Effect of connectivity and wettability on the relative permeability of NAPLs

The characteristic relationships among relative permeability (K _r ), saturation (S) and capillary pressure (P) of NAPLs are the important constitutive laws to simulate the NAPLs flow in the subsurface. In this study, a micro model was used to obtain the values of permeability, saturation for the multi-phase flow of five fluid-pairs. The perspective micro model allows one to clearly observe the multiphase flow and allow this study to precisely measure the fluid saturation by digital image analysis. The experimental results showed hysteresis phenomenon of relative permeability versus saturation and that was not interpreted by previous studies. By carefully examining the recorded images, this study found that the degree of the connectivity for the micro channel occupied by wetting phase fluid could influence the relative permeability. Therefore, for the same saturation, the relative permeability in the imbibition is higher than that in the drainage. The results of the K _r –S experiments for five fluid-pairs also showed that the residual saturation of wetting phase fluid decreased with the wettability increasing but increased with the interfacial tension increasing. Those interpretations and experimental results are valuable references for groundwater remediation and oil reservoir development.     

Effects of permeability and porosity evolution on simulated earthquakes

Numerical simulations are a fundamental tool to access the typical conditions attained during earthquake instabilities and to simulate the large number of dissipative processes taking places during faulting. In this study we consider a single-degree-of-freedom spring-slider system, a simplified fault model which can describe the whole seismic cycle and the dynamics of a fault with spatially homogeneous properties. We assume a rate- and state-dependent friction in which we incorporate the effects of pore fluid pressure, thermally-pressurized as a consequence of the frictional heat produced during sliding. We explore, in a single framework, the role of the time variations of the porosity, permeability or both, ultimately leading to changes in hydraulic diffusivity, which has been recognized as one of the key parameters in thermally-pressurized faults. Our synthetic ruptures show that the changes in the hydraulic diffusivity only due to porosity variations do not markedly affect the earthquake recurrence (cycle time), the traction evolution and the thermal history of the fault. On the contrary, when the evolutions of both the porosity and the permeability are accounted for, the cycle time is significantly reduced. This result has a clear implication in the context of the hazard assessment.     

Electro-osmotic permeability model based on ions migration

Acta Geotechnica - Electro-osmotic permeability is a very important parameter in soil drainage and electrochemical remediation. The present widely used equation for calculating the electro-osmotic...     

Effects of in-situ conditions on relative permeability characteristics of CO2-brine systems

Carbon dioxide capture and geological storage (CCGS) is an emerging technology that is increasingly being considered for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. Deep saline aquifers provide a very large capacity for CO₂ storage and, unlike hydrocarbon reservoirs and coal beds, are immediately accessible and are found in all sedimentary basins. Proper understanding of the displacement character of CO₂-brine systems at in-situ conditions is essential in ascertaining CO₂ injectivity, migration and trapping in the pore space as a residual gas or supercritical fluid, and in assessing the suitability and safety of prospective CO₂ storage sites. Because of lack of published data, the authors conducted a program of measuring the relative permeability and other displacement characteristics of CO₂-brine systems for sandstone, carbonate and shale formations in central Alberta in western Canada. The tested formations are representative of the in-situ characteristics of deep saline aquifers in compacted on-shore North American sedimentary basins. The results show that the capillary pressure, interfacial tension, relative permeability and other displacements characteristics of CO₂-brine systems depend on the in-situ conditions of pressure, temperature and water salinity, and on the pore size distribution of the sedimentary rock. This paper presents a synthesis and interpretation of the results.     

构造变形对海相页岩储层渗透率演化的影响

与北美不同,中国南方海相页岩层经历了多期构造改造,页岩储层物性受构造变形作用的影响较大。为了研究构造变形对南方海相页岩储层渗透率的影响特征和机理,以雪峰山西侧地区五峰-龙马溪组页岩为研究对象,利用气体脉冲衰减法、压汞法和扫描电子显微镜等手段对不同变形页岩样品的渗透率、孔隙结构及孔隙形貌特征进行了测试分析,探讨构造变形页岩的渗透率演化特征及其对孔隙结构演化的响应机理。测试结果显示,强烈构造变形页岩的渗透性较原生页岩和弱变形页岩的渗透性显著提高,强变形页岩样品的渗透率在0.2 mD和2.69 mD之间,比未变形和弱变形页岩样品的渗透率(在1.5×10-4 mD和1.7×10-3 mD之间)高三个数量级,表明强构造变形作用对页岩渗透率具有显著促进作用;同时,不同有效压力条件下页岩渗透率的演化特征显示,强变形页岩气体渗透率的压力敏感性比原生页岩和弱变形页岩显著降低。构造变形条件下页岩孔隙结构与渗透率相关性的进一步分析认为,强变形页岩的孔隙结构变化特别是大孔和裂隙的发育,是促进其渗透率增加的主要原因。这些研究结果表明,伴随强烈的构造变形,南方海相页岩易形成大孔和微裂隙发育的孔隙结构特征,有助于强变形页岩层渗透性的显著提高。构造变形页岩渗透率的提高有利于地质条件下气体的运移,一方面,将有利于页岩气往构造高点的迁移和富集从而形成游离气型或外源型页岩气甜点;另一方面,也可能导致页岩气在盖层条件不佳和断裂发育区的散失。      

损伤和剪胀效应对裂隙煤体渗透率演化规律的影响研究

煤层瓦斯渗透率是影响瓦斯抽采和动力灾害防治的重要参数。为了研究煤体损伤和剪胀变形对渗透率的影响,首先引入损伤变量反映煤体损伤破坏状态,建立了基于体应变增量的煤体损伤本构模型。并采用Hurst指数表征裂隙表面粗糙度,基于裂隙表面的分形特征,建立了裂隙渗透率在压缩和剪切作用下的演化模型。通过对TOUGH2和FLAC3D软件进行二次开发,建立了基于双重孔隙模型的TOUGH2(CH4)-FLAC气-固耦合数值分析工具。采用本软件对煤样单轴压缩过程进行模拟分析,结果表明：煤体的破坏是损伤单元累积和贯通的结果,最终形成贯通煤体的损伤带是造成煤体失稳破坏的主因;围岩内的渗透率增加区域与损伤区位置基本一致,其中裂隙系统的渗透率增加幅度最大可达2个数量级;剪切破坏区的裂隙发生剪胀变形,引起裂隙渗透率大幅增加。建立的理论模型与数值计算工具为制定瓦斯治理措施提供了理论指导。     

西湖凹陷某构造低渗储层成岩演化研究

使用西湖凹陷某构造的常规岩石薄片、铸体薄片、扫描电镜及储层物性分析资料,利用视压实率、视胶结率和视溶蚀率等参数,定量研究了西湖凹陷某构造低渗储层成岩演化序列及孔隙演化过程.研究结果表明:(1)研究区低渗储层孔隙类型以次生溶蚀孔隙为主,粒间溶蚀孔是最主要的次生孔隙类型.(2)机械压实作用是储层低渗的主要因素,导致原始孔隙度损失达65%,溶蚀作用产生的次生溶蚀孔隙一定程度上使储层物性变好.(3)研究区处于中成岩阶段A2期和中成岩阶段B期,成岩演化序列为:①脆性颗粒破碎,塑性颗粒变形,局部绿泥石衬边胶结;②部分长石及岩屑早期溶解,早期石英次生加大;③碳酸盐胶结并交代石英、长石等,石英颗粒发生溶蚀作用;④碳酸盐、长石、岩屑等矿物溶蚀形成次生孔隙,石英次生加大;⑤晚期铁方解石少量胶结、交代.该研究成果可为西湖凹陷低渗气藏优质储层的预测与评价提供科学依据.     

An upscaling approach using adaptive multi-resolution upgridding and automated relative permeability adjustment

The upscaling process of a high-resolution geostatistical reservoir model to a dynamic simulation grid model plays an important role in a reservoir study. Several upscaling methods have been proposed in order to create balance between the result accuracy and computation speed. Usually, a high-resolution grid model is upscaled according to the heterogeneities assuming single phase flow. However, during injection processes, the relative permeability adjustment is required. The so-called pseudo-relative permeability curves are accepted, if their corresponding coarse model is a good representation of the fine-grid model. In this study, an upscaling method based on discrete wavelet transform (WT) is developed for single-phase upscaling based on the multi-resolution analysis (MRA) concepts. Afterwards, an automated optimization method is used in which evolutionary genetic algorithm is applied to estimate the pseudo-relative permeability curves described with B-spline formulation. In this regard, the formulation of B-spline is modified in order to describe the relative permeability curves. The proposed procedure is evaluated in the gas injection case study from the SPE 10th comparative solution project’s data set which provides a benchmark for upscaling problems [1]. The comparisons of the wavelet-based upscaled model to the high-resolution model and uniformly coarsened model show considerable speedup relative to the fine-grid model and better accuracy relative to the uniformly coarsened model. In addition, the run time of the wavelet-based coarsened model is comparable with the run time of the uniformly upscaled model. The optimized coarse models increase the speed of simulation up to 90% while presenting similar results as fine-grid models. Besides, using two different production/injection scenarios, the superiority of WT upscaling plus relative permeability adjustment over uniform upscaling and relative permeability adjustment is presented. This study demonstrates the proposed upscaling workflow as an effective tool for a reservoir simulation study to reduce the required computational time.     

A macroscopic model for predicting the relative hydraulic permeability of unsaturated soils

A macroscopic model for predicting the relative hydraulic permeability of unsaturated soils is proposed. In this model, pores in unsaturated soils are considered to be parallel flow tubes. The water flow in the pores is assumed to take place in the water film on the inside wall of the flow tubes. The viscosity of pore water is considered to be different from the viscosity of pure water and variable with the variation of degree of saturation. The values of tortuosity factor and pore shape factor of unsaturated soils are estimated theoretically. The theoretical model is verified using experimental data for 32 different soils. For application in engineering practice, the value of viscosity of pore water in different soils is proposed.     

基于孔压静力触探确定土体的渗透系数

近年来许多研究者致力于通过孔压静力触探(CPTU)确定土体的渗透系数,但是存在偏差大,而且不能从机制上清楚地解释孔压静力触探确定土体渗透系数的原因。为了应用孔压静力触探现场快速地确定土体的渗透系数,在总结前人对孔压静力触探确定土体渗透系数方法的研究基础上,提出孔压静力触探时锥头处呈球冠形孔隙水流动的计算模型,假定锥头处初始超孔隙水压力为负指数型分布,推导出土体渗透系数的表达式,并且结合现场实测数据,将所提出的方法与已有的方法进行对比分析。研究发现：所提出的方法扩大了现有方法的应用范围;渗透系数计算结果受锥头角度的影响较大,随着锥头角度的增大而增大;针对国际上通用的60°角的标准锥头,所提出的方法计算的渗透系数大于前人的方法,而且更接近室内外试验结果。     

煤体瓦斯渗透率的PSO-LSSVM预测模型

结合有关煤体渗透率的众多研究成果,总结出影响煤体渗透率的3个主要因素为有效应力、温度和瓦斯压力。采用粒子群优化算法(PSO)对最小二乘支持向量机(LSSVM)的参数进行优化选择,并以上述3个因素和抗压强度为输入值,以渗透率为目标输出值,建立煤体瓦斯渗透率的PSO-LSSVM预测模型。利用25组数据进行PSO-LSSVM模型与BP神经网络及支持向量机的比较实验,PSO-LSSVM预测结果与实际值拟合程度优于其他两个模型,且具有更小的误差。实验结果表明,采用PSO-LSSVM模型可由有效应力、温度和瓦斯压力对渗透率进行较高精度的预测。     

基于APSO-WLS-SVM的含瓦斯煤渗透率预测模型

为了较准确预测含瓦斯煤渗透率,有效预防瓦斯安全事故,提出自适应粒子群算法（APSO）优化的加权最小二乘法支持向量机（WLS-SVM）算法。根据对含瓦斯煤渗透率的相关理论及文献研究分析,选取有效应力、瓦斯压力、温度和抗压强度作为主要特征指标,采用APSO算法对WLS-SVM模型的组合参数（C、σ）寻优,建立APSO-WLS-SVM含瓦斯煤渗透率预测模型。结合现场实测资料中的40组数据作为训练样本,其余10组为预测样本,对该模型进行训练与检验,并将其预测结果与利用PSO-WLS-SVM和WLS-SVM模型的预测结果进行对比。结果表明：APSO-WLS-SVM模型的预测效果优于另外2个模型,提高了煤体渗透率的预测性能与泛化能力。     

Modeling permeability in imperfectly layered porous media. II. A two-dimensional application of block-scale permeability

In the previous paper (Zijl and Stam, 1992), a theory has been developed to calculate the nine components of the three-dimensional intrinsic permeability tensor on the scale of a grid-block from a local-scale, predominantly layered subsurface. The resulting block-scale expressions can be written as a perturbation series of which the first term, or zeroth-order solution, coincides with the conventionally applied arithmetic and harmonic averages over the layers of the subsurface. The derived expressions permit the calculation of the diagonal and off-diagonal terms of the permeability tensor. In the present paper, these expressions will be applied in some numerical examples. Two basic two-dimensional hypothetical permeability distributions are adopted, and the various terms of the theoretical expressions are calculated. The results will be used to derive guidelines to discern the situations where higher order solutions can be neglected, and where conventional harmonic and arithmetic averages give a good estimate of the permeability on grid-block scale.     

低渗砂岩储层裂缝发育及演化特征

随着石油工业的发展,低渗透油气藏所占比例越来越大,低渗透砂岩储层中的裂缝能够起到很好的储集和导流作用,对裂缝的研究具有十分重要的意义。牛庄洼陷牛35断块沙三中发育低渗透砂岩,为主要含油层系,前人对研究区低渗砂岩储层中的裂缝研究较少。运用岩心观察、镜下薄片观测及CT扫描技术对牛35块沙三中低渗致密砂岩储层裂缝的发育及演化规律进行研究,得出牛35块宏观裂缝主要发育低、高角度斜交剪切缝,长度在2～20 cm之间,分布间距大,但整体裂缝密度仅为0.27条/m,裂缝很不发育,难以构成有效的裂缝系统;微观裂缝较发育,包括粒内缝和粒间缝,改善了储层的连通性,有助于油气的储集和运移;与牛104井、河125-1井相比,牛35井岩石矿物接触关系更加不稳定,胶结程度更低,更容易在荷载作用下产生裂缝,裂缝由上到下呈辫状发育,裂缝体积随着施加荷载的增大呈线性增加。     

基于DEM的活动构造研究

地形地貌参数指标是分析区域活动构造的有力工具。本文以渭河上游流域的活动构造研究为例,通过提取地貌的参数指标,如面积-高程积分(Hi)、流域盆地不对称度(AF)、山前曲折度(Smf)以及谷底宽度与谷肩高度的比值(Vf)、盆地形状指数(Bs)等,然后对地貌参数指标等级进行算术平均化(S/n),可得到区域的相对构造活动程度(Iat),分为:低、中等、高、较高四类等级。研究认为渭河上游流域的构造活动程度相对高(Iat=1.50),这种方法对探讨整个区域活动构造的差异性具有很好的效果和意义。     

基于能量平衡原理的潜在蒸散发模型构建

为深入探索气候变化背景下更为精确的潜在蒸散发计算方法,在淮北平原五道沟水文水资源实验站开展了3组小型蒸渗仪试验,通过结合平流运动动力项并引入地表净辐射修正参数,基于能量平衡原理提出一种新的潜在蒸散发模型。结果表明：(1) 3组蒸渗仪实测数据中,2组不同加水方式下的草地覆被蒸散发相关性较好(R=0.95);(2)新的潜在蒸散发模型在有草地覆被的2组试验中模拟结果的纳什效率系数(E_NS=0.85)和均方根误差(E_RMS=0.83)均优于现有Penman系列等经验方法;(3)模型更适用于有草地覆被条件下的蒸散发估算,在淮北平原地区具有较强的适用性与优势。该模型能够提高区域潜在蒸散发模拟精度,为流域水循环过程模拟及水资源利用提供科学参考。     

基于分形理论的SWCC边界曲线滞后效应模型研究

微观土颗粒及孔隙分布的非均匀性及由此引起的瓶颈效应是造成非饱和土土-水特征曲线(SWCC)滞后效应的主要原因。引入分形理论,考虑非饱和土孔径及渗流路径的微观分形特性,提出了一个用于描述水在非饱和土中渗流的毛细管模型。模型中将非饱和土孔隙简化为一系列具有不同孔径大小的毛细弯管,其孔径大小及弯曲程度假定服从分形规律。在此基础上,推导得了非饱和土的吸湿与脱湿过程的饱和度S_e~-水头高度h来描述土-水特征曲线滞后效应的特征方程以及饱和度S_e~-相对水力传导系数Kr特征方程。与室内观测结果及已有研究的对比表明,该模型相比以往方法,可更好地模拟非饱和土土-水特征曲线的滞后效应。对非饱和土吸湿与脱湿过程滞后效应的本质进行了对比分析,揭示了滞后效应产生的根本原因在于土体中流通孔隙大小的非均匀性。     

PPTS-1压力传递型泥页岩渗透性测试系统

井壁失稳一直是困扰油气勘探开发的难题,而泥页岩渗透性是评价泥页岩井壁稳定性的重要指标之一。介绍了一套基于LabVIEW软件平台的PPTS-1压力传递实验系统平台,采用岩心分析法和压力传递测试技术精确测试泥页岩的渗透率。实验结果表明,该实验平台操作简单,性能稳定,测试精度高,为井壁稳定性深入研究提供了支撑。