Abstract

ABSTRACT By using a compositional simulator together with experiments, we analyze the physical processes that control the initiation and propagation of fingered fronts in porous media which contain permeability variations. Miscible displacements at both favorable and unfavorable mobility ratios are studied and the effects of the standard deviation and spatial variability of the permeability on these displacements are discussed. A developed-miscible process is also studied and the interplay of capillary pressure with permeability variations is presented. To represent the spatial and frequency distribution of the permeability in the simulator, we have taken 1600 (40 × 40) surface permeability measurements on each of two 2 ft by 2 ft slabs of Berea rock and entered these numbers directly into the simulator. Displacement experiments at various mobility ratios were then conducted in this rock and the results compared to the simulations. Although only laboratory-scale systems are studied, the concepts and insights which we present can help interpret larger-scale systems. The results can be used not only to judge the degree of detail needed to simulate permeability variations for a given process, but also to gauge the robustness of a process to permeability variations.

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