted are given in the table below.
Table 2: Reservoir fluid saturations
S.No Oil Gas Water
1 0.38 0.10 0.52
2 0.40 0.12 0.48
3 0.42 0.14 0.44
4 0.44 0.16 0.40
5 0.46 0.17 0.37
6 0.49 0.18 0.33
These parameters are substituted into the model equations. The results of the computations obtained from the model
program written in a QBASIC code are illustrated in the figures below. From the results shown, the relative
permeabilities to the respective fluids are observed to vary largely with the fluid saturations. The corresponding influence
of this on the fluid flow rates is also observed.
Figure 1 Variation of Relative permeability to oil (K
ro
) with water saturation (S
w
)
International Journal of Application or Innovation in Engineering& Management (IJAIEM)
Web Site: www.ijaiem.org Email: editor@ijaiem.org
Volume 3, Issue 6, June 2014 ISSN 2319 - 4847
Volume 3, Issue 6, June 2014 Page 61
Figure 2 Variation of Relative permeability to oil (K
ro
) with Gas saturation (S
g
)
Figure 3 Variation of Relative permeability to water (K
rw
10
-5
) with water saturation (S
w
)
From the results shown, the relative permeabilities to the respective fluids are observed to vary largely with the fluid
saturations. The corresponding influence of this on the fluid flow rates is also observed in the figures below.
Figure 4 Variation of Oil production rate (q
o
) with the relative permeability to oil (K
ro
)
Figure 5 Variation of Water production rate (q
w
) with the relative permeability to water (K
rw
)
International Journal of Application or Innovation in Engineering& Management (IJAIEM)
Web Site: www.ijaiem.org Email: editor@ijaiem.org
Volume 3, Issue 6, June 2014 ISSN 2319 - 4847
Volume 3, Issue 6, June 2014 Page 62
Figures 4 and 5 reveal the linear relationship existing between the flow rate and the relative permeability to a fluid. As is
expected, as the rocks permeability to a particular fluid increases, a corresponding increase in the flow rate is observed
owing to the fact that the rock, at that particular time, preferentially transmits that fluid.
4 CONCLUSION
The simulation results in this work reveal a great deal of dependence of production rate and relative permeability on the
inherent fluid saturations. It should also be noted that the heterogeneous nature of the tar sand formation lends it to a
great deal of permeability variation not accounted for in the model used. The presence of Asphaltene compounds in the
oil is also known to contribute immensely to this.
REFERENCES
[1] J. Barnea, UNITAR Proposal for the definition of Heavy crude and tar sands and Addendus, Proc. 2
nd
Intl Conf.
on Heavy Crude and Tar sands, United Nations lust for Training and Research, Caraca, 1982.
[2] K.H. Chung, and R.M. Butler, A Theoretical and Experimental Study of SAGD process, Proc. 4
th
UNITAR/UNDP
Intl Conf. on Heavy Crude and Tarsands, Edmonton, Canada, pp.191-210, Aug 7-12, 1988.
[3] P. McGain, Tar Sands (rock asphalt) of Kentucky A review: Kentucky Geological Survey, Ser. 10 report of
Investigations, pp.16-19, 1976.
[4] Adegoke and Omasola, Geotechnical Investigations of the Ondo State Bitumen Sands, Geological Consultancy
Unit, University of Ile-Ife, pp.257, 1980
[5] S. Sinha, Numerical Simulation Study of Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage process in Ugnu Tar Sand Reservoir,
MS Thesis, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Aug. 1992
[6] A.T. Corey, Three Phase Relative Permeability, Trans. AIME, 207, pp.349, 1956.
[7] K.H. Coats, Simulation of Steam Flooding with Distillation and Solution Gas, Soc. Pet. Eng. J., 5, pp.235-247,
Oct. 1976.
[8] J. Ferrer and S.M. Farouq Ali, A Three-Phase, Two-Dimensional, Compositional Thermal Simulator for Steam
Injection Processes, J. Can. Pet. Tech., pp.78-90, Jan-Mar, 1977.
[9] J.H. Abou-Kassem and K. Aziz, Grid Orientation During Steam Displacement, Paper Pres. 6
th
SPE Symposium on
Reservoir Simulation of the Soc. Pet. Eng. of AIME, New Orleans, L.A., Jan.31-Feb.3, 1982.
[10] K.H. Coats, W.D. George, C. Chu, and B.E. Maraum, Three Dimensional Simulation of Steam Flooding, AIME
Trans, 257, pp.573-592, 1974.
[11] R.M. Weinbrandt and H.J.Jr. Ramey, The Effect of Temperature on Relative Permeability of Consolidated Rocks,
Paper SPE 4142 Pres. At the 47
th
SPE-AIME Annual Fall Meeting, San Antonio, Oct. 8-11, 1972.