Abstract
ABSTRACT When oil-wet fractured fields are produced by natural water-drive, the ultimate oil recoveryof the block depends on the final balance between the capillary and gravity forces. Therefore to get reliable performance predictions with dual-porosity simulators, an accurate determination of the capillary pressure curve is needed. Oil-water gravity segregation mechanisms were investigated, by performing wettability tests, waterfloods and long-term gravity segregation experiments on field samples with live fluids. Experimental and numerical results indicate that the oil recovery by water gravity drainage can be significant (depending on the matrix permeability). However when assuming no capillary continuity between blocks in a moderately fractured reservoir, the numerical predictionof the gravity segregation efficiency is very sensitive to the capillary pressure input inthe very low pressure range (less than -0.5 psia). An alternative method is proposed to accurately determine in reservoir conditions the crude oil-brine capillary pressure curve. It consists of matching by numerical simulation the transient production and differential pressure of an ultra-low rate waterflood, followed by floods at increasing rates. The reliability of this approach has been checked by simulating correctly some laboratory gravity drainage experiments.
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