Attachments: LAB 10 REPORT

Determination of Relative Permeability

Introduction

Hydrocarbon reservoir rocks are usually saturated with two or more fluids, including irreducible
water, oil and gas. When more than one fluid is present in a reservoir, they interact with each other
interfering with their flow, hence reducing the apparent permeability of the reservoir. In these cases,
the flow of each fluid is a function of the wettability of the rock, the wetting phase, the saturation of
each fluid in the rock, the distribution of those fluids, and the saturation history. To describe the
simultaneous flow of more than one fluid, we generalize Darcy’s Law by introducing the concept of
effective and relative permeability.
Effective permeability is the permeability of a rock to a particular fluid when more than one
fluid is present in the formation. Once we have calculated the effective permeability of the rock, we
can calculate the relative permeability at the predetermined flowrate used; then, we can generate a
plot of relative permeability of oil and water against water saturation to produce relative
permeability curves. This plot is of great use to petroleum engineers because it helps determine the
irreducible water saturation, residual oil concentration, and wettability of the core sample.

Experimental Procedure

For this lab, relative permeability is measured using the steady state flow method. The basic setup is
like the one used during the liquid permeability lab; two pumps are required: one to inject water and
the other to inject oil. The procedures used during this lab involve a desaturation sequence; initially,
the core sample is saturated 100% with water and weighed, then, oil and water are injected at
predetermined ratios. Each fluid ratio is maintained until steady state flow is reached indicating
saturation is stable, then, the core is removed and weighed following each iteration. The results of
the experiment were provided by the TA and are recorded on Table 1.
Table 1 - Data Provided by TA
Run qoil (cc/min) qwater (cc/min) ∆P (psi) Weight (grams)
1water 0.00 10.0 46.79 412.00
2water&oil 10.0 0.00 1039.68 409.36
3water&oil 2.20 7.80 456.45 409.86
4water&oil 0.43 9.57 235.70 410.35
5water&oil 0.10 9.90 132.35 411.01
6water&oil 0.00 10.0 71.98 411.57

To begin relative permeability determination, convert the data given on Table 1 to appropriate
Darcy Equation units and record the results on Table 2.

Table 2 - Data Converted to Appropriate Units for Darcy Equation

Run qoil (cc/sec) qwater (cc/sec) ∆P (atm) Weight (grams)
1water 0.00 0.1667 3.1839 412.00
2water&oil 0.1667 0.00 70.7460 409.36
3water&oil 0.0367 0.1300 31.0596 409.86
4water&oil 0.0072 0.1595 16.0384 410.35
5water&oil 0.0017 0.1650 9.0059 411.01
6water&oil 0.00 0.1667 4.8979 411.57

Calculate the pore volume of the core sample using Eq. 1 and dry-weight data provided by TA.

W saturated /water −W dry 412 g−390 g

V pore = = =22 cc
ρ water g ………….……….……….……………… Eq. 1
1.0
cc

Calculate the cross-sectional area and length of the core sample in appropriate Darcy Equation units
with data provided by TA using Eq. 2 and Eq. 3 respectively.
A= ( π4 ) d =( π4 ) ¿ ¿ ……….……….……….………………...… Eq. 2
2

L=6 ∈¿ ……….……….……….……….……….……….………..…… Eq. 3

Calculate the absolute permeability of the core sample with the data of the complete water
saturation from Table 2 using Eq. 4.

K cc
|¿|=
( qwater ) ( μwater ) ( L )
=
(0.1667
sec )
(1 cp )(15.24 cm)
=0.0699 Darcy =70 mD ¿
……………. Eq. 4
2
( A )( Δ P) (11.4 cm )(3.1839 atm)

Next, calculate the oil volume in the core sample after every iteration using Eq. 5. W 1 is always the
core weight after complete water saturation and W 2 is the core weight after each water-oil
saturation.

W 1−W 2 412 g−409.36 g

V oil = = =17.6 cc
ρwater −ρoil g g …………………………………………………... Eq. 5
1.0 −0.85
cc cc

Calculate the oil saturation at each injection iteration using Eq. 6 and record the results on Table 3.

V oil 17.6 cc
Soil = = =0.8 ……………………………………………………………………... Eq. 6
V pore 22 cc
Calculate the water saturation at each injection iteration using Eq.7 and record the results on Table
3. Additionally, record these results appropriately on Table 5.

Swater =1−S oil=1−0.8=0.2 …………………………………………………………….. Eq. 7

Table 3 - Saturation of Oil and Water at Every Run

Run Soil Swater
1water 0 1
2water&oil 0.8 0.2
3water&oil 0.65 0.35
4water&oil 0.5 0.5
5water&oil 0.3 0.7
6water&oil 0.13 0.87

Next, Calculate the effective permeability of oil and water at each iteration using Eq. 8 and Eq. 9
respectively. Record the results appropriately on Table 4.

cc
K eff −oil=
( q oil ) ( μ oil ) ( L )
=
( 0.0367
sec )
( 20 cp ) ( 15.24 cm )
=0.0316 Darcy=31.6 mD
…………... Eq. 8
( A ) ( Δ P) ( 11.4 cm2 ) ( 31.0596 atm )

cc
K eff −water=
( q water ) ( μ water ) ( L)
=
( 0.13
sec )
( 1cp ) (15.24 cm )
=0.0056 Darcy =5.59 mD
……... Eq. 9
( A ) ( Δ P) ( 11.4 cm2 ) (31.0596 atm )
Table 4 - Effective Permeability of Oil and Water at Every Run
Run K eff −oil (mD) K eff −water (mD)
1water 0.00 70.0
2water&oil 63.0 0.00
3water&oil 31.6 5.59
4water&oil 12.0 13.3
5water&oil 5.00 24.5
6water&oil 0.00 45.5

Calculate the relative permeability of oil and water at each iteration using Eq. 10 and Eq. 11
respectively. Record the results appropriately on Table 5.

K eff −oil
K rel−oil =
31.6 mD ………………………………………………………..… Eq. 10
K|¿|= =0.45¿
70.0 mD

K eff −water
K rel−water =
5.59 mD ……………………………………………………. Eq. 11
K|¿|= =0.08 ¿
70.0 mD

Table 5 - Relative Permeability of Oil and Water at Every Run

Run K rel−oil K rel−water Swater
1water 0.00 1.00 1
2water&oil 0.90 0.00 0.2
3water&oil 0.45 0.08 0.35
4water&oil 0.17 0.19 0.5
5water&oil 0.07 0.35 0.7
6water&oil 0.00 0.65 0.87
Finally, scatter-plot the results from Table 5 on Fig. 1 with water saturation on the X-axis and
relative permeability of both oil and water on the Y-axis. The K rel−oil trend line is represented with
orange and the K rel−water trend line is represented with blue.

Fig 1 - Relative Permeability Curves for Indiana Limestone Core Sample

Results and Discussions

The data provided by the TA needed to be converted to appropriate Darcy Equation units. Then, the
pore volume and absolute permeability of the core sample were calculated using the first run of the
experiment which completely saturates the core sample with water. We found the pore volume to be
22 cc and the absolute permeability to be 70 mD. Next, to calculate the oil volume in the core at
every step, we derived Eq. 5 as follows:
W 1=W dry + ρ water (V water + V oil )∴ W 1=W dry + ρ water V water + ρ water V oil

W 2 =W dry + ρ water V water + ρ oil V oil

W 1−W 2
W 1−W 2=ρ water V oil− ρoil V oil ∴ V oil =
ρ water− ρoil

After calculating the oil volume in the core at every iteration, we could calculate each phase
saturation and recorded the results on Table 3. Then, we calculated the relative permeability using
the absolute permeability to oil at irreducible water saturation as our base permeability, and
recorded the results on Table 4.
Finally, after analyzing the relative permeability curves produced on Fig 1, we determined
the irreducible water saturation of the core to be 20% and the residual oil concentration to be 15%.
Additionally, we determined that the Indiana limestone where this core originated, is strongly oil
wet because the relative permeability of water significantly increases as water saturation increases.

Conclusions

 Use of appropriate units is essential to adequately use Darcy Equation.

 Relative permeability can be measured in the laboratory and is essential during reservoir
characterization to estimate hydrocarbon production rates.
 Relative permeability curves indicate irreducible water saturation, residual oil concentration,
and wettability of a reservoir rock.
References

PETE 311-Reservoir Petrophysics. Lab 10 - Determination of Relative Permeability. Harold

Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering. Texas A&M University, College Station. Spring
2017

Schlumberger Oilfield Glossary: Where the Oil Field Meets the Dictionary. Various modules.
Schlumberger, Houston. Accessed April 23, 2017