DYNAMIC METHOD OF MEASURING

CAPILLARY PRESSURE

Abstract:
While dealing with Multiphase system, it is inevitable to ignore the effect of forces which act when
two immiscible fluids are in contact with each other. In dealing with hydrocarbon systems, water
and oil forms an interface while gas and oil forms an interface. Not only interface but all the forces
active on the interface determines the Wettability and Capillary Pressure of a porous rock. Several
methods are introduced for the measurement of Capillary Pressures for it imparts essential
information to reservoir engineers and petro-physicists which would aid in formation evaluation
and other aspects of reservoir rocks.

Introduction:
Capillary pressures are observed when there are more than one immiscible fluids in the pores of
the rock. Capillary pressure is the pressure differential between two immiscible fluids across a
curved surface at an equilibrium. Curvature of the interface is the consequence of preferential
wetting of the capillary walls by one of the phases. Usually it has been observed that one phase is
the wetting one while the others are non-wetting.
Wetting corresponds to the affection of rock for a particular fluid. Wetting is the capacity of a fluid
to keep up contact with a solid surface, coming about because of intermolecular interactions when
the two are brought in contact with each other. The level of wetting (wettability) is controlled by
is determined by a force balance between adhesive and cohesive forces. Wetting deals with the
three phases of materials:
 Gas
 Liquid
 Solid
Popular terminology for saturation changes in porous media reflects wettability:

 Drainage
 Imbibition

Drainage:
It is a fluid flow process in which the saturation of non-wetting phase increases. As saturation of
non-wetting phase increases, its mobility also increases.

In a nut shell, drainage refers to the accumulation of hydrocarbons in a reservoir. Drainage can be
used to determine the non-wetting fluid saturation at various point

Imbibition:
It is fluid flow process in which the saturation of non-wetting phase decreases. As a result, the
mobility of wetting phase increases due to increase in its concentration.

Extraction of hydrocarbons through water drive is imbibition. Through imbibition we can assess
relative contribution of capillary and viscous forces in dynamic system.

In this scenerio,
 Air is the non-wetting phase represented
by free space (non-shaded region)
 Water is the wetting phase represented
by shaded region
Formulae for Evaluation of Capillary Pressure:
Mathematically, Capillary Pressure is defined as follows:

PC =PNW - PW PC= Capillary Pressure

PNW= Pressure exerted by Non-Wetting Phase
PW= Pressure exerted by Wetting Phase

The relationship between capillary pressure, interfacial tension, contact angle and pore radius is
given by: Cp = capillary pressure (psi)
ɣ = interfacial tension (dynes/cm)
2ɣcosƟ q = contact angle (degrees)
Cp = .A
� a = pore radius (microns)
A = 145 x 10-3 (constant to convert to psi)

It is evident from the above expression that capillary pressure is the function of adhesion tension
(2ɣcosƟ ) and varies inversely with the radius “a” of the pore

Significance of Capillary Pressure:

Capillary pressure concepts can be used by Geologists, Petrophysicists, and Petroleum Engineers
to evaluate the following:

 Quality of Reservoir Rock

 Payzone or Not
 Expected Fluids Saturation
 Seal Capacity (thickness of hydrocarbon column a seal can hold before it leaks)
 Depth of the reservoir fluid contacts
 Thickness of the transition zone
Methods of measuring capillary pressures:
 Mercury Injection Method
 Porous Plate Method
 Gas-Brine Systems
 Oil-Brine System
 Dynamic Method
 Semi-Dynamic Method
 Transient Method
 Centrifuge Method

Dynamic Method:
Brown Harry W. introduced this method for the very first time. He reported the results of
determination of capillary pressure saturation curves by dynamic method

Working Principle:

Its working is based upon the Hassler’s Principle.

In this technique, two fluids are injected into a rock sample simultaneously and production of
one fluid is obtained through a semi-permeable membrane. Uses a core Hassler core holder
under confining pressures.

Parts of Measuring Equipment:

 Oil inlet and outlet valves

 Gas inlet and outlet valves
 Core
 Porcelain Wetting Plates residing inside Core
 Oil Burette
Overview of Whole Procedure:

 Fluids are let into core through valves.

 Flow due to those two fluids is allowed to stabilize inside the core.
 Two Porcelain wetting disks are present inside the core. One is wetted by Non-Wetting
fluid while other is wetted by the Wetting one.
 Capillary Pressure is found out by noticing the difference between the non-wetting and
wetting.

Comments:

 Saturation variation helps in obtaining capillary pressure curve

 Reservoir Fluids can also be put to use
 Simulates actual reservoir flow when whole core is used
 Time Consuming, needing up to twenty days for maintaining for equilibrium at each
pressure
 Capillary contact with the porous porcelain plate can be lost at very high pressures
 Not very economical

References:
 https://www.spec2000.net/09-  Petroleum Reservoir Engineering Physical


cappres.htm#b2 (12.14 pm) Properties by James W. AMYX, Daniel M.

 Petrophysics, Theory and Practice of

http://petrowiki.org/Capillary_pressure BASS, JR, Robert L. Whiting
#Drainage_and_imbibition_for_a_stron


gly_wet_system (6.00 pm) Measuring Reservoir Rock and Fluid
http://web.mst.edu/~numbere/cp/chap
Transport Properties By Djebbar Tiab and

ter%203.htm (6.35 pm)
Erle C. Donaldson
 Formation Evaluation MSc Course Notes
http://wiki.aapg.org/Capillary_pressure


(9.45 pm)
http://slideplayer.com/slide/8283781/ by Dr. Paul Glover


(10.30 pm)
skj/ResTek1-
v03/Notater/Tamu.Lecture.Notes/Capill
ary.Pressure/Lecture_16.ppt ( 10.50 pm)

Date of Access: 20-12-2017