Characterization of Primary and Secondary Recovery Processes in an Oil Reservoir: Theoretical Assumptions and Experimental Limitations
Part 14
1. Since, the concept of a ‘general’ solution using modeling approaches remain to be virtually meaningless, would it remain feasible to analyze the reservoir by incorporating the specific and well-defined reservoir non-uniformity @ laboratory-scale using experimental investigations?
Feasible to have a control over the pressure gradient that occurs normal to the flow direction (when the invading and displaced fluids have differing mobility) during core analysis?
Feasible to analyze multi-layer core samples having variable rock and fluid properties in each layer (not with an idealized stratification, which just provides a statistical equivalence to the actual non-uniformity in reservoir rock properties); in the presence of cross-flow among these multiple layers (not with cent percent areal or pattern sweep efficiency, while cross flow becomes inevitable @ pore-scale), while including oil stripping in the flooded part of the formation and behind the advancing oil-water interface?
Under such circumstances, whether the penetration of an injected fluid front (which will follow the individual layer’s permeability variations) – would remain to be continuous from core-inlet (injection well) to core-outlet (producing well)?
2. While validating Dykstra-Parson’s semi-empirical correlation for quantifying stratification effects on oil recovery (despite having a good control over mobility ratio and initial water saturation), would it remain feasible to have a control over (a) vertical permeability variation; and (b) the fractional recovery of oil in place at a given producing water-oil ratio @ laboratory-scale?
Suresh Kumar Govindarajan
https://home.iitm.ac.in/gskumar/
https://iitm.irins.org/profile/61643