Laboratory Investigation of Free Fall Gravity Drainage in Fractured Porous Systems Using Unconsolidated Macromodels

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 2356-2372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sohrab Zendehboudi ◽  
Ioannis Chatzis
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Investigation ◽  
Free Fall ◽  
Gravity Drainage

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF FREE FALL AND CONTROLLED GRAVITY DRAINAGE PROCESSES IN POROUS MEDIA

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sohrab Zendehboudi ◽  
Ali Shafiei ◽  
Ioannis Chatzis ◽  
Maurice B. Dusseault
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Porous Media ◽  
Free Fall ◽  
Gravity Drainage

scholarly journals Experimental and Modelling Study of Gravity Drainage in a Three-Block System

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamidreza Erfani ◽  
Abtin Karimi Malekabadi ◽  
Mohammad Hossein Ghazanfari ◽  
Behzad Rostami
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Model ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Tilt Angle ◽  
Free Fall ◽  
Recovery Factor ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Horizontal Fracture ◽  
Block System ◽  
Matrix Blocks

AbstractGravity drainage is known as the controlling mechanism of oil recovery in naturally fractured reservoirs. The efficiency of this mechanism is controlled by block-to-block interactions through capillary continuity and/or reinfiltration processes. In this study, at first, several free-fall gravity drainage experiments were conducted on a well-designed three-block apparatus and the role of tilt angle, spacers’ permeability, wettability and effective contact area (representing a different status of the block-to-block interactions between matrix blocks) on the recovery efficiency were investigated. Then, an experimental-based numerical model of free-fall gravity drainage process was developed, validated and used for monitoring the saturation profiles along with the matrix blocks. Results showed that gas wetting condition of horizontal fracture weakens the capillary continuity and in consequence decreases the recovery factor in comparison with the original liquid wetting condition. Moreover, higher spacers’ permeability increases oil recovery at early times, while it decreases the ultimate recovery factor. Tilt angle from the vertical axis decreases recovery factor, due to greater connectivity of matrix blocks to vertical fracture and consequent channelling. Decreasing horizontal fracture aperture decreases recovery at early times but increases the ultimate recovery due to a greater extent of capillary continuity between the adjacent blocks. Well match observed between the numerical model results and the experimental data of oil recovery makes the COMSOL multiphysics model attractive for application in multi-blocks fractured systems considering block-to-block interactions. The findings of this research improve our understanding of the role of different fracture properties on the block-to-block interactions and how they change the ultimate recovery of a multi-block system.

EFFECTS OF FRACTURE PROPERTIES ON THE BEHAVIOR OF FREE-FALL AND CONTROLLED GRAVITY DRAINAGE PROCESSES

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 343-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sohrab Zendehboudi ◽  
Nima Rezaei ◽  
Ioannis Chatzis
Keyword(s):  
Free Fall ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Fracture Properties

Experimental Study of the Fracture and Matrix Effects on Free-Fall Gravity Drainage With Micromodels

SPE Journal ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (02) ◽  
pp. 324-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Bahari Moghaddam ◽  
Mohammad Reza Rasaei
Keyword(s):  
Production Rate ◽  
Oil Production ◽  
Free Fall ◽  
Gravity Drainage ◽  
Permeability Ratio ◽  
Fracture Spacing ◽  
Matrix Block ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Fracture Opening ◽  
Single Matrix

Summary Free-fall gravity drainage (FFGD) is the main production mechanism in the gas-invaded zone of fractured reservoirs. The gravity and capillary forces are two major forces that control the production performance of a fractured system under an FFGD mechanism. Gravity force acts as a driving force to remove oil from the matrix block whereas the resistive capillary force tends to keep oil inside the matrix. In this study, a series of experiments was performed to study the effects of the geometrical characteristics of the fracture and matrix on the oil-production rate under an FFGD mechanism by use of a glass micromodel. The oil-recovery factor (RF) was also obtained for a single matrix block by use of different patterns. Results from the experiments show that different flow regimes occur during the production life of a single matrix block under a FFGD mechanism. The fluid flow is controlled by the capillary-dominated regime at the early stage and late time of production life, whereas it shows a stabilized bulk flow under a gravity-dominated regime is exhibited at other times. Experimental results revealed that for a narrow fracture opening, fracture capillary pressure has a form similar to that of the matrix block. Also, it was observed that the oil-production rate and RF of the matrix block decreased as the permeability ratio between two media (matrix block and fracture) increased. Lower production rate is achieved in larger-fracture-spacing micromodels. In addition, wider vertical fractures lead to an early breakthrough of gas in bottom horizontal fracture that makes up the main portion of oil traps in the matrix block, and this reduces the RF. Results from this study show that in a heterogeneous layered matrix block, both the drainage rate and RF decrease in comparison with a homogeneous matrix block. Finally, a multiple linear-regression analysis was performed to understand the dimensionless groups affecting the RF of the FFGD process. It was found that the Bond number cannot truly describe the process and other parameters such as the fracture-/matrix-permeability ratio; fracture spacing and fracture opening should also be considered.

Effect of Wettability in Free-Fall and Controlled Gravity Drainage in Fractionally Wet Porous Media with Fractures

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 4452-4468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sohrab Zendehboudi ◽  
Nima Rezaei ◽  
Ioannis Chatzis
Keyword(s):  
Porous Media ◽  
Free Fall ◽  
Gravity Drainage
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