Abstract
The present study is aimed at an investigation of the pressure gradient/phase saturation correlation in the flow of an oil‐water mixture through a parallel‐plate (single fracture) model. It was found that the correlation depends on the interaction between the two flowing fluids, or flow pattern, which is in turn governed by the injection method, water flow rate, viscosity ratio, fracture aperture, and fracture surface roughness. Three distinct flow patterns were identified, namely, channel, dispersed, and mixed flows. Measurements of pressure gradient and phase saturation suggest that the widely used Romm's relative permeability relationship is applicable to channel flow in which oil and water phases are continuous in the fracture. For dispersed or mixed flow in which either the oil or water phase is discontinuous, a Lockhart‐Martinelli type correlation developed for gas‐liquid flow in pipes should be valid at low viscosity ratio but not at high viscosity ratio and water flow rate.
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