Reservoir Simulation

Upon the application of Darcy’s law (which arises from the momentum balance for a single fluid phase flowing through a rock matrix),

Can we assume ALL the following in an oil reservoir,

towards rewriting the momentum balance for the fluid?

(A)Rock remaining to be chemically inert; and acting as a rigid matrix;

(B)Fluid remaining to be Newtonian, with momentum transfer through shear stresses being negligible compared with momentum exchange to the rock; and resulting stress tensor in the fluid to remain to be isotropic;

(C)Gravity is the only body force;

(D)Momentum exchange to the rock takes the form of isotropic Stokes drag;

(E)Fluid’s inertia has a negligible effect on its momentum balance when compared to momentum losses to the rock matrix.

Dr Suresh Kumar Govindarajan,

Professor [HAG],

IIT-Madras

25-Feb-2025