. .
Relative Permeability Hysteresis:
Laboratory Measurements and a
Conceptual Model
E.M. Braun, SPE,and R.F.Holland, Exxon Production
Summary
Relative permeability hysteresis has been measured for a water-wet
outcrop rock sample and a mixed-wet reservoir core. For the oil
phase, imbibhion and drainage relative permeability curves differed
significantly. The difference was much less pronounced for the water
~ha=. Scm.rjng ~IAVCS, ~~j~h ch~rmterize transitions between im-
blbhion and drainage curves, were also measured. A notable charac-
teristic of the oil relative permeability scanning curves is theirrevers-
ibility; along most of the length of a scanning curve, oil relative
permeability exhibits no hysteresis. A proposed mechanism for the
reversible behavior is piming of water/oil interfaces on surfaces of
rock grains. Pkmed interfaces remain anchored at fixed positions on
grains despite changes ininterfacecurvature astdcontactangle. In wa-
ter-wet samples, pinning canoccuras aresultof contact-rmglehyster-
esis. In mixed-wet rock, pinning can occur at the boundaries between
water- and oil-wet grain surfaces. As long as interfaces remain
pinned, pore-level fluid geometry is a function of saturation only and
does not depend on the direction of saturation change.
Introduction
Relative permeability curves, which characterize simultaneous
multiphase flow in porous rock, are important in understanding
and predicting the performance of immiscible displacement pro-
cesses in oil and gas reservoirs. Hysteresis in both relative perme-
ability and contact angle has long been recognized.1-3 In the case
of relative permeability, two-phase flow properties of a porous
medium depend on which phase is increasing in saturation. For
contact angle, measured values depend on which phase is advanc-
ing over a solid surface. Numerous studies have reported hystere-
sis data for either relative permeability or contact angle,l-3 but
little work has been done to link the two phenomena. This paper
attempts to make such a linkage by showing that relative perme-
ability data exhibit a hysteresis pattern that would be expected if
fluid geometries are controlled by contact-angle hysteresis.
7?- .L --------
roruw LWUWULGM
~.-- I-. .1..jc+~.,..:n.,~.f~mnt-~b6-rPreln~venerm~ab~l-
uu 3Y SLblll= ,11. -= U5W.- .w. -,---- .-r-----
ity scanning curves, which &scrihe flow whenthediredionof satura-
tionchange is reversed, are shown to be reversible overliitedsatura-
tion ranges. Under these conditions, we propose that contact angles
will change between maximum and minimum values while water/oil
interfaces remain pimed at fixed positions on grain surfaces. As long
as the interfaces remain pinned, changes in fluid geometry are revers-
ible. Q~tsidetherange of reversibllhy, contsctangles are at theirlirnit-
ingvahses, interfaces move along grain surfaces, rmdfluidgeometries
are controlled by processes that result in hysteresis.
Terminology. Processes in porous media that involve decreases in
the saturation of the wetting phase are commonly refetd tri 55
“drainage.” Weusethattermhere torefertodecreases inwatersatura-
tion for a water/oil system regardless of rock nettability. “Primary-
drainage” relative permeability curves are those measured while de-
creasing the water saturation from 100%, while “secondmy-
drainage” curves involve a decrease from the high water saturation
occurring when irnmoblle oil is present.
COPY*t1995ScCbly of PetroleumEr@naers
OriginalSPE manuscript racaived
for mviawOat. 13, 1SS4.Reviaadrnanuacriptraca!md
Juna 5, 1SS5.Paper paarqpmwd Jurw6, 1S95.Papw(SPESSS15) firatprwantedattha
1SS4SPE AnnualTachnicalCaniaranca and Exhibition,NW Orbana, SapS.S6-SS.
222
Research Co.
J2W”5
~~r—u:l-:.:.-..~~
llllUIUIUU1l
:“ ,.,-.---” ,, IC.fi tn
la WJ,,W1”.UJ 1 1.”” ”...-d~note
..-. an i~c~me in the wet-
ting-phase saturation. We use the term “imbibition relative permea-
bility” without regard for wettabllity to refer to those measurements
obtained with water saturation increasing from an irreducible value,
such as that established by centrifuging or oilfloodhg.
“Scdng curve” is used to refer to those portions of relative
-.=-kww t-i~
pa....-””.+, ,..” thm
“...WPC -------- ––. ~ and imbibition curves when
link drai~aee
the direction of saturation change is reversed at an intermexhate satu-
ration. For example, if an imbibition process is interrupted subse-
quent data taken with decreasing water saturation follow a relative
permeabfity scanning curve before merging with a drainage curve.
Previous Work. A number of researchers have reported data show-
ing thatdiffemnt relative pemseabilitycurves areobtained when satu-
rations are changing indifferent directions. Honarpouretal, 1provide
an overview of workinthis area. Most studies have found empirically
that hysteresis is large for the nonwetting phase and either small or
nonexistent for the wetting phase. Few explanations have been of-
feredforthisbehavior, however. Becauseofhysteresis, itisimportant
that fluid flow calculations or numerical simulations use relative
permeability curves that match the reservoir process being modekd
with regard to the direction of saturation change.
Much of the hysteresis data in the literature has been obtained with
saturations starting at endpoint values (i.e., irreducible water and re-
sidual oil saturations for water/oil systems). Exceptions include the
results reported by Colonna et aL4and Land,5 in which the direction
of saturation change was reversed at a number of intermediate satura-
tions. Data such as these are applicable for modeling reservoir pro-
cesses in which the watersaturation increases ordecreasesto an inter-
mediate value, then changes in the opposite direction. Examples
include EOR methods that involve movement of an oil b@ recov-
ery from coning afier a well is shut in, production of oil from a transi-
tion zone, and dissipation of mud filtrate atler well completion.
Killough6presented a method of calculating relative permeability
scanning curves for situations where the wetting phase increases in
saturation afterhaving decreased from 100%. His calculation method
was designed to yield behavior similar to that reported in the litera-
ture, including residuai nonwetting piiase sstiumtiom tiititare deperi=
dent on the saturation history. His model treated scanning curves as
beiig reversible, although he cited experimental datatothe contrary.
Hysteresis in contact angle has been discussed thoroughly by a
number of authors, including Adasnson2 and Johnson and Dettre.3
The fundarnentrd cause of contact-angle hysteresis is a matter of de-
bate but has been most commonly ascribed to surface heterogeneity
and surface roughness.
Kovscek et al.7 and Morrow et aL8 have discussed pinning of wa-
ter/oil interfaces in porous media. Formixed-wetrock, Kovsceketal.
postulate the existence of distinct areas of water- and oil-wet grain
surfaces and show how water/oil interfaces can be pinned at the
boimdama . - L......-
~,w=n A..+~,= ..,-*.-.
i-” .JP.”. mf .CIIAU.PC
. .. . . . Mm-row ..-.gl, demon-
. .. . .. . .. et
strate that pinning resulting from contact-angle hysteresis plays a key
role in the adhesion of oil to solid surfaces.
Hysteresis in capillary pressure is expected to be controlled by
some of the same processes postulated here correlative permeability.
Many researchers have addressed capillary pressure hysteresis, and
several authors4~9,10 have reported capilhuy pressure scanning
curves. Most attempts to understand capillary pressure hysteresis
have focused on dkcrete changes in pore occupancy rather than on
.h.mgac
-1.-. ““ .in ----
mm~c! ~n~!e,
Electrical resistivity behavior of a porous rock containing both oil
and water is also dependent on the pore-level fluid geometry. Swan-
SPE ReservoirEngineering,August 1995
sonl 1$scussed contact-angle hysteresis in this context, stating that
a sample can exhibit a dual behavior, consisting of water-wet charac-
teristics during drainage but not during imbibition.
Experimental Meaaurementa
The measurements reported here were performed on outcrop rock
and reservoir core material. Relative permeabilities to oil and water
were measured as saturations in the cores wete varied, in some cases
over tie fuu ~ge of mobile saturations, in other cases over ihnited
ranges.Steady-state two-phase flow was used for many of the meastne-
mentx in addition, some data wexeobtained by the pseudcEstady-state
method described later. Fig 1 shows the apparatus used and Figs. 2
thmugb 9 show the results.
Core Samples. The outcrop rock sample was a single, long cylinder
of Berea sandstone. The reservoir core consisted of four presertied
sandstone core plugs from the Kingfish field, offshore Australk the
plugs were placed end to end under stress in a coreholder to form a
composite core. Plugs with closely matched permeabilities were
used, in keeping with our experience that use of similar plugs results
in minimal saturation dkcontinuities at the plug junctions.
Weassumedthatbothcores areintheirnaturalwettability states be-
cause neither had been subjected to wettabllity altering treatment be-
fore testing. On the basis of its low water relative permeability at re-
.. .-. . .. . J .k. . . ,,--- .-r..
..n.mle tn ix?
siduttl od saturation (4%7),we juugti LUGUdL-Up
.- -.
water-wet. The reservoir core exhibhed mixed-wet behavior, with a
water relative permeability of 61% at residual oil saturation. Table 1
gives other core properties.
Fluids and TeatConditions. The outcrop sample was tested at room
temperature with synthetic brine and tetradecane. Measurements on
the reservoir core were carried out at reservoir temperature with syn-
thetic reservoir brine and live reservoir crude oil. Oil and brine flow
rates were maintained at high values so that capillary end effects
would bc small. Table 1 gives the specific test conditions and fluid
properties.
The oil and water are drawn out of the separator and recirculated. Be-
cause the volumes of water and oil in the system are constant during
a test, the saturation in the core can be calculated by material balance
on the basis of the position of the oiflwater interface in the separator.
The pressure drop across the core is monitored continuously with a
differential pressure transducer.
Measurements Performed. Measurements on the outcrop core
started with the sample at 100% water saturation. Primary-drainage
relative permeability curves were first measured by the steady-state
method as the water saturation was changed from ii)il% to &i irredW-
ible value. Imbibition and secondary-drainage measurements fol-
lowed, with the core taken to the maximum achievable water satura-
tion and back to an irreducible vahte. Relative permeability scanning
curves were then measured by repeatedly cycling the water saturation
over limited portions of its achievable range.
Imbibition, secondary-drainage, and wmmhg-cttrve mermtre-
ments were performed on the reservoir core sample. Primary-drain-
age data were not measured because the need to keep the core in apre-
served state prevented the cleaning required to establish 100% water
saturation. Instead, measurements started with the core at a low water
saturation established by centrifuging the plugs before assembling
dte composite core.
The primary-drainage, imbibition, and secondary-drainage mea-
surements were performed by dte steady-state method. Measure-
“., “ --.-...1. itIPl@=d . .. p~e~do-smady-state
ments or me scantung Gblt.. -Oc -. ..-- the
method described later.
s- a. A UWau,=.t..-
c+~~~.,c ~t~ -------------
=Imive permeability measure-
Steatiy-smte I$lctllou.
merits were obtained by holding dte oil and water flow rates constant
until conditions in the core stabilized. Relative permeability to each
phase was obtained from Darcy’s bw. Steady-state measurements
are shown as the discrete data points in Figs. 2 through 7 and 9.
ko~
primarydrainage ●

Experimental Apparatus. The measurements were carried out in a

recirculating steady-state relative permeability apparatus shown aecondatydrainage A A
~che,~,atic~!y L~F@ 1.The ammrahts is based on those described in
detail in Refs. 12and 13.Oil ~~ water are circulated through the core
by pumps driven by computer-controlled stepper motors. Down-
~~aq. OfL& CQELwlet: the fluids flow into a high-pressure separa-
L A@
tor, wheretheposition of dteoil/waterinterface issensedacoustically.
●
Q i
A
. “%., ●
O*

I lb I Ameo
A8
J .

0
11
011pump 2$
l+” ● /
differentialpraeauretransducer #2
A
. :
A
❑
compositecore

A
o

It@ I

&- brinepump
~;~ure
00, ~

o 20
WATER@&VRATl$N (%PV)
ao 100
ump
‘L
Fig. 2-Outcrop com drainage and imbibition relative permee-
Flg.l—Apperatue uaadforralativepermaabllitymaeeurwnenta. billtiae.

SpEReS~WOir
~q$:n~ring,August1995 223
 TABLE 1-OORE PROPERTIES AND TEST CONDITIONS
-.
outcrop Reservoir
aeeondary drainage A A SamDie Berea sandstone Kingfbhfield
I
100 Initiaipermeability,* 512 (to brine at 542 (to oil at%)
I
k’ ‘b: ■
I I
d md 100?40SJ
● Is Porosity,?40 22.3 23.7
# Length,in. 11.83 12.52
A-
A ■ AD Diameter,in. 1.49 1.48
A a Testtemperature,“F 73 215
A ■ t3 Test pressure,peig 1,000 3,200
A ❑
A Tot$#~iion rate, 2.0 2,0 to 3.0
AA 8
Oil viscosity,cp 2.18 0.525
0 ■
A& Brineviscosity,CP 0.975 0.289
❑ Oil composition Tetradeeane Live reservoircrude**
A
A Brinecomposition
■
NaCi, W% 2.3
A CaC12,vA% 0.25 ;?6
a MgC12,W% 0.27
■
A
A KCI, wt% 0.07
w 0

1
a wsadfolallrelative
pamlaabilii
Cakulations.
A “%4s-P#s bubbls@nt
A ●
0.1 ❑
A
A For the scanning-curve measurements, this technique was used to
{
L + obtain relative permeability values between pairs of steady-state
~ifi~, ~le ~,~qe~ in Figs, A~h_rnugh~ qmsent fits through SSrieS
of pseudo-steady-statedatapoints.Fig. 8 showstheactuald&points
for a typical series of pseudo-steady-state measurements. Scatter in
0.01 !~l ~qe~tai~ ~ew ~PA~l,~ndt~ecmWefit5 itccumtcly represent the acm~
o 20 80 100 measurements. The primary advantage of the pseudo-steady-state
WATER4&TURAT18N(%PV)
method is that it allows continuous portions of relative permeability
curves to he defined over periods of time comparable with those re-
Fig.3-Reaewoircore: drainageendimbibition relativeperrnae- quired for single points obtained by the steady-state method.
bilitles.
Reeulta
Pseudo-Steady-State Method. In some cases, oil and water flow
rates were changed slowly and continuously between steady-state Drainage andImhibitionRehtivePemabfities.Flg.2 shows the
measurements. Relativepwrneabllity valueswerecalculatedfromthe primary-drainage, imbibition, and secondary-drainage relative
instantaneous values of flow rates and pressure drop. When such flow permeability data for the outcrop sample. There is very little hystere-
ratechangesare sufficiently slow, theresultingrclativepcrmeabilities sis among the three waterrelativepermeabiti~ curves. Foroil relative
are close approximations to those that would be obtained under true permeability, the primary-drainage curve is considerably different
steady-state conditions. 14 from those for imbibition and secondary drainage. The latter two

> I I I I I (

I I I I I I

’30 35 55 80 30 35 40 45 50 55 ~
WA4#R BAm41&T10N(?PV) WATERMaturation (%PV)

Fig. 4-Outcrop core: oil relative parmeabillty scanning curvee Fig. 5-Outcropcorw oii relative psrmaabiiityscanningcurves
originating from aacondarydrstinaga curve. originating from imbibition cuwe.

SPEReservoirEngineering, August 1995

 100LI , , =:/
I I I I I 4 P-@-4@Y-4-
Smym9
— .— ----
(1-2)
—
e.~ (3 -4)
. . . . . .. . .. .

WATSR Salutation WV)

0) m

,~ Fig. 7-Reservoir cora: reverdbiiity of oii rafative psrnieabiiky

303540455055 ~ ecanning curves.
WATER SATURATION (%PV)
but merging with the imbhhion curve near the endpoints. Hysteresis
Fig. 5-Oil relative permeability ecanning curves from Fige. 4 for the mixed-wet sample is more pronounced, however, than for the
and 5. Imbibition end drainage acennkrg curvee era parallel. water-wet sample.

curves show a small amount of hysteresis, with a maximum separa-
tion of =5% PV.
Fig. 3 shows the imbibition and secondary-drainage relative per-
meabllities for the reservoir core. Oil relative permeability hysteresis
is significant, with the imbibhion and drainage curves separated by
as much as 15% PV.Hysteresis in water relative permeability is pres-
ent only at low water saturations. Subsequent relative permeability
measurements obtainedoverlimitedsaturationrangesdiffcredslight-
ly from those in Fig. 3 in two ways: (1) all ~ measurements fell on
the secondary-drainage ~ curve and exhibited no hysteresis and (2)
imbibition ~ curves were self-consistentbut shifted to slightly lower
water saturations relative to those shown in Fig. 3.
fietwosmpiesshow~ -d s,,,U,m”,,,~i~dvGPII1.Waum...J.
.: —:l.. -:1-1 ..,.,---- hilitvt+nvinr
.. . .. ..
with the secondary-drainage curve lying below that for imbibition
I ration decreasing. These curves start at points on theimbibition rela-
Familks of Scanning Curves. Fig. 4 shows, on an expanded scale,
a family of five oil relative Permeability curves mcasurcdby the pseu-
do-steady-state method on the outcrop core. For each curve, water
saturation was increased from a different point on the secondary-
drainage curve. The starting points had been established by decreas-
ing the fractional flow of water through the core and, therefore, the
water saturation. With increasing saturation, the datafollow scanning
curves before merging into a single curve that is very close to the im-
bibition data in Fig. 2. These scanning curves represent the paths that
theoilrelativepermeability takes during atrrmsition fromthesecond-
arydrainagecurveto theimbibitioncurve. Aconsistcnt featurcof the
scanning curves is their low slopes; b varies less rapidly with satura-
tion on a scanning curve than it does during either imbibition or sec-
ondary drainage.
Fig. 5 shows afamilyof scatmittgcurvesmcasured with watersatu-

E
paeud&:eady-
tive pcrmcabllity curve and merge on the secondary-drainage curve.
(1-2) A
(2-3) O

(34) . 1

1‘\
● ----
~.
\
~.
-..
‘%
II SO=@OIY
d~-.
——-.
-m \
ii! ,..
., \ \
~,k., \

..\
\
\ (1-2) ----

‘.. k .“.d~2
,0
(2-3) .............

“-i\
\
6,8$

7 ~

1
‘\
“\,
\
s.,

‘\\

I “\i $1 I
-2
.-
“40 50 s -A
I ,\
WATERSAT&TION (96FV) 45 60 so
WATER SATURATION ~
Fig.6-Expandedviewofdetepolnteendcurve-fltaforaportion
of Fig.7a.Experlmentelnoiaei8typiceilyveryamallinsuchmea- Fig. ~C~ com rsvareibiiity Of Oil relative permeability
suramente. ecenning curve.

SPE Reservoir Engineering, August 1995 225

At a given saturation, scanning curves measured inthkdirectionbve
the same slopes as those measured with water saturation increasing
(Fig. 4).
Fig. 6comblnes selected~ curves from the Figs. 4and5, illustrat-
ing that the slopes are largely independent of the direction of satura-
tion change. The only exception that we have found is the narrow sat-
uration range where a scanning-curve approaches and merges withan
imblbhion or secondary-drainage curve. In this transition range, the
scanning curve steepens before merging.

Reversibfity of Scanning Curves. For both cores, we found that oil

relative permeability changed reversibly (i.e., with almost nohystere-
sis) in the saturation range represented by scanning curves. Waterrel-
ativepermeablli~ curves werereversibleoverthekentireranges. Fig.
7 illustrates, on an expanded scale, the reversibility of the oil relative
permeability scanning curves for the reservoir core.
InFlg. 7a, thecirclesrepresentdatatakenundersteady-statecondl-
tions of two-phase flow. Data Points 1through 4 are numbered in the
order in which they were measured. The smooth curves were ob-
tained by the pseudo-steady-state method described earlier, with oil
and water flow rates slowly changing between the values used for the
steady-state points. DataPoint 1isonthedrainagerelativepermeabil-
ity curve for oil. Conditions represented by this point had been estab-
lished by decreasing the hctionai flow of water “~ugh tile core,
hence da~mi~g Lhewater sa~tion. From Point 1, the water fw-
tional flow wasdecreasedfurther, andtheportionof thedrainagerela-
tive permeability curve ‘betweenFeints i and 2 ‘wasdefined ~~ ‘he
pseudo-steady-state method. AfterreachingstableconditionsatPoint
2, the water fractional flow was increased by a carefully chosen
amount inordertodefine the relative permeabfity scanning curve be-
tween Points 2 and 3. (The size of the change was chosen to be small
enough to avoid reaching the imblbhion relative permeability curve,
which is shown in this figure for reference.) Finally, a continuous de-
crease in water fractional flow was used to obtain databetweenPoints
3 and 4. During the last step, the oil relative permeability retracedtbe
scanning curvebeforechanging slope andrejoiningthedrainagerela-
tive permeability curve.
13g.7b shows a comparable set of measurements on the same core,
but with saturations changing in the opposite directions. ‘he behav-
ior is the same (i.e., scanning curves ace mwersibleand data takenbe-
fore and after tracing the scanning curves fall on the imbibition
curve).
Fig. 8 shows both thepseudo-steady-state data points andthecurve
fits foraportionof Fig. 7a, illustrating the quality of the curve fits and
the small arnountof scatter that istypicallyobserved insuchmeasure- Fig. 10-Croaa-asetional viaw of pora under$olng 8stturation
ments. While the outcrop core was on a scanning curve, the fractional ehanga with pinned WOC’S. Fluid gaometrlaa depend on water
flow was cycled a number of times over a namow range. As Fig. 9 saturation but not on direetlon of saturation changa.
shows, oil relative permeability exliblted no hysteresis while on the
scanning curve and returned to its original path after the cycling. -advancing contact angles, respectively. If the contact angle reaches
one of these limits and saturation changes continue, interfaces move
Interpretation along the grain surfaces with no further change in contact angle and
changes in fluid geometry cease to be reversible. This would be the
The reversible character of the relative permeability scanning curves
case when the core has followed a relative permeability scanning
inconsistent with the interface pintingconcept described by Kovscek
curve to one of its limits, where it merges with a nonreversible drain-
et al.7andMotrow et aL8 As Fig. 10 illustrates, if water/oil interfaces
are pinned on pore wails, saturation changes take place through bow- age or imbibition curve. On the drainage curve, or applies; on the im-
in~ of the interfaces, which is accompanied by changes in contact bibhion curve, 19aapplies. On the drainage and imbibition curves,
ahgle. This is areversibleprocess; i.e., the fluid gametry is a function changes in fluid geometry are probably also occurring by other non-
of saturation only and does not depend on the direction of saturation reversible processes such as snapoff, Haines jumps, and coalescence..
change. In the experiments described here, we found that scanning curves
In Kovscek et al.’s model of mixed nettability, pore walls consist of spanned a larger saturation range in the mixed-wet than in the water-
bothw~~r-mid-wetsurfacm: thedistibudonsof whichaseconttolled wet sample. This may reflect a larger range through which contact
.
by the mck geometry and satumtion history. Over a limited saturadon anglesctltic’bige ~il “&Ie mi~ew”,1 ...e.t ~$~m
--.
‘n the w&@~-w~~ K& ~t iS
L...

mnge, waterioilinterfacesremain pinned at the boundaries between wa-
ter- and oil-wet surfaces (as in Fig. ha) becausethe system resists the
movement of oil onto water-wet surfaces and vice versa.
Contact-angle hysteresis can cause pinning of watedoil contacts
(WOC’s)evenon surfaces without distinct water-wetandoil-wet re-
gions. Innatm’alporous rock, surfaceroughness isprobablyresponsi-
ble for the hysteresis. Fig. llb illustrates this type of pinning. Hem,
reversible saturation changes occur as interfaces bow and contact
angles change between the limits of 6, and6a, the water-receding and
reasonable toexpect that an interface pinned at the boundary between
water- and oil-wet surfaces could change contact angle from O to
180”. For homogeneous surfaces, the differences between 0= and e,
are likely to be smallec actual values probably depend on the particu-
lar rock/fluid systems involved.
When the scanning curves in Fig. 5 are mplotted on a linear scale
@s. 12),it isapparentthatthey have the same slopes andshapes,but
are offset from each other in saturation andrelativepermeabllity.1’bis
suggests that the changes in fluid geomew occuning along the scan-

226 SPE ReservoirEn@neering,August1995

—
(a)
oil contact
(b)
‘i’ 4??< ~r water
I f)r = water receding contaot angle I
6,s= water advancing contact angle
Fig. 11-plnnlng of WOC as a rasult of (a) mixsctwsttability and
/k\ ~--+ ..t~~fil- hwetnra@s.
~w] W“, ,a”.--..~.”... --------
nine curves are quantitatively the sarneforall the curves. Wepostulate
that there are two independent contributions to the overall saturation
and relative permeability of the sample, possibly from two sets of
pores that undergo changes independently. One set of pores contrib-
utes reversible saturation and relative permeability changes as the
core moves along the scanning curves; its behavior and contributions
are the same on all scanning curves. The other set of pores contributes
nonreversible saturation andrelativepermeability changes asthecore
moves along the imbibition and secondary-drainage curves; no
changes occur in these pores while the sample is on a scanning curve.
Appliostions
Reservoir Modeling. Severalprocesses occurring duringoilproduc-
tion from a reservoir involve water saturations that increase to inter-
mdlate values and then decrease, or vice versa. Examples include
EOR methods that involve movement of an oil bank, recovery from
coning after a well is shut in, production from a transition zone, attd
dissipation of mud filtrate after well completion. Use of relative
permeability scanning curves is appropriate for numerically model-
ing such processes.
when justifiable, the experimental techniques used here could be
used to make scanning-curve measurements on core samples from
other reservoirs of interest. If extensive laboratory work cannot be
justified, the data reported here could be used to infer a complete set
of scanning curves based on a limited amount of measured data, For
cases where no core is available or laboratory rncasurements are not
fe~ib!e, t~e qu~ta~ve iMhLwiorrqmrted here could be incorimrated
into numerical models for reservoir forecasting.
Modeling ofPore-LevelFlow Mechanisms. In recent years, anum-
bcr of mechanistic models have been developed formukiphase flow
in porous rneda. The measurements reported here suggest that con-
tact-angle hysteresis is an important phenomenon in multiphase flow
attd should be taken into account in such models. This would require
that individual pores be modeled, not as completely oil-or water-
filled, but as containing oil and water in variable proportions. A sug-
gested test for evaluating pore-level models is to examine their pre-
dictions of relative permeability scanning curves. Specifically, a
well-formulated model should predict both the reversibility and the
low slopes of h scanning curves.
Steady-State Relative Perraeabfity Measurements. In measure-
ments of relative permeab@ by the steady-state method, monotoni-
SPE Reservoir Engineering, August 1995
,~
30 35 50 * So
WA~R SA&MTION (WV)
Fig. 12-Cartesian plot of aoanning curves shown for outcrop
core in Fig. 5. Ths similar slopes and shapss suggsst that tiis
sema changes in fluid gaomatq occur on sli setsnningcunras.
tally changing the flow rates of the test fluids is often impossible. Be-
cause of experimental upsets and small variations in flow rates, a core
may experience small nonmonotonic fluctuations in fractionrd flow,
hence in fluid saturations. The reversible character of the scanning
curves indicates that the measured data will be controlled primarily
by large-scale changes in fractional flow, not by small fluctuations.
For example, a core undergoing imblhition measurements would re-
.. . . . ... --...-,,l.:li+., ,.,._~e=.-
c fnllnwinu 9 cmall
turn tome imbibhioii dative PGIJ1lGWL1lLJ.- .-.. . ..= --...–.
temporary decrease in water saturation. The practical consequence is
that small variations inflow rate can be tolerated without introducing
significant error.
CapillaryPressureEysteresis.Forthepore-levelrnechanis~sm-
latedhere,therelationshipbetweenfluidgeometty andsatttrationis
freeofhysteresis whenacoreisonascamtingcttrve.Becauserelative
perrneabilityisafunctionoffluidgeornetry, ittooisfreeofhysteresis
on ascanningcurve. However, becauseporestrttctttres are complex,
estabiistin~uantimtivmlationshi@etweemelativ~meability
and fluid geometry is extremely difficult.
Relationships between capillary pressure and fluid geometry are
better undmtcd with capillary pressure being directly related to inter-
racial tension and interface curvature. Therefore, investigation of cap-
illary presstue hysteresis and scanning curves is likely to yield mote in-
formation about fluid geometry than do relative permeability studies.
Conclusions
1. Relative permeability scanning curves have been measured for
water- and mixed-wet rock. in both cases, oil relative permeability
was a weaker function of saturation on scanning curves than on either
the imbibition orsecondary-drainage curves. As has been previously
reported, little hysteresis occurred in water relative permeability;
drahtage, imbibition, and scanning curves were in close agreement.
2. For both water- and oil-wet samples, oil relative permeability
scanning curves were shown to be reversible. The reversibility is pos-
tulated to be associated with pinning of water/oil interfaces on pore
walls, Pinning can occur as a result of contact-angle hysteresis in wa-
ter-wet rock. In mixed-wet rock, it can occur at the boundaries be-
tween water- and oil-wet grain surfaces.
3. For oil relative permeability, the differencebetweenimbiwltion
and secondary-drainage curves was hugerfor the mixed-wet than for
227
the water-wet sample. This may reflect a wicierrange ofpossikk c@-
tact angles in mixed-wet than in water-wet rock. b = relative permeability to oil
4. An experimental method for measuring relative permeability ~ = relative permeability to water
scanning curves is presented. Use of this method ~ouid dioiv scari- p = pressitire, ~MfiIt2,~=i
ning curves to be obtained for use in modeling certain fluid-flow pro- Ap = differentird pressure, rn/Lt2, psi
cesses in oil reservoirs. G = water saturation
5. Reversibili~ of relative permeability scanrtingctrrves indicates Swi = initial water saturation
that small fluctuations in fractional flow do not invrdidate relative 0. = water advancing contact angle, degrees
permeability measurements obtained by the steady-state technique. (3T= water receding contact angle, degrees

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228 SPE Reservoir Engineering, August 1995