INRODUCTION TO

PETROLEUM SOFTWARE:
EXERCISE 1 REPORT

NAME: Darshankumar P Patel

Ro.no - 19BPE024
SUBMITTED TO: VIVEK RAMALINGAM
 1. Determination of drainage and imbibition relative permeability of two-phase porous system

OBJECTIVES

a) To calculate and plot the distribution of relative permeability of wetting and non-wetting phases during
drainage scenario.
b) To calculate and plot the distribution of relative permeability of non-wetting phases during imbibition
scenario.
c) To plot trapped non-wetting phase saturation along flow reversal saturation.
d) Optional: To sketch an algorithm (only flow chart) to calculate drainage and imbibition relative
permeability numerically using any programming platform.

BACKGROUND THEORY

Relative permeability is the ease by which individual fluids flow through a porous formation, when two or
more immiscible fluids flow coherently. Relative permeability is the fundamental petrophysical that governs
the distribution of fluids in the formation. The dynamics of fluid flow varies with the type of fluid whether it
is wetting fluid or non-wetting fluid which is being displaced in the pore spaces. For instance, when the
nonwetting fluid is displacing the wetting fluid, then the porous medium is said to be under drainage scenario.
Whereas, when wetting fluid is displacing the non-wetting fluid, then the porous medium is said to be under
imbibition scenario. However, the distribution of relative permeability along saturation of wetting fluid is
irreversible.

The analytical representation of relative permeability is most widely used in numerical models. In this
experiment, Brooks Corey based relative permeability model is being used for computing the drainage relative
permeability of the formation.
2+3𝜆

Wetting phase relative permeability: 𝑘𝑟𝐷𝑟,𝑤 = 𝑆𝑒 𝜆 (Eq. 1)

2+𝜆

Non-wetting phase relative permeability: 𝑘𝑟𝐷𝑟,𝑛𝑤 = (1 − 𝑆𝑒)2 ∗ [1 − 𝑆𝑒 (Eq. 2)

The superscript (Dr) in Eq. 1 & 2 represents the drainage scenario. Se is the effective saturation,

𝑆𝑤−𝑆𝑤𝑟
[𝑆𝑒 = 1 −𝑆𝑤𝑟−𝑆𝑛𝑤𝑟]. The parameter is related to the pore size distribution, which is taken as 2 in the

present study. Swr and Swnr are the irreducible wetting phase saturation and residual non-wetting phase

saturation, respectively.

1
The imbibition relative permeability of the non-wetting fluid is computed using the model presented in
Killough (SPE 5016-PA, 1976).

𝑘𝑟𝐼𝑚,𝑛𝑤(𝑆𝑛𝑤) = 𝑘𝑟𝐷𝑟,𝑛𝑤 𝑛𝑤𝑖 𝑆 −𝑆 𝛽

(Eq. 3)
𝑆𝑛𝑤𝑖−𝑆𝑛𝑤𝑡

Where,

𝑘𝑟𝐼𝑚,𝑛𝑤(𝑆𝑛𝑤) represents the relative permeability of non-wetting phase at 𝑆𝑛𝑤 during imbibition

𝑘𝑟𝐷𝑟,𝑤(𝑆𝑛𝑤𝑖) represents the relative permeability of wetting phase at 𝑆𝑛𝑤𝑖 during drainage

𝑆𝑛𝑤𝑖
represents the maximum saturation of non-wetting phase attained during drainage process or
the saturation of non-wetting phase at which imbibition scenario take place.

𝑆𝑛𝑤𝑡 represents the trapped non-wetting phase saturation during imbibition, which is calculated
using Land’s trapping coefficient (C).

Snwi
Snwt =
1 + C ∗ Snwi

Land’s trapping coefficient is the property of the porous media which quantifies the fraction of non-wetting
phase being trapped in the porous media during imbibition process. Land’s trapping coefficient for a core
sample is obtained using core flooding experiments.

𝛽 represents the curvature exponent, generally taken as 1.5.

INPUT
Parameters Inputs
Irreducible wetting phase saturation, Swr 0.3
Residual non-wetting phase saturation, Snwr 0.05
2
Land’s trapping coefficient, C 1
β 1.5
PROCEDURE

In the present exercise, the relative permeability curves are calculated and plotted in Microsoft Excel.

2
Calculation of drainage relative permeability:

1. Calculate effective saturation, Se corresponding to individual water saturation (Sw ).

2. Calculate drainage relative permeability of the wetting phase using the equation 1, corresponding to
individual water saturation (Sw ), so that 𝑆𝑤𝑟 ≤ 𝑆𝑤 ≤ (1 − 𝑆𝑛𝑤𝑟).
3. Calculate drainage relative permeability of the non-wetting phase using the equation 2, corresponding
to individual water saturation (Sw ).
4. Plot drainage relative permeability curves (in Y axis) along water saturation (in X axis), as in Figure
1. Provide axis title and legend for the curves.

Calculation of imbibition relative permeability:

1. Calculate trapped non-wetting phase saturation, Snwt.

2. Calculate effective saturation, Se corresponding to individual water saturation (Sw).
3. Calculate drainage relative permeability of the non-wetting phase using the equation 2, corresponding
to individual water saturation (Sw).
4. Calculate imbibition relative permeability of the non-wetting phase using the equation 3,
corresponding to individual non-wetting phase saturation (Snw).
5. Plot imbibition relative permeability curve of non-wetting phase (in Y axis) along water saturation (in
X axis), as in Figure 2. Provide axis title and legend for the curve.

Calculation of trapped non-wetting phase:

1. For increasing values of Snwi from 0 to 1, calculate corresponding values of Snwt using the relation,

Snwi
Snwt =
1 + C ∗ Snwi

2. Plot trapped non-wetting phase saturation (in Y axis) along flow reversal saturation (in X axis), as in
Figure 2 Provide axis title and legend for the curve.

CALCULATIONS
DRAINAGE
Sw So Sw,e Krw Krnw
0.3 0.7 0 0 1
0.35 0.65 0.076923 3.50128E-05 0.847029166
0.4 0.6 0.153846 0.000560204 0.699030146

3
0.45 0.55 0.230769 0.002836035 0.560204475
0.5 0.5 0.307692 0.008963272 0.433913378
0.55 0.45 0.384615 0.021882987 0.322677777
0.6 0.4 0.461538 0.045376562 0.228178285
0.65 0.35 0.538462 0.084065684 0.151255208
0.7 0.3 0.615385 0.143412346 0.091908547
0.75 0.25 0.692308 0.229718847 0.049297994
0.8 0.2 0.769231 0.350127797 0.021742936
0.85 0.15 0.846154 0.512622107 0.006722454
0.9 0.1 0.923077 0.726024999 0.000875319
0.95 0.05 1 1 0

Drainage relative permeability calculations of wetting and non-wetting phase

Imbibition
Sw So Sw,e Krn,dr Krn,im
0.3 0.7 0.00000 1.000000
0.659167 0.06282 0.874839
0.340833333
0.746950831
0.381666667 0.618333 0.12564 0.752435 0.538398957
0.5775 0.18846 0.635203
0.4225 0.372014197
0.463333333 0.536667 0.25128 0.525182 0.244082602
0.504166667 0.495833 0.31410 0.424040
0.149920771
0.455 0.37692 0.333069 0.084260623

0.545
0.585833333 0.414167 0.43974 0.253189
0.041603277
0.626666667 0.373333 0.50256 0.184946 0.016542052
0.6675 0.3325 0.56538 0.128510 0.004063838

4
 0.708334333 0.291666 0.62821 0.083679 0
Imbibition relative permeability calculations

Snwi Snwt
0.6 0.2727
0.5 0.25
0.4 0.2222
0.3 0.1875
0.2 0.1429
0.1 0.0833
0 0

Calculations of Snwt (trapped non-wetting phase saturation)

RESULTS
Drainage and Imbibition relative permeability of two phase porous
system

1
0.9
0.8
RELATTIVE PERMEABILITY

0.7
0.6
0.5 Krw,Dr
0.4 Krn, Dr
0.3 Krn,Im
0.2
0.1
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
WATER SATURATION (SW)

Figure 1 Drainage and Imbibition relative permeability of two-phase porous system

5
 Snwt vs Snwi
0.3

0.25

0.2
SNWT

0.15

0.1

0.05

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
SNWI

Figure 2 Plot of trapped non-wetting phase saturation along flow reversal saturation

Figure 3 Flowchart to calculate drainage relative permeability numerically using any programming
platform

6
 Figure 4 Flowchart to calculate imbibition relative permeability numerically using any programming
platform

OBSERVATION

i. In Drainage process, the relative permeability of wetting phase increases with increasing wetting phase
saturation. Correspondingly, the relative permeability of non-wetting phase decreases with increasing
wetting phase saturation. ii. For imbibition scenario, the relative permeability of non-wetting phase decreases
with increases in wetting phase saturation.
iii. The trapped non-wetting phase saturation increases with increasing flow reversal saturation. iv. For the
calculation of the relative permeability of non-wetting phase during the imbibition process, a parameter ‘C’
is playing a significant role.
v. The changes in the value of C would lead to changes in trapped non-wetting phase saturation which
directly affects the relative permeability of non-wetting phase.