Fractal analysis of spontaneous imbibition mechanism in fractured-porous dual media reservoir

Abstract

Low permeability oil reservoirs are usually accompanied with fracture development, forming fracture-matrix dual porosity medium. Spontaneous imbibition is a crucially important recovery mechanism in naturally fractured reservoir with water deriving, in which non-wetting phase is displaced in either co-current or counter-current manner. In this work, the criterion (inverse bond number) and fractal model for spontaneous imbibition mechanism of dual-porosity medium are developed, and the analytical expression for structure constant is also derived based on the fractal characteristics of pores in porous matrix. The improved fractal model for inverse bond number can be expressed as a function of porosity, pore fractal dimension, flow tortuosity, maximum pore diameter, height of matrix, density difference between oil and water, interfacial tension and contact angle. The present model predictions are shown to be in agreement with the available results. The dominion for criterion of imbibition mechanism is plotted, which provides a theoretical basis of adding surfactant in water for enhancing oil recovery in low permeability reservoirs.