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Effects of wettability and pore geometry on mobilization of oil and gas in physical models and application to water‐alternating‐gas (WAG) injections
Author(s) -
Kong V. W. Tang,
Wardlaw N. C.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.5450690131
Subject(s) - wetting , hysteresis , capillary action , radius , surface tension , mobilization , contact angle , tube (container) , materials science , capillary pressure , petroleum engineering , composite material , chemistry , thermodynamics , geology , porous medium , physics , history , porosity , computer science , computer security , archaeology , quantum mechanics
Experiments in capillary tubes show that the mobilization of discontinuous oil and/or gas in a hydrophobic (oil‐wet) system requires a pressure gradient of about 6 to 7 times larger than for a comparable water‐wet system. The mobilization pressure is directly proportional to the contact angle hysteresis and interfacial tension and inversely proportional to tube radius. For experiments in glass micromodels, where pores were ∼ 3 times as large as connecting throats, mobilization pressures for oil‐wet systems were only ∼ 1.7 times as large as for equivalent water‐wet systems and pore geometry had more effect on mobilization pressure than did differences in wettability. These pore‐level events are thought to affect mobility within WAG banks used to stabilize gas drives.