Buckley-Leverett’s Fractional Flow

and Frontal Advance Theory

S. Adjei, Ph.D.
Prediction of Waterflood Performance in a Linear System

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 IMMISCIBLE DISPLACEMENT

Immiscible displacement refers to the hydrocarbon recovery process by a non-mixing fluid,

primarily, water.

Note:

1. When water injection is started at a time in the life of a reservoir when the reservoir

pressure is at a high level, the injection is referred to as pressure maintenance project

2. But when it is commenced in a time of the reservoir when the reservoir pressure has

declined to a low level due to primary depletion, the process is known as waterflood.

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 MECHANISM OF IMMISCIBLE FLUID DISPLACEMENT

• The Buckley-Leverett theory involves the fractional flow and frontal advance
equations which essentially characterize the mechanics of oil movement while
being expelled from the reservoir.
• The BL theory describes two phase, immiscible displacement in one dimension
(linear system).
• Reservoir engineers use the frontal advance model to analyze waterflood
performance.

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 FRACTIONAL FLOW THEORY
• The fractional flow equation ( developed by Leverett) is used to determine the
fraction of water, fw, (water cut) at any point in the reservoir, assuming the
water saturation at the point is known.

• The equation qualitatively show the ratio of the flow rate of water to total flow
rate of fluids at certain period of time and space in a linear system of water
injection.

• The equation shows the relationship between the amount of water flow in every
area of the reservoir with the amount of water saturation.
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• If sufficient reservoir data is available, it is possible to use the fractional flow equation to
compute the fraction of water flowing in a reservoir as a function of water saturation.
• This data when plotted as fw versus Sw on Cartesian paper forms what is widely referred to
as a fractional flow curve.

Typical fractional flow curve with respect to water saturation (left), and its derivative with respect to
water saturation (right) versus water saturation.
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• Because relative permeabilities and capillary pressure are functions of only
fluid saturation, the fractional flow of water is a function of water saturation
alone.

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 Factors Affecting fw
Oil viscosity: regardless of the the system wettability, a higher viscosity results in an upward
shift (an increase) in the fractional flow curve.

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Water viscosity: Higher injected water viscosities = reduction in fw (a downward shift)
Mobility ratio: The lower this ratio, the more efficient displacement, and thecurve is shifted
right (downward).
Gravity: In a non-horizontal system, with water injection at the bottom and production at the
top, gravity forces will contribute to a higher recovery efficiency.

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 FRONTAL ADVANCE EQUATION
• The fractional flow equation relates the fraction of oil and water flowing at any
point in the reservoir to the fluid saturation at that point.
• In order to make the fractional flow equation more versatile, it is necessary to
connect the fractional flow at a given point and saturation with time.
• A complete analysis of waterflood performance requires that we know the
saturation distribution of the various phases at any given time, as well as the
manner in which this distribution changes with time. The frontal advance
equation will provide this information.
• The frontal advance equation gives the water saturation profile in the reservoir
at any time during water injection.

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 Assumptions
• Flow is linear
• Both wetting and non-wetting phases are incompressible
• Immiscible phases
• Negligible capillary pressure effects (this implies that the pressures of the two
phases are equal)
• Negligible gravitational forces

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• For a constant rate of water injection (qt = qi), the velocity of a any water saturation is
directly proportional to the value of the slope of the fractional flow curve, evaluated for that
saturation.

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By integrating the
equation for the total time
since the start of
Injection;

• The distance, x, moved by a given saturation in the time interval, t, is proportional to the slope of
the fractional flow curve at the particular saturation of interest.
• For a given Sw, by computing the slope of the fractional flow curve, we can determine the
location of that Sw and hence the location of all saturations in the system (water saturation profile
at a particular time).
• The saturation distribution can then be used to predict oil recovery and required water injection
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on a time basis.
• Let’s calculate the position of different saturations after injecting some barrels of water

etc

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• This procedure, however, was observed by Buckley and Leverett to give a water
saturation distribution that is physically impossible.
• The problem arises because of the shape of the fractional flow curve. Equal
values of the slope, df/dS w, can occur at two different saturations which is not
possible.
• Taking a look at the derivative saturation profile example below, the diagram
indicates the saturation after 240 days at 400 ft to be 20, 39, and 69%.
• That is, multiple values of saturation occur at the same point (lower and upper)
but saturation can be only one value at any place and time.
• What actually occurs is that the intermediate values of the water saturation
have the maximum velocity will initially tend to overtake the lower saturations
resulting in the formation of a saturation discontinuity or shock front.

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• To overcome this difficulty, Buckley and Leverett suggested that a portion of the
saturation distribution curve is imaginary, and that the real curve contains a
saturation discontinuity at the front
• The modification to to get the correct water saturation distribution can be
accomplished by determining displacement front position.
• To determine the displacement front location, one can define a saturation
discontinuity (or displacement front) at xf and balancing of the areas ahead of
the front (A) and below (B) the saturation curve.
• Then, the water saturation ahead of the displacement front should be the initial
water saturation.

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The quantity of oil displaced is proportional to the area swept out by the water phase, since both the oil and water phases are
assumed to be incompressible and immiscible.
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 WELGE TECHNIQUE
• Welge (1952) proposed a tangent construction method to estimate the water
saturation at the shock front and the oil recovery factor.

• From the graphical point of view, this method, using Welge’s method to localize
the front water saturation Swf, amounts to determining the coordinates of to
the point (Swf,fw(Swf)) such that the line passing through this point and the
connate water saturation point(Swc, 0)is tangent to the fractional flow curve.

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 The Front Saturation
• There is a tangent to the fractional-flow curve that
originates at the initial water saturation.
• The tangent point defines the "breakthrough" or
"flood-front" saturation Swf
• This saturation is equivalent to the saturation that
Buckley and Leverett obtained through intuitive
arguments

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The average saturation behind the fluid
front (in the reservoir) is determined by
the intersection between the tangent line
and fw =1

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