Reservoir Engineering and Petrophysics

Module 1: Fundamentals of Reservoir Rock and Fluid Properties

Relative Permeability
Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, students are expected to able to

Explain the concept of multiphase-flow and mobility ratio
Discuss how relative permeability impact oil recovery
Understand factors that affect relative permeability
Understand the relevance of relative permeability data
Compute relative permeability curves from core flooding
experiments
 Steady state flow methods (constant pressure or constant flow rate)
 Unsteady state methods
 Drainage and imbibition methods
Compute relative permeability from rel perm correlations

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Absolute Permeability - Review
Permeability, k, previously discussed applies only for porous media
that is 100% saturated with a single phase fluid – known as absolute
permeability;
Absolute permeability can be calculated from steady-state flow
equation. (1D, Linear Flow; Darcy eq.):

𝑘𝐴∆𝑝
𝑞=
𝜇𝐿

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Multiphase Flow in Reservoirs
Commonly, petroleum reservoirs contain two or three immiscible fluids
that flow simultaneously;
Two – phase systems
Water – Oil Systems
Water – Gas Systems
Oil – Gas Systems
Three – phase systems
Water, Oil and Gas
In multiphase flow, it becomes necessary to quantify the flow of each
phase in presence of other phases;
This is achieved by introducing the concept of effective and relative
permeability.

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Effective Permeability

Effective Permeability (ke):

Is the permeability of one fluid flowing through the rock when there
are other immiscible fluids present in the rock;
If two or more fluids flow through porous media, the permeability of
each fluid is reduced by the presence of other one;

k AP
Water (w): qw = ew
w L

k AP
Oil (o): qo = eo
o L

keg AP
qg =
Gas (g): g L
Saturated with water, oil and
gas

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Effective Permeability
Useful when reservoirs fluids are produced by primary recovery
mechanisms or immiscible displacement methods (water or gas
injection);
Because it is under these circumstances that more than one fluid flow
or is mobile in porous media, and the flow of one phase interferes with
the other;
Effective permeability is a function of prevailing fluid saturation, the
wetting characteristics and pore geometry;

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Relative Permeability

The resistance to fluid flow in a porous medium when it is in the

presence of other immiscible, mobile or immobile fluidsis the ratio of
the effective permeability of fluid at a given saturation to some base
permeability; or
The ratio of the effective permeability of fluid at a given saturation to
some base permeability;

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Relative Permeability

Definition:
Measured permeability to a
Rel permeability to a specific specific Phase at a Given
Phase at a Given Saturation Saturation of that phase 𝑺𝒊
(value of that phase)
𝒌𝒊 𝑺𝒊
𝒌𝒓𝒊 =
𝒌𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒊 = 𝒐𝒊𝒍, 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒂𝒔

Absolute (single phase)

permeability of the porous
media under consideration
The base permeability, kbase, can be
 Absolute permeability, kabs
 Gas permeability, kgas
 Effective permeability to non-wetting phase @ Swir

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Relative Permeability - Example

Given an absolute permeability = 100 mD

Perm to oil = 85 mD @ So = 0.5: kro = keo/kabs = 85/100 = 0.85
Perm to water = 21 mD @ Sw = 0.3: krw = kew/kabs = 21/100 = 0.21
Perm to gas = 14 mD @ Sg = 0.2 : krg = keg/kabs = 14/100 = 0.14
Sum = 1.00
The saturations, i.e., So , Sg , and Sw can change with time to give
distinct values of relative permeabilities;
Therefore, saturations must be specified to completely define the
conditions at which a given effective permeability exists
In petroleum industry, ke are reported as kr versus saturation of the
wetting phase

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Uses of Relative Permeability Functions

Evaluation of residual oil (and/or gas) saturation and displacement

efficiency for waterflood, gasflood and various EOR processes
Evaluation of flow characteristics in multiphase flow calculations in
reservoirs;
Prediction of reservoir performance and recoverable reserves
Relative permeability data is an important input to reservoir simulation
models:
Prediction of reservoir performance
Development planning
Alternative production plans evaluation (water injection, gas
injection, EOR… etc)

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Typical Relative Permeability Curves
Like capillary pressure, relative permeability data are
plotted against the wetting phase saturation;
1
1.0
1. 𝐤 𝐫𝐰𝐩 = 𝟏, only @ 𝐒𝐰𝐩 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎%
Relative Permeability (fraction)

Non-wetting
phase, 𝒏𝒘𝒑
2. Rapid increase in 𝐤 𝐫𝐰𝐩 as 𝐒𝐰𝐩
decreases
2
3. 𝐤 𝐫𝐰𝐩 = 𝟎 @ minimal interstitial
𝐒𝐰𝐩

4. 𝐤 𝐫𝐧𝐰𝐩 = 𝟎 @ equilibrium 𝐒𝐧𝐰𝐩

3 4
0
0 𝑺𝒘𝒑 (fraction) 1.00

Minimum Equilibrium
interstitial 𝑺𝒘𝒑 𝑺𝒏𝒘𝒑

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Relative Permeability Curves

Similar to capillary pressure, relative permeability curves

depend on fluid saturation history:
Drainage Curve – Wetting phase is displaced by non-wetting
phase, i.e., wetting phase saturation is decreasing;
Imbibition curve – non-wetting phase is displaced by wetting
phase, i.e., wetting phase saturation is increasing;
Both Drainage Curve and Imbibition curves are required to
study two or three phase system

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Imbibition Relative Permeability Curve
(water-wet Case)
The figure represents typical oil-water rel perm data;
Usually the experiment is done in the direction of increasing water
saturation to simulate water injection in reservoir;

1.00
𝐤 𝐫𝒐 @ 𝐒𝒘𝒊𝒓
The base data used to normalize the
Relative Permeability (fraction)

0.80 rel perm data is the effective

permeability and irreducible water
saturation
Irreducible Water

0.60
Saturation

0.40 As water saturation increases, the Rel

Perm to oil increases until it reaches
a maximum at residual oil saturation
0.20

0
0 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00
Water Saturation (fraction)

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 Imbibition Relative Permeability Curve
(water-wet Case)
Oil-water system
1.00
𝐤 𝐫𝒐 @ 𝐒𝒘𝒊𝒓 End-point fluid saturations
Relative Permeability (fraction)

Oil is mobile until its saturation is about 22%

0.80
We cannot produce from these zones
containing less than 22% oil
Irreducible Water

0.60
Saturation

This is termed residual oil saturation, Sor

0.40 Immobile fraction of water is termed
irreducible water saturation, Swir
0.20
Swir used to calculate movable oil
𝐤 𝐫𝐰 @ 𝐒𝐨𝐫
0
0 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00
Water Saturation (fraction)

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Drainage Relative Permeability Curve

Drainage curves used to study oil-water systems

Drainage process – increase in non-wetting phase saturation

𝐏𝒄
Relative Permeability (fraction) 1.00

Oil
Sw = 100% 0.80

0.60
Irreducible Water
Saturation

Oil
0.40

0.20 𝐏𝒄𝒅

0
0 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00 𝐒𝒘𝒊𝒓 𝐒𝒘 1.00
Water Saturation (fraction)

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Relative Permeability Curves

Gas-oil systems
Starting with the porous rock completely filled with oil, and displacing
by gas, the drainage relative permeability and capillary pressure curves
will be defined

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Relative permeability curves

Gas-oil systems

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Concept of Mobility Ratio (M)

End-point relative permeability are used to evaluate mobility ratio and

displacement efficiency

Viscosity of Rel Perm of

Displaced phase Displacing phase

𝝁𝒐 × 𝒌𝒓𝒘
𝑴=
𝝁𝒘 × 𝒌𝒓𝒐
Viscosity of Rel Perm of
Displacing phase Displaced phase

M < 1 then favourable displacement

M > 1 then unfavourable displacement (viscous fingering)

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Relative permeability curves

Imbibition Relative Permeability

Oil-water system
Main parts of kr-Curve
Curvature of the relative permeabilities
Higher curve indicates smaller water cut
in the production well (that is good)
The smaller krw, the smaller the fraction
of water cut at the production well
This is because

1
fw = ...................................9
kroμ w
1
krwμ o

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Factors Affecting Relative Permeabilities
Wettability of the reservoir
Fluid saturation history (i.e., imbibition or drainage)
Geometry of the pore spaces and pore size distribution
Clay and fines content

Interfacial tension (IFT) and viscosity, particularly in miscible

displacement process

Etc.

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Wettability
When two immiscible phases are in contact with a solid surface,
one phase is easily attracted to the solid more strongly than the
other phase
The more strongly attracted phase to the rock surface is called the
wetting-phase, otherwise it is the non-wetting phase

Wettability is a preference for a solid to be contacted/coated by

one fluid over another; Wettability can be:
Water-wet: the rock surface prefers contact with water

Oil-wet: the rock is preferentially in contact with the oil than water

Mixed-wet: tendency for both oil and water to adhere to the pore
surface

Wettability controls the location, flow and spatial distribution of

fluids in the reservoir

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How do Water, Oil and Gas Distribute in the Pore Space?

Water or oil may be wetting the rock surface

Gas may be “bubbling” from the oil and water

Abdallah et al.

Mixed-wet rock 2007

Water-wet rock Oil-wet rock
Water is in smaller pores, NOT invaded Oil occupies small pores as thin films
by oil
Water is in the center of the larger pores
Oil is in the center large pores
Waterflood is less efficient than in water-
Water will flow more easily during wet reservoirs.
water flooding displacing oil ahead of
it.

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How wettability affects kr-curves
Increasing Sw
1.0 1.0

Relative Permeability, Fraction

Relative Permeability, Fraction

0.8 0.8

0.6 0.6
Oil Oil Water
0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2
Water
0
0 0 20 40 60 80 100
0 20 40 60 80 100
Water Saturation (% PV) Water Saturation (% PV)
Strongly Oil-Wet Rock
Strongly Water-Wet Rock
• Crossover point approx. 50%
• Swi approx. 20%
• Crossover point approx. 62% • Water flows more freely
• Krw approx. 0.1 • Higher residual oil saturation

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Fluid saturation history
1. Drainage curve/process

Porous rock is initially saturated with wetting phase. The wetting phase is
displaced by the non-wetting phase, i.e., the wetting phase saturation is
decreasing

Ex:
Ex: A
A water-wet
water-wet rock
rock that
that was
was saturated
saturated with
with water.
water. Oil
Oil is
is then
then injected
injected into
into the
the
rock to displace the water. The oil is non-wetting phase relative to water;
rock to displace the water. The oil is non-wetting phase relative to water;
2. Imbibition curve/process

Porous rock is initially saturated with non-wetting phase. The non-wetting

phase is displaced by the wetting phase, i.e., the wetting phase saturation
is increasing

Ex: A water-wet rock was saturated with oil. Water is then injected into the rock
to displace the oil. The oil is non-wetting phase relative to water;

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Fluid saturation history
Which curve?

When simulating the waterflood of a water-wet reservoir rock,

imbibition relative permeability curves should be used.

When modeling gas injection into an oil reservoir, drainage

relative permeability curves should be used.

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Fluid saturation history
Which curve?

When simulating the waterflood of a water-wet reservoir rock,

imbibition relative permeability curves should be used.

When modeling gas injection into an oil reservoir, drainage

relative permeability curves should be used.

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Effect of IFT on kr-curves
IFT is highly dependent on wettability, pore geometry and pore
accessibility
Ultra-low IFT values can give high oil recovery
IFT can affect the End-point relative permeabilities, crossover points
and End-point fluid saturations

1.0 1.0 1.0

Relative Permeability

zero IFT
0.8 High IFT 0.8 Low IFT 0.8

0.6 Oil 0.6 Oil 0.6

0.4 0.4 0.4

0.2 0.2 0.2

0 0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
Gas or Water Saturation (%) Gas or Water Saturation (%) Gas or Water Saturation (%)

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Characteristics of Relative Permeability Functions

Relative permeability is unique for different rocks and fluids

Relative permeability affects the flow behavior of reservoir
fluids.
Relative permeability affects the recovery efficiency of oil and/or
gas.

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Relative permeability measurements

Lab measurements
Steady-state measurements

Unsteady-state measurements (http://petrowiki )

Capillary pressure methods

Centrifuge methods
Correlations
Two-phase systems

Three-phase systems

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Steady-state Laboratory methods

Core flood Method

Penn State Method
Hafford’s Method
Dispersed Feed Method

Recommended reading:
http://petrowiki

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Steady-state (SS) method
Laboratory Procedure (Drainage Relative Permeability Curves)
Outlet
Core inlet ∆P Calculate kabs at
end
1. Core saturated with end Sw = 100%
wetting phase until SS 100% water water
Sw = 100% Darcy’s eq.
(∆P is stabilized)

Measure effective k
2. Inject non-wetting phase Oil Swi Oil
to oil at Swi;
until SS, i.e. down to Swi Swi
ko@Swi

Oil Oil
3. Inject O and W at the Swi
Water Swi Water Measure ko and kw
same time until SS at decreasing O/W
Each time you are about to saturation ratio
change the injection ratio, you Swi
need to take the core out and
weigh it to calculate Sw
Swi

4. Only wetting phase (water) Measure effective k

Sor
is injected until SS to water at Sor
Water Water
Swi kw@Sor

Water Oil 31
Steady-state (SS) method
Laboratory Procedure (Drainage Relative Permeability Curves)
Saturation calculations
The mass of the rock + fluids is

 
Mrf  Mr  S w   w V p  1 - S w  V p So ………………………10
Rearranging eq. 10, noting that Sw + So =1, we have,

Mrf − Mr − Vp ρo
Sw = ……………………. 10.1
ρw − ρo Vp

Each time you reach SS core flood, the core is removed from the
core holder and weighed to get Mrf.

Mrf = mass of the rock + fluid and Mr = mass of the rock (dry)
Sw = saturation of water in the core; So = saturation of oil in the core
𝝆𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝝆𝒐 = density of water and oil, respectively
VP = pore volume
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Steady-state method
Laboratory Procedure (Imbibition Relative Permeability Curves)
The same procedure can be used beginning with
100% saturation of the non-wetting phase, resulting in
imbibition relative permeability curves

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Steady-state versus unsteady-state

We use steady-state coreflooding to find out more about

reservoir properties, namely relative permeability as a function
of fluid saturation.
We use unsteady-state coreflooding to investigate oil
production schemes and new EOR (enhanced oil recovery)
methods.

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Relative Permeability Correlations

Two-phase relative permeability correlations

Wyllie and Gardner correlation (1958)
Corey correlation (1954)
Purcell-Burdine correlation
Etc.

These correlations use the effective phase saturation as the

correlating parameter

∗
sw − swc so sg
Sw = So∗ = Sg∗ =
1 − swc 1 − swc 1 − swc
Where,
∗
Sw , So∗ , Sg∗ = effective water, oil and gas saturation, respectively
sw , so , sg = water, oil and gas saturation, respectively
swc = connate/irreducible water saturation

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Relative Permeability Correlations

Corey’s method
The simplest mathematical expression for generating the relative
permeability data of the oil-gas systems.
The approximation is good for drainage process, i.e. gas-displacing
oil

∗ 4
k ro = 1 − Sg

∗ 3
k rg = Sg 2 − Sg∗

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Relative Permeability Correlations

Corey’s method
Generate the gas-oil relative permeability data for a formation with
connate water saturation of 25%, critical oil saturation 30% and
critical gas saturation of 0.5%.

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Relative Permeability Correlations

Solution
Gas relative permeability ∗ 3
𝑠𝑔 𝑘𝑟𝑔 = 𝑆𝑔 2 − 𝑆𝑔∗
∗
𝑆𝑔 =
1 − 𝑠𝑤𝑐
∗ 4
𝑘𝑟𝑜 = 1 − 𝑆𝑔 kro krg
1

relative permability
Sg Sg* kro krg 0.8
0.05 0.07 0.7588 0.00057 0.6
0.14 0.19 0.4376 0.01179 0.4
0.22 0.29 0.2494 0.04308 0.2
0.33 0.44 0.0983 0.13289 0
0.44 0.59 0.0292 0.28538 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

0.55 0.73 0.0051 0.49954 gas saturation

0.66 0.88 0.0002 0.76325
0.7 0.93 2E-05 0.86724
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38
Relative Permeability Correlations

Corey’s method
Mathematical expression for generating the relative permeability
data of the Oil-Water systems.
𝑁𝑜
1 − S𝑤 − S𝑜𝑟
k ro = k ro end point at S𝑤𝑖 1.0
1 − S𝑤𝑖 − S𝑜𝑟

Relperm,
Available
saturation
If the base k used is the ko, then kro@swi= 1.0
to move
𝑁𝑤
S𝑤 − S𝑤𝑖 S𝑤𝑖 S𝑜𝑟1.0
k r𝑤 = k r𝑤 end point at S𝑜𝑟
1 − S𝑤𝑖 − S𝑜𝑟
Where,
No and Nw are Corey exponents for oil and water, respectively

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Relative Permeability Correlations

Craig’s Rule of Thumb Relating Wettability and Relative

permeability

Characteristics Water-wet Oil-wet

Initial water saturation, Greater than 20 – 25% Generally, less than

Swi 15%
Sw at which kro = krw Greater than 50% Less than 50%
krw @ 1-Sor; based on Generally, less than Greater than 50%
keo@Swi as base 30%
permeability

Source: Craig, F.F., The reservoir Engineering Aspect of Water Flooding, Monograph
Series, SPE, Richardson, TX, 1971

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Credits

Modified by
Alberto Bila , Ph.D., Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Chemical Engineering
and Petroleum Engineering
Developer:
Dr. Maria Barrufet, Texas A&M Petroleum Engineering
Contributors
Luis H M Lucas, Ph.D., Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Professor of
Chemical Engineering
Susanne Rothschild, Instructional Designer Sponsor

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