Three-phase oil/water and gas/water experiments were performed to investigate the dependence of relative permeability on wettability. Quantitative fluid saturations were determined with an X-ray computer-aided tomography (CT) scanner. Oil, water, and gas distributions generated in 3D were found, in some cases, to be highly nonuniform and dependent on experimental conditions. Results indicate that some traditional thinking about measuring relative permeability may be in error and merits further investigation.

Keywords:
relative permeability, oil saturation, enhanced recovery, injection, saturation distribution, upstream oil & gas, attenuation, gas water relative perme, saturation, steady state
Subjects:
Flow in porous media, Formation Evaluation & Management, Improved and Enhanced Recovery, Reservoir Fluid Dynamics
Copyright 1993, Society of Petroleum Engineers
You can access this article if you purchase or spend a download.