Insights into Multi-Phase Flow Pattern Characteristics and Petrophysical Properties in Heterogeneous Porous Media
Ramin Soltanmohammadi, Shohreh Iraji, T. Rodrigues De Almeida, E. Ruidiaz Munoz, A. Ricardo Fioravanti, Alexandre Campane Vidal
Abstract
Summary Flow pattern modeling of Brazilian pre-salt reservoirs is a sophisticated and complicated task due to complex texture and pore-geometry, and the high heterogeneity of reservoir rock. To overcome this problem, in this study, we examined stromatolite samples collected from Lagoa Salgada in Rio de Janeiro State that analogues to Brazilian pre-salt carbonate rock reservoirs. To scrutinize petrophysical properties, oil recovery factor, and fluid movement pattern in multiphase flow, we divided cores into vugular and fined-grain samples base on average pore size. In the first step of our experiment, we obtained the porosity of each core sample, then core flooding coupled with Computed Tomography (CT) scan to compute absolute permeability and analysis flow pattern during the imbibition and drainage process in both vugular and fined-grain composite rock samples. This segment aimed to explore absolute permeability difference and flow pattern contrast in vugular and fined-grain composites. After interpretation of flow pattern, core flooding was conducted in three different composite rock samples to investigate the final oil recovery factor in vugular, fined-grained, and combined composites.