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soc.ietgof PatrdetKnEn@eere
SE 15730
Thm paper was prepsred for presentation et Ihe Flflh SPE M,ddle East Oil Show held in Maname, Bahrain, March 7-10, 1987.
This psper wae selected for presemeuon by an SPE Program Commmee followingrewew of Informahonconlained m an abstract subminsd by the
author(s). Contents of lhe PaPar. as presomed. have not been rawewed by Ihe SOClety Of Petroleum Engmaars and are aubjecl 10 correction by the
author(s). The matanal, as presen!ad. does nol necessarily reflect any pOsNlOn of Ihe Society of PetrOleum Engmeera. (la officers, or mambere. Papera
presented at SPE meehngs are subject to publ#c8110n rewew by Ednlor,al Commmees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers Permms#on to copy La
res!rrcted to an abslracl of not more !han 300 worda Illustrations may not be copred. The abstract should corwam Conspicuous acknowledgment of
where and by whom the paper IS presented. Write Publlcsbons Manager, SPE. P.O. Box 833S36. Richardson, TX 760S3.3636. Telex, 730989 SPEDAL.
In this study, rock porosity, and absolute and 4 as recommended by Rapoport and Leas [14]. Viscoait
relative permeabilities at hydrostatic loading and density were respectively meaaured by maans of
:onditions in the range of 0.69-41.37 MPa (loo to capillary viscometer and a pycnometer.
5000 psi) have been investigated with the aim of
identifying the effect of overburden pressure on
Lheae parameters. The pore pressure was maintained at
~tmospheric pressure in order to correlate the RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
applied confining pressure with the net overburden
pressure. Effect of Overburden Pressure on
Absolute Permeability
~Qe
w
.
SP)?,
15730 H.S. ALI, M.A. AL-MARHOUN, S.A. ABU-KHAMSIN ANDM.S. CELIK 3
matrix due to compaction of sand grains at higher the core due to smaller pore sizes with increasing
stresses. overburden pressure.
A logarithmic correlation has been developed to The maximum oil permeability is calculated frtm
relate porosity and overburden pressure in the form the oil effective permeability and absolute perne-
Of: ability measured at the same value of overburden
pressure. Maximum oil relative permeability versus
$ = Pd (3) overburden pressure plots, Itig.7, show a decrease in
oil relative permeability from 0.2664 at 6,89 kPa
where $ and P denote porosity and overburden (100 psi) to 0.2172 at 34.47 MPa (5000 psi). The
pressure, respectively. c and d are constants for a maximum water relative permeability calculated from
given rock sample. Linear regression analysia [15] is water effective and absolute permeabilities under the
utilized to estimate these constants based on 19 same overburden pressure is also illustrated in Fig.
experimental data points to yield the following: 7. The maximum water relative permeability decreases
from a value of 0.0534 at 6.89 kPa (100 psi) to a
value of 0.0442 at 34.47 MPa (5000 psi).
-0.01002
4 = 1.2925 P (4)
Jones and Roszelle [13] method is employed to
Statistical error analysis is applied to evaluate calculate the water and oil relative permeabilities
the accuracy of the developed relations. High val- based on the recorded data of pressure and volumes
ues of the correlation coefficient are obtained which produced during the displacement process. The results
clearly demonstrate the accuracy of the developed co- for oil and water relative permeabilities versus
rrelationa. water saturation at three levels of overburden
pressure are plotted in Fig. 8. The data reveal a
The main advantage of the developed correlations pronounced reduction in kro with increase in over-
ia to eliminate the need to apply high net overburden burden pressure compared to the negligible effect on
pressures to simulate reservoir conditions in the kW An explanation for this phenomenon is afforded
course of permeability and porosity measurements. in the following manner. As the overburden pressure
Correlations in the form of (1) and (3) can is increaaed, the sand grains are brought close~
conveniently predict the samples porosity and together causing a general shift in the pore throa
permeability at high overburden pressures. diameter distribution towards smaller values. For a
given Sw, this leada to redistribution of the wetting
phase (water) to occupy more pore throats, While this
Effect of Overburden Pressure on Relative should not cause any significant change in km. it
Permeability leads to more blockage of oil flow and hence reduces
kro.
The irreducible water saturation obtained from the
oil flood at the end ot the drainage process
increased from an average value of 27.7% at 6.89 NPa CONCLUSIONS
(1000 psi) to 31% at 41.37 MPa (6000 psi). The
irreducible water saturation versus the overburden 1. Absolute permeability decreases with increasing
pressure data shown in Fig. 5 exhibits a linear overburden pressure. Most of the decrease in
trend. This increase in irreducible water saturation permeability takea place in the pressure range of
is the result of increased capillary forces due to O to 20.67 MPa (3000 psi).
decreaae in pore sizes at high overburden pressures.
%e residual oil saturation obtained from water flood 2. Repaated stress cycles on the same core cause a
..t the end of imbibition process also increases from reduction of 5% and 3X in horizontal and vertical
al average value of 71.4% at 1000 psi to 342 at 41.37 permeability values, respectively. This effect
MPa (6000 psi) as shown in Fig. 5. Similarly. the is possibly attributed to plastic deformation
residual oil saturation versus overburden pressure incurred in the rock matrix.
data show a linear trend. The increase in residual
oil saturation is again attributed to the increase in 3. The porosity measured at 42.40 MPa drops to 93%
capillary forces, which causes the non-wetting phase of its initial value measured at atmospheric
to be trapped in larger pores. pressure. Most of the decrease in porosity takes
place in the pressure range of O to 13.79 MPa.
The recorded data of pressure drop and flowrate at
the end of the drainage process are utilized to 4. The lesser decrease in porosity and permeability
calculate the oil effective permeability using at higher stresses ia ascribed to increased rock
Darcys law. The oil effective permeability decreases rigidity.
from 70.3 md at 6.89 MPa (1000 psi) to 53.8 md at
41.37 MPa (6000 psi) aa illustrated in Fig. 6. 5. A correlation between permeability and overburden
pressure and alao between porosity and overburden
The water effective permeability is also pressure has been developed using linear
calculated using Darcys law from the pressure drop regression analyais. Both correlations are found
and flowrate data obtained at the end of the to be logarithmic. It appears that reduction in
imbibition process. As shown in Fig. 6, the water permeability is independent of the initial value.
effective permeability decreases from 15.07 d at
6.89 MPa (1000 psi) to 12.40 md at 41.37 MPa (6000 6. The irreducible water and residual oil
psi). The decrease in water effective permeability is saturations increase with increase in overburden
again attributed to increased pressure drop across pressure.
---
337
.
. While the oil relative permeability decreases as 7. Ouens, W., et al: The Effect of Rock Nettability
the overburden pressure increases, the decrease on Oil-Water Relative Permeability Relation-
in writerrelative permeability is negligible. ships, J. Pet. Tech. (July 1971) pp. 873-878.
2. McLatchie, A.S., Hemstock, R.A., snd Young, J.W.: 13. Jones, S.C.,and Roszelle, W.O.: Graphical
The Effective Compressibility of Reservoir Rock Technique for Determining Relative Permeability
and Its Effects on Permeability, Trans., AIME from Displacement Experiments, J. Pet. Tech.
(1958) pp. 386-388. (May 1978) pp. 807-817.
3. Dobrynin, V.::.:Effect of Overburden Pressure on 14. Rapoport, L.A., and Leas, W.J.: Properties of
Some Properties of Sandstone, Sot. Pet. Eng. J. Linear Water Floods, JPT (1953) pp. 139-148,
(Ott.1962) pp. 360-366. Trans., AIME, 198.
$. Gray, D., Fatc, I., and Bergamini, G.: The 15. A1-Marhoun, M.A.: Pressure-Volume-Temperature
Effect of Stress on Permeability of Sandstone Correlation for Saudi Crude Oils, paper SPE
Cores, Sot. Pet. Eng..J.(June 1963) pp. 95-100, 13718 presented at the SPE Oil Exhibition and
Trans., AIME, 2%8. Conference 1985, Bahrain, March 1985, pp. 11-1)+.
338
s!% 15730
Micrdrt
raduated
Y1iivaer
ii
I 0 Horizortnl Permeability
.-
100 OVER13URDEN PRESSURE , LWi
0 moo 21+11 mm 501X) 6032
Fig. 2-Horizontal and veftleel pormeablllty vu. overburden pressure. Fig. 3-Varietlcm of pemteablllty retlo with overburden preeeuro.
339
.
~pE 157230
?3cc-
*&
mw
Is 25.
m o?.
!775
m? 2002 3W0 Low 5000 bKO
OVERBURDEN PRESSURE, P* t
0271
0 mm 2000 3cm mon Woo 6mo
Fig 4- Mwl.m2 potosiwas n furaoo. ot overtwram prcswro
OVERBURDEN PRESSURE, 0,1
026
1~
0 ZL
022
020 0 011
0 water
. ~
lccn 20C0
OVERBUR9[N
30X Low
PRESSURE,
mm
P. i
I_____o 2030 3032 KKo
rq 6EHKI 01 ovorbwdo. press.re on .JIIand waterelhcllve pmne.b{lmes Fig. 7-E12ect 01cwwb.fden pr..%.m cmIIWXlmurn.2(1and waterrolal!vepmm.ab[llllw. w
\ >000 F.S1
. .- 3000 pe.1
o
----------- 1000 psi
**
Om
wATER SAIURA110N
PIN 8-E flact 01M and W.lW mlmlve psmeabllltlm.. e MICI1O. 01waterWt. Ic-
Non l dlflerwit owb.ww. pmasures.
340