SPE 56672

Wettability Effects on Oil Recovery Mechanisms in Fractured Reservoirs

A. Graue and T. Bognø, University of Bergen

Copyright 1999, Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc.

This paper was prepared for presentation at the 1999 SPE Annual Technical Conference and
Exhibition held in Houston, Texas, 3–6 October 1999.
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Abstract
Iterative comparison between experimental work and
numerical simulations has been used to predict oil recovery
mechanisms in fractured chalk as a function of wettability.
Selective and reproducible alteration of wettability, by aging
in crude oil at elevated temperature, produced chalk blocks
which were strongly-water-wet and moderately-water-wet,
but with identical minerology and pore geometry. Large scale,
nuclear-tracer, 2D-imaging experiments monitored
waterflooding these blocks of chalk, first whole, then
fractured. This data provided in-situ fluid saturations for
validating numerical simulations and evaluating capillary
pressure- and relative permeability input data used in the
simulations. Capillary pressure and relative permeabilities at
each given wettabilities were experimentally measured and
used as input for the simulations. Optimization of either Pc-
data or kr-curves gave indications of which of these input data
could be trusted. History matching both the production profile
and the in-situ saturation distribution development gave higher
confidence in the simulations.
Introduction
In laboratory waterflood experiments in larger blocks of
fractured chalk where the advancing waterfront has been
imaged by a nuclear tracer technique (ref. 1-3) it has been
shown that changing the wettability conditions from strongly-
water-wet conditions to moderately-water-wet conditions has
minor impacts on the the oil production profiles, however, the
in-situ saturation development is significantly different
indicating differences in oil recovery mechanisms (ref. 4). The
main objective for these experiments has been to determine
the oil recovery mechanisms at different wettability
conditions. We have earlier reported on a technique that
reproducibly alter wettability in outcrop chalk by aging the
rock material in stock tank crude oil at elevated temperature
for a selected period of time (ref. 5). Utilizing this technique
we have imaged several waterfloods on larger blocks of
outcrop chalk at different wettability conditions, first as a
whole block, then when the blocks were fractured and
reassembled.
A secondary objective in these experiments was to
validate a full field numerical simulator for prediction of the
oil production and the in-situ saturation dynamics for the
waterfloods. In this process a quality control of the
experimentally measured capillary pressure and relative
permeability data used as input for the simulator has been
performed at strongly-water-wet and moderately-water-wet
conditions. Optimization of either Pc-data or kr-curves for the
chalk matrix in the numerical simulations of the whole blocks
at different wettabilities gave indications of which of these
input data could be trusted. History matching both the
production profile and the in-situ saturation distribution
development gave higher confidence in the simulations of the
fractured blocks, where only the fracture representation was a
variable.
Experimental
Two chalk blocks, CHP8 and CHP9, approximately 20 cm ×
12 cm × 5 cm thick, were cut from large pieces of Roerdal
outcrop chalk obtained from the Portland quarry near Alborg,
Denmark. This chalk material had never been contacted by oil
and was strongly water-wet. The blocks were oven dried for
three days at 90oC, end pieces were mounted and the whole
assembly was epoxy coated. Each end piece contained three
fittings so that entering and exiting fluids were evenly
distributed with respect to height. The blocks were vacuum
evacuated and saturated with brine containing 5 wt% NaCl + 5
wt% CaCl2. Fluid data is found in Table 1. Porosity was
determined from weight measurements and the permeability
was measured across the epoxy coated blocks, see block data
in Table 2.
Before the blocks were epoxy coated, local air
permeability was measured at each intersection of a 1 cm by 1
cm grid on both sides of the blocks using a minipermeameter.
The permeability maps indicated homogeneous blocks on a cm
scale. The water permeability across the blocks were measured
2 A. GRAUE, T. BOGNØ
at 2⋅10-3 µm2 and 4 ⋅10-3 µm2, for CHP8 and CHP9,
respectively.
Immobile water saturations of 27-35%PV were established
for both blocks by oilflooding with a maximum differential
pressure of 135 kPa/cm. In order to obtain a uniform, low
initial water saturation, Swi, oil was injected alternately at both
ends. Oilfloods of the epoxy coated block, CHP8, were carried
out at 90°C in a heated pressure vessel which was capable of
holding up to 1500 kPa of confining pressure so that a
maximum pressure drop of 1300 kPa could be applied across
the block. The applied differential pressures across the blocks
were limited by the pressure limit of the confinement vessel
used.
Selective and reproducible alteration of wettability, by
aging in crude oil at elevated temperature, produced chalk
blocks which were strongly-water-wet and moderately-water-
wet, but with identical minerology and pore geometry. Large
scale, nuclear-tracer, 2D-imaging experiments monitored
waterflooding the blocks of chalk, first whole then fractured.
These experiments are a continuation of earlier work
emphasizing oil recovery in fractured chalk (ref. 6-12,15,16).
The whole block was cut to size with a band saw and used
without cleaning. The fractures were created, after the first
water flood when the whole block had been driven back to Swi,
by cutting the block with a band saw. When reassembling the
blocks, tape was placed over the fractures to prevent the
epoxy, used to reseal the core, from entering the fractures. A 2
mm strip of Teflon was placed at the outer, lower, edge of the
open fracture to assure a well defined open volume. A
pressure of 10 kPa across the fractures, was applied to
mechanically hold the different parts of the block in position
while the epoxy cured. The fracture orientation and location
and a diagram of the arrangement of the individual pieces of
the designed fracture network, after the individual cut blocks
were reassembled, are shown in Figure 1. The xy coordinates
are used for location. For reference the individual blocks are
identified as Block A and A2, the inlet blocks, Block B, the
central block which was surrounded by fractures and Block C
and C2, the outlet blocks. Both an open fracture, no possible
capillary contact, and several "closed" fractures, with contact
between the adjacent matrix blocks, were formed. The
"closed" fractures were intended to provide at least some
capillary continuity of both fluid phases across the fracture.
The open vertical fracture at 13 cm was created by sliding
Block B to the left as far as possible producing an open
fracture with the width of one saw cut, ca. 2 mm. The other
fractures were "closed", i.e. the pieces were placed butt to butt
when reassembling the block, and an axial force was applied
during the reassemble. After reassemble the fracture network
was filled with decane using a syringe.
Radiation detection, i.e. saturation measurement, during
the waterflood was made at the intersections in the grid shown
in Figure 1, a 1 cm x 1 cm grid. The saturation measurements
were taken at every 0.5 cm location.
For all the blocks the first vertical fracture was at 4 cm
from the inlet end, the second vertical fracture was at 13 cm
SPE 56672
from the inlet end and the horizontal fractures were at the
center line of the block and at the inlet and outlet ends to
provide hydraulic contact from inlet to outlet.
Although CaCl2 was in the brine to buffer Na adsorption,
several pore volumes of non-radioactive brine was initially
flushed through the block to minimize potential adsorption of
the radioactive tracer, 22NaCl, before the rock was exposed to
the radioactive brine.
When the blocks were fully saturated with radioactive
brine the counts of radioactivity, at each grid point, were
normalized to 100% water saturation. The normalization
coefficients at each grid point were then used to convert the
radiation measurements into saturation distributions in all the
later images.
The blocks were positioned vertically for both the oilfloods
and the subseqent waterfloods, thus the gravity was alligned
with the vertical fractures.
One block, CHP9, was waterflooded at strongly-water-wet
conditions with an interconnected fracture network as shown
in Figure 1. This fracture network assured hydraulic contact
from the inlet to outlet end; from “injector” to “producer”.
The other block, CHP8, was aged in crude oil at 900C for
83 days at an immobile water saturation of 28%PV. A North
Sea crude oil, filtered at 90°C through a chalk core to remove
particles and wax which may plug pore throats, was used to
oilflood the block and then for the aging process. Two twin
samples drilled from the same chunk of chalk that the block
was taken from, were treated similarly as the block. An
Amott-Harvey test (ref. 13) was performed on these samples
to indicate the wettability conditions after aging. After the
waterfloods had terminated four core plugs were drilled out of
the blocks and wettability measurements using the Amott-
Harvey test were conducted.
Because of possible wax problems with the North Sea
crude oil used for aging decane was used as the oil phase
during the waterfloods. For the less water wet block, i.e. after
aging was completed, the crude oil was flushed out with
decahydronaphthalene (decalin) which again was exchanged
by flushing with n-decane at 90° C. Decalin was used as buffer
between the decane and the crude oil to avoid asphalthene
precipitation which may occur if decane comes in contact with
the crude.
2-D brine saturations were determined using a flow rig,
which was designed and built at the University of Bergen, to
measure gamma ray emission from 22Na dissolved in the brine.
The rig held the block in a vertical position and measured the
radiation in the x-y plane over the block to produce a
saturation map at each specified point in time. The working
principle of this nuclear tracer technique has been described in
detail (ref. 10,11). The detector was collimated to produce an
analysis area of 1 x 1 cm at the surface of the block which
expanded to 1.8 cm × 1.8 cm at the back of the block giving an
analysis volume of 9.8 cm3. However in order to avoid bypass
(ref. 10,11) the blocks were placed in a pressure vessel and a
confinement pressure was applied. The thickness of the walls
increased the distance to the detector and the analysis volume
SPE 56672 WETTABILITY EFFECTS ON OIL RECOVERY MECHANISMS IN FRACTURED RESERVOIRS
increased to 15 cm3. The radiation counting time at each
position was 2 minutes, giving a total sampling time, for one 1
cm × 1 cm saturation scan, of 8 hours. The change in
saturation during this time, less than 0.02PV, is small
compared to the volume needed to produce a noticeable
change in the saturation map. Thus, no correction was made to
account for the saturation change during the scanning time.
To prevent counter current imbibition from producing oil
into the water inlet, a low differential pressure, initially < 1.5
kPa, was applied across the block during the contant flow rate
waterfloods. The injection flow rates are included in Table 2.
The outline of the experimental sequence used to
waterflood the unfractured and fractured blocks, while using
2-D imaging to determine the distribution of brine saturation,
and the results are summarized in Table 2.
Results and Discussion
Results from waterfloods of whole blocks, both at
strongly-water-wet conditions and at moderately-water-wet
conditions have been shown to be similar with respect to in-
situ saturations (ref. 4). The term moderately-water-wet in this
paper is defined to cover the wettability conditions reflecting
an Amott-Harvey water index, Iw, in the range 0.5 – 0.8.
The dynamics of the in-situ saturations for a typical
waterflood of a whole block, CHP8, is shown in Figure 2. The
individual saturation maps are identified by a scan number.
Each scan number was preceded by a letter and number to
identify each block, e.g. P8 and P9 for CHP8 and CHP9,
respectively. The code for the scans are as follows: The
radioactive brine displacing non-radioactive brine were
labeled M, for a miscible flood, and 1 for being the first one.
The numbers following the dash indicate the chronological
sequence of the scans. The oil and water floods were labeled O
and W, respectively, with the first digit being the flood
number and the two digits following the dash indicating the
chronological sequence of scans. Thus, P9M1-03 is the 3rd
scan in the 1st miscible flood on CHP9 and P8W2-09 is the
9th scan of the 2nd water flood on block CHP8.
In all of the waterflood experiments the brine was injected
from the left side of the image and the displaced fluids exited
at the right side of the image.
A uniform initial water saturation was measured for CHP8
as the first saturation map, P8W1-01 in Figure 2. Scan P8W1-
01 to Scan P8W1-42, show a slightly higher brine saturation at
the bottom of the block near the inlet, suggesting a
gravitational effect in the vertical brine distribution across the
block. This could be due to the slightly higher pressure at the
lower part of the block caused by the higher water head in the
injection end piece, however, these were very small pressure
differences, ca. 1.0 kPa.
A dispersed waterfront flushed out 45%PV of decane.
Increasing the flow rate has been shown to produce a less
dispersed waterfront, ref 1. In waterfloods starting at higher
initial water saturations there is essentially no waterfront at all,
a uniform increase in water saturation is recorded, ref. 10. A
uniform final water saturation was obtained.
3
When the blocks were driven back to Swi an excellent
reproduction of the original water saturation and saturation
distribution was generally obtained, see Table 2. The nuclear
tracer measured in-situ saturation was compared to the mass
balance and gave good agreement. The blocks were then cut
with a band saw into the five shapes shown in Figure 1.
The nuclear tracer saturation measurements of the whole
and the assembled fractured block indicated that the cutting
process did not measurably alter the saturation distribution at
Swi as was also observed in previous experiments (ref.4,10,11).
In Figure 3 the time development of the in-situ water
saturation while waterflooding CHP9, with an interconnected
fracture network, is shown. The brine saturation increased as a
dispersed front through Block A, the continuous inlet block,
Scans P9W1-01 to P9W1-20. In Scan P9W1-08 Block B was
still at, or close to, Swi while the matrix just across the fracture
in block A was approaching Swf. This suggested a limited rate
of transport of fluids across the "closed" vertical fracture at 4
cm and the horizontal fracture at 5.0 cm. In fact the brine did
not appear to cross any of the fractures before the saturation in
all of Block A was close to it's final water saturation. After
Block A reached a high saturation and the fractures were filled
with brine, the brine entered Block B, Scan P9W1-10. The
general appearance of Block B in Scan P9W1-10 suggested
that the brine entered gradually from both the horizontal and
vertical fracture between Block A and Block B. However,
little, if any, water had gone across the 13 cm fracture into
Block C at the time when Scan P9W1-10 was taken. When
Block B approached it’s final water saturation, water
movement into Block C, the outlet block, was recorded, scan
P9W1-16. A higher water saturation in the lowest part of the
Block C at the outlet-end, shown in scan P9W1-16, indicated a
gravity segregation of the fluids in the open fracture. This
behavior has also been observed previously (ref. 4,10,11).
In order to obtain a measure of the wettability conditions
of CHP8, the blocks aged to reflect moderately-water-wet
conditions, the duplicate set of core plugs, PC2-13 and PC2-
15, that was treated similarly to the block was cooled to room
temperature, after the crude oil was exchanged with decalin
and decane. Oil recovery by spontaneous room temperature
imbibition, followed by a waterflood, were performed on the
aged core plugs, producing the Amott water index, Iw, see
Table 3 (ref. 13). In Figure 4 the imbibition characteristics for
the core plugs are shown, for comparison imbibition
characteristics for two strongly water-wet plugs and two plugs
at nearly-neutral-wet conditions are included. Imbibition rate
and endpoint saturation after spontaneous imbibition
decreased with increased aging time corresponding to a
consistent change towards a less water-wet state. Repeated
imbibition tests on the core plugs after aging confirmed stable
wettability conditions. The measured wettability index to
water, Iw, for the two plugs were recorded as 0.52 and 0.54,
respectively. The Amott-Harvey test was conducted three
times on these samples to verify stability and reproducibility
in the measurements, see Table 3. The second wettability test
was performed with iododecane as the oil phase, needed in a
4 A. GRAUE, T. BOGNØ
subsequent steady-state relative permeability test using a
Penn-State technique with X-ray attenuation imaging,
performed on the samples to generate experimentally
measured values as input for numerical simulations of the
waterflood experiments. The third wettability test was
performed after the samples had been transported back and
forth between Bergen, Norway, and Houston, Texas, where
the relative permeability tests were performed by a service
company. The results on these tests are reported in ref. 17.
CHP8 was waterflooded twice using both an embedded
fracture network and interconnected fractures. The time
development of the advancing water was very similar for the
two fracture networks. Figure 5 shows the scans for the time
development of the 2-D brine saturation during the water flood
of the moderately water-wet fractured block CHP8 with the
interconnected fracture network shown in Figure 1. The brine
saturation increased as a dispersed front through Block A, the
continuous inlet block, and Block B, Scans P8W3-01 to
P8W3-40. No visible influence from the fractures was
observed. This suggested a significant transport of fluids
across the "closed" vertical fracture at 4 cm and the horizontal
fracture on the centerline of the block. This indicated capillary
contact across the "closed" fractures at moderately water-wet
conditions, or that capillary threshold pressure for water
breakthrough was reduced due to a less water-wet state or a
mechanism where continuity in the wetting phase, the water,
was established. As opposed to the water-wet case, Block
CHP9, gravity segregation in the open vertical fracture was
not observed in Block CHP8. The water entered Block C from
the "closed" vertical fracture at 13 cm, with no visible
influence from this fracture. The upper left corner of CHP8
was poorly waterflooded, probably due to the increased
permeability in the lower section of block A, caused by the
horizontal fracture from the inlet.
It has earlier been shown that there is essentially no
difference in total oil recovery for a strongly water-wet block
comparing waterfloods on the whole block with a fractured
block with embedded fractures (ref. 4,10,11). In Figure 6 the
oil production for the fractured block CHP9, with
interconnected fractures, is compared to earlier results on
strongly water-wet whole and fractured blocks with embedded
fracture network. From the figure it is evident that water
breakthrough in the block with interconnected fractures
occured earlier and the block produced less oil. The hydraulic
contacts also resulted in a short period with two phase
production, giving a less sharp water cut.
The oil production for the waterfloods on the whole and
fractured moderately-water-wet block CHP8 are shown in
Figure 7. Due to experimental problems of obtaining low
initial water saturation when oilflooding the fractured blocks
back to Swi the initial water saturations for the waterfloods of
the fractured block are higher than when waterflooded as a
whole block. At moderately water wet conditions the oil
recovery was similar to the strongly water wet case. This
block showed earlier water breakthrough and a longer
SPE 56672
transition zone with two phase production, causing additional
oil to be produced after water breakthrough.
By comparing the oil production in Figure 6 and in Figure
7 we observe that the total oil recovery from each block was
reduced by a consistent but small amount after fracturing the
blocks. This was consistent with results for all the different
wettability conditions reported in ref. 4. In the fractured block
CHP8 the breakthrough of water occurred earlier than for the
fractured water wet block. The water breakthrough was also
earlier in the less water wet fractured blocks than when
waterflooded as whole blocks. This is consistent with the
assumption that after fracturing the permeability increased in
the horizontal fracture along the centerline of the blocks. The
permeability increase for the embedded fracture network was
insignificant, however, the interconnected fractures inreased
the endpoint relative permeability to oil at immobile water
saturation with a factor of 42.
The pattern of water movement during the first water flood
of the water-wet, fractured block CHP9 indicated that there
was little capillary contact, for the water phase, between
Blocks A and C across the upper portion of the fracture at 13
cm. If there had been significant capillary continuity, water
would have been expected to flow across the fracture and
saturate the upper portion of Block C during the early stages
of imbibition into Block A. However, as gravity segregation of
the fluids in the fractures was observed, this indicated fairly
open fractures at 13 cm for CHP9. For the less water wet
block, CHP8, the water entered Block C from the "closed"
vertical fracture at 13 cm, and no visible influence from this
fracture was observed. This indicates that the influence of the
"closed" fractures on the flow pattern during waterflood is
reduced as the wettability is changed towards moderately-
water-wet conditions. This may be due to better capillary
contacts between the blocks in CHP8, but as the reassembling
procedure was similar for all the blocks, we speculate that the
reduction in capillary hold up for the wetting phase at less
water wet conditions, when exiting the blocks, or that water
droplets at the end phase are formed and establish wetting
phase bridges across the fractures when the contact angle
increases as wettability is changed to less water-wet
conditions. The latter displacement mechanism depends on the
fracture aperture, the viscous pressure in the wetting phase, i.e.
the applied differential pressure and the wettability conditions,
reflected by the increase in contact angle. We believe one of
these two mechanisms or a combination of the two are
responsible for observing less impacts from the fractures on
the water flood at less water-wet conditions.
Capillary pressure and relative permeability have been
measured in chalk core plugs at strongly-water-wet,
moderately-water-wet and nearly-neutral-wet conditions, see
Table 4 and ref. 17. Plug wettability was selectively altered
by aging outcrop chalk plugs, at Swi, in crude oil at an
elevated temperature for selected periods of time. This
procedure reproducibly produced the desired wettability while
keeping the pore network structure and the mineralogy
constant. Aging to a less-water-wet state, significantly
SPE 56672 WETTABILITY EFFECTS ON OIL RECOVERY MECHANISMS IN FRACTURED RESERVOIRS
reduced spontaneous brine imbibition rate and endpoint.
However, it did not reduce the total movable oil, i.e.
imbibition plus forced displacement. In fact, the total movable
oil generally increased slightly with reduced water wettability,
however, at the cost of higher differential pressures. Reduced
water wettability also lowered the drainage threshold pressure.
Repeated imbibition tests on individual plugs indicated that
the wettability alteration was permanent. These tests were
conducted in order to provide experimentally obtained input
data for capillary pressure and relative permebility at a range
of wettability conditions for numerical simulations. A full
field simulator for fractured reservoirs, SENSOR (ref. 14),
was used in black oil mode to simulate the waterflood
experiments on the two blocks.
First, the simulations were run using the experimental
measured values for capillary pressure and relative
permeabilities at the different wettabilities. In order to
improve the history matching for both the oil production and
the matching of the dynamics of the in-situ saturations,
optimization of capillary pressure curves keeping the relative
permeabilies from the core analysis results constant and vice
versa; using the capillary pressure from the centrifuge
measurements and optimize the relative permeabilies, were
carried out. This procedure would also give informaton on
which of the measured values could be most trusted.
Figure 8, Figure 9 and Figure 17 exhibit the results from
simulating the waterfloods of the fractured strongly-water-wet
block, CHP9, with the interconnected fracture network. Figure
8 displays the simulated average water saturation in the block
compared to the experimental results. Figure 9 exhibits the
match with in-situ saturations averaged across the cross
section of the block perpendicalur to the flood direction.
Figure 17 shows a comparison of the two-dimensional in-situ
saturations obtained from simulations with the corresponding
experimental results. The overall best match with the
experiments was obtained using the experimentally obtained
capillary pressure curves and optimizing the relative
permeabilities.
Figure 10 and Figure 11 exhibit the results from simulating
the waterfloods of the moderately-water-wet whole block,
CHP8. The overall best match with the experiments was again
obtained using the experimentally obtained capillary pressure
curves and optimizing the relative permeabilities.
At this point in time the experimental results on the
wettability measurements of the core plugs drilled out of the
blocks after all the waterfloods had been completed, became
available, see Table 5. The imbibition characteristics of these
core plug samples are compared to the duplicate set of plugs
used earlier, in Figure 12. The results reveal that the aging
process in the epoxy coated block CHP8 has been slower than
for the twin samples submerged in crude oil, leaving the block
at a wettability index to water, Iw=0.8, rather than at Iw=0.5 as
indicated by the twin samples. This interaction with the
numerical simulations, corresponding to applying more water
wet capillary pressure curves, gave a better match with the
experiments, see Figure 13 and Figure 14.
5
Figure 15 and Figure 16 show the capillary pressure curves
and the relative permeability curves for the chalk matrix as
measured at the moderately-water-wet conditions and the
optimized curves from the simulations, respectively.
Conclusions
- Two-dimensional in-situ saturations during waterfloods at
strongly-water-wet and at moderately-water-wet
conditions in large fractured blocks of chalk have been
monitored and used to determine recovery mechanisms at
different wettability conditions.
- Water movement, during water flooding, was
significantly affected by the presence of fractures at
strongly water-wet conditions, for both embedded and
interconnected fracture networks.
- Water movement was not significantly affected by
"closed" fractures during waterflood at less water wet
conditions, corresponding to Iw=0.8.
- For unfractured and fractured chalk the oil recovery by
waterflooding was similar for strongly-water-wet chalk
and moderately-water-wet chalk, even with a permeability
increase of a factor of 50 after fracturing.
- Interconnected fractures from injector to producer in the
laboratory model did not significantly impact the final oil
production, either at strongly-water-wet condition or at
moderately-water-wet conditions, but in-situ saturation
distributions are shown significantly to be affected by the
wettability conditions.
- Even at fairly low flow rates more oil was mobilized by
waterflooding chalk at less water-wet conditions than
recovered by spontaneous brine imbibition.
- Application of a simulator for fractured reservoirs has
been validated by large scale experiments with 2D-in-situ
imaging information.
- Experimentally obtained Pc and kr-input data to the
simulator have been evaluated by history matching in-situ
saturation distribution development as well as the
production profile.
- The overall best match between the simulations and the
experiments was obtained using the experimentally
obtained capillary pressure curves and optimizing the
relative permeabilities.
Nomenclature
D= diameter [cm]
I= Amott wettability index
k= permeability [md]
L= length [cm]
p= paper
P= Pressure [bar]
R= oil recovery [%]
S= saturation
t= time [days]
T= temperature [°C]
6 A. GRAUE, T. BOGNØ SPE 56672

Greek Symp. of the Society of Core Analysts, Montpellier,

µ= viscosity [cp] France, (Sept. 8-10, 1996).
ρ= density [g/cm3] 9. Torsaeter, O.: “An Experimental Study of Water
σ= interfacial tension, [IFT] Imbibition in Chalk from the Ekofisk Field”, SPE 12688,
φ= porosity[%] Proc.: SPE/DOE Fourth Symposium on EOR, Tulsa, OK,
(April 1984).
Subscripts 10. Viksund, B.G., Graue, A., Baldwin, B. And Spinler, E.:
a= aging “2-D Imaging of waterflooding a Fractured Block of
C= capillary Outcrop Chalk”. Proc.: 5th Chalk Research Symposium,
d= displacement Reims, France, (Oct. 7-9, 1996).
eff= effective 11. Viksund, B.G., Eilertsen T., Graue, A., Baldwin, B. and
f= final Spinler, E.: "2D-Imaging of the Effects from Fractures on
i= initial Oil Recovery in Larger Blocks of Chalk", Reviewed
im= imbibition Proc.: International Symposium of the Society of Core
o= oil Analysts, Calgary, Canada. (Sept. 8-10, 1997).
si= spontaneous imbibition 12. Graue, A., Tonheim, E. and Baldwin, B.: “Control and
w= Amott wettability index Alteration of Wettability in Low-Permeability Chalk”,
k= permeability [mD] Proc.: 3rd International Symposium on Evaluation of
S= saturation Reservoir Wettability and Its Effect on Oil Recovery,
f= final Laramie, Wy., USA, Sept., 1995.
i= initial 13. Amott. E.: "Observations Relating to the Wettability of
w=water Porous Rock", Trans., AIME 1959 216, 156-162.
14. Coats, K.H., Thomas, L.K., and Pierson, R.G.:
References “Compositional and Black Oil Reservoir Simulation”,
1. Lien, J.R., Graue, A. and Kolltveit, K.: “A Nuclear SPE29111, 13th SPE Reservoir Simulation Symposium,
Imaging Technique for Studying Multiphase Flow in a San Antonio, Texas, Febr. 1995.
Porous Medium at Oil Reservoir Conditions”, Nucl. Instr. 15. Viksund, B.G., Morrow, N.R., Ma, G., Wang, W., Graue,
& Meth., A271, 1988. A.: «Initial Water Saturation and Oil Recovery from
2. Graue, A., Kolltveit, K., Lien, J.R. and Skauge, A.: Chalk and Sandstone by Spontaneous Imbibition»,
“Imaging Fluid Saturation Development in Long reviewed proc.: 1998 International Symposium of Core
Coreflood Displacements”, SPEFE, Vol.5, No.4, 406- Analysts, The Hague, Sept., 1998.
412, (Dec., 1990). 16. Spinler, E.A, Baldwin B. A., Graue, A.: ”Simultaneous
3. Graue, A.: "Imaging the Effect of Capillary Measurement of Multiple Capillary Pressure Curves from
Heterogeneites on Local Saturation Development in Wettability and Rock Property Variations Within Single
Long-Core Floods", SPEDC, Vol. 9, No. 1, March 1994. Rock Plugs”, accepted for presentation at 1999
4. Graue, A., Viksund, B.G., Baldwin, B.A., Spinler, E.: International Symposium of Core Analysts, Golden, Co.,
"Large Scale Imaging of Impacts of Wettability on Oil USA, Aug., 1999.
Recovery in Fractured Chalk", SPE Journal, Vol 4, No. 1, 17. Graue, A., Bognø, T., Moe, R.W., Baldwin, B.A.,
March 1999. Spinler, E.A., Maloney, D., Tobola, D.P.: ”Impacts of
5. Graue, A., Viksund, B.G., Baldwin, B.A: “Reproducible Wettability on Capillary Pressure and Relative
Wettability Alteration of Low-Permeable Outcrop Permeability”, accepted for presentation at 1999
Chalk”, SPE Res. Eng. and Eval., April, 1999. International Symposium of Core Analysts, Golden, Co.,
6. Graue, A. and Viksund, B.G.: “Imaging Immiscible Two USA, Aug., 1999.
Phase Flow in Low Permeability Chalk – Emphasis on
Recovery Mechanisms and Scaling”, Ext.Abs.Proc.: SI Metric Conversion Factors
EAPG/AAPG Special Conference on Chalk, cp × 1.0* E-03 = Pa⋅s
Copenhagen, Denmark, (Sept. 7-9, 1994). ft × 3.048* E-01 = m
7. Graue, A.: “Nuclear Tracer Saturation Imaging of Fluid ft2 × 9.290 304* E-02 = m2
Displacement in Low-Permeability Chalk”, SPE 25899, ft3 × 2.831 685 E-02 = m3
Proc.: SPE Rocky Mountain Regional/Low Permeability in. × 2.54* E+00 = cm
Reservoirs Symposium, Denver, CO, USA, (April 26-28, lbf × 4.448 222 E+00 = N
1993). mD × 9.869 233 E-04 = µm2
8. Viksund, B.G., Hetland, S., Graue, A. and Baldwin, psi × 6.894 757 E+00 = kPa
B.A.: "Imaging Saturation during Flow in Fractured
Chalk: Emphasizing Recovery Mechanisms, Capillary *
Conversion factor is exact
Continuity and Scaling", Reviewed Proc.: 1996 Int.
SPE 56672 WETTABILITY EFFECTS ON OIL RECOVERY MECHANISMS IN FRACTURED RESERVOIRS 7

Table 1. Fluid Properties

Fluid Density Viscosity Viscosity Composition
[g/cm3] [cP] at 20oC [cP] at 90oC

Brine 1,05 1,09 5 wt% NaCl + 5 wt% CaCl2

n-Decane 0,73 0,92
Decahydronaphtalene 0,896
Crude oil 0,849 14,3 2,7

Table 2. Experimental Data for Chalk Blocks

Block CHP 8 CHP 9
Outcrop Portland Portland
Location Ålborg Ålborg
Lenght (cm) 19,9 19,8
Height (cm) 10,0 10,0
Thickness (cm) 5,5 5,4
Abs. Permeability (mD) 2,3 3,8
Porosity (%) 47,6 48,1
Pore Volume (ml) 516 514
MISC. FLOOD # : 1 1
Flow Rate (ml/hr) 10 40
OILFLOOD # : 1 2 3 1
Oil Viscosity (cP) 2,7 0,92 0,92 0,92
Swi (%PV) 100 76 72 100
dSw (%PV) 72 43 37 73
Swf (%PV) 28 33 35 27
Max Pressure (Bar) 10 24 24 24
3c
a b a b a b
Endpoint Eff. Perm. (mD) 1,3 /1,3 1,0 /42 3.3 /156
AGING : YES NO
Aging Temp. (deg. C) 90
Aging Time (days) 83
Amott index; duplicate cores 0,5 1
Amott index; drilled-out cores 0,8
Oil flooding prior to imb. :
Decaline (PV) 5
n-Decane (PV) 5
Endpoint eff. Perm. (mD) 2,4
WATERFLOOD # : 1 2 3 1 2
Block Condition Whole Fractured Fractured Fractured Fractured
Cutting XX Band Saw Band Saw Band Saw Band Saw
Oil Viscosity (cP) 0,92 0,92 0,92 0,92 0,92
Swi (%PV) 28 33 35 27 67
dSw (%PV) 45 39 40 40 1
Swf (%PV) 73 72 75 67 68
Max Pressure (Bar) XX XX XX XX XX
b
Endpoint Eff. Perm. (mD) 0,4 0,2 0,3 87 42
Oil Recovery (%OIP) 63 58 62 55 3
Flow Rate (ml/hr) 1 1 1 1 20
a) Whole Block
b) Fractured block
c) End point relative permeability tends to be higher than the absolute permeability.
8 A. GRAUE, T. BOGNØ SPE 56672

Table 3. Core Data, Experimental Schedule and Flood History for Core Plugs
used for steady state relative permeability tests.
Core # PC 2-11 PC 2-12 PC 2-13 PC 2-15
Length [cm] 7.81 7.38 7.54 7.36
Diameter [cm] 5.08 5.08 5.08 5.08
Porosity [%] 47 47 45 47
Pore volume [ml] 74 70 68 70
Abs. permeability [mD] 5 5 5 5
Oilflood #: 1 2 3 1 1 2 3 1
Oil viscosity [cP] 2.7 0.92 0.92 2.7 2.7 0.92 0.92 2.7
Swi [%PV] 100 78 71 100 100 73 65 100
dSw [%PV] 75 52 43 75 75 48 41 75
Swf [%PV] a) 25 26 28 25 25 25 24 25
Aging:
Aging temperature [ oC] 90 90 90 90
Aging time [days] 161 b) b) 161 83 b) b) 83
Oil flooding prior to
spontaneous imb. : 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 3 1 2
Decaline [PV] 5 0 0 5 5 5 5 0 5 5
n-Decane [PV] 5 0 2 5 0 5 0 2 5 0
Iododecane [PV] 0 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 2
Endpoint eff. perm. [mD] 9,9 c) 2.8 6,5 c) 7,7 c) 3.2 5,5 c) 2.1 4.5 9,7 c) 2.7
Spontaneous imbibition #: 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 3 1 2
Oil viscosity [cP] 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92 0.92
Swi [%PV] 25 26 28 25 25.8 25 25 24 25 25
dSw [%PV] 17 14 11 17 15.2 25 22 20 26 22
Swf [%PV] 42 40 39 42 41 50 47 44 51 47
Oil recovery [%OIP] 23 19 15 23 20 33 29 26 35 29
Waterflood # 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 3 1 2
Flow rate [ml/hr] 70 60 60 70 60 60 60 60 60 60
Swi [%PV] 43 42 39 43 41 50 47 44 52 47
dSw [%PV] 35 28 27 37 31 23 18 15 21 18
Swf [%PV] 78 70 66 80 72 73 65 59 73 65
Recovery [%OIP] 69 57 53 72 62 64 53 46 63 53
End point eff. perm. [mD] 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.1 1.4 1.9 1.6
Wettability index 0.32 0.32 0.29 0.31 0.33 0.52 0.55 0.57 0.54 0.55
a) Swf is the final water saturation after the first oilflood, corresponding to the Swi during aging.
b) No additional aging was performed between the repeated imbibition tests.
c) Endpoint relative permeability is higher than the absolute permeability.
SPE 56672 WETTABILITY EFFECTS ON OIL RECOVERY MECHANISMS IN FRACTURED RESERVOIRS 9

Table 4. Core Data, Experimental Schedule and Flood History for Core Plugs
used for capillary pressure curve measurements.
Core CP-3 CP-4 CP-5 CP-7 CP-8 CP-9 CP-10 CP-11 CP-12 CP-13 CP-14 CP-15 a)
Length [cm] 3,62 3,72 3,87 3,97 3,82 4,08 4,08 3,93 3,91 3,94 3,95 3,92
Diameter [cm] 3,81 3,81 3,81 3,81 3,81 3,78 3,81 3,82 3,80 3,80 3,80 3,79
Porosity [%] 48 % 48 % 48 % 48 % 48 % 46 % 46 % 46 % 47 % 47 % 47 % 43 %
Pore volume [ml] 20 20 21 22 21 21 22 21 21 21 21 19
Abs. permeability [mD] 4 5 4 5 5 4,1 4,2 3,7 4,2 3,8 4,0 3,2
Oilflood #: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Oil viscosity [cP] 2,7 2,7 2,7 2,7 2,7 2,7 2,7 2,7 2,7 2,7 2,7 2,7
Swi [%PV] 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
dSw [%PV] 83 80 79 80 81 74 75 74 74 74 75 77
Swf [%PV] b) 17 20 21 20 19 26 25 26 26 26 25 23
Aging:
Aging temperature [ oC] 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90
Aging time [days] 50 50 50 3 3 3 3 30 3 3 30 filter
Oil flooding prior to
spontaneous imb. : 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Decaline [PV] 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
n-Decane [PV] 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
Endpoint eff. perm. [mD] 10 c) 10 c) 10 c) 5,9 c) 5,9 c)
Spontaneous imbibition #: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Oil viscosity [cP] 0,92 0,92 0,92 0,92 0,92 0,92 0,92 0,92 0,92 0,92 0,92
Swi [%PV] 17 20 21 20 19 26 25 26 26 26 25
dSw [%PV] 0 5 6 20 20 26 29 19 31 29 21
Swf [%PV] 17 25 27 40 39 52 54 45 57 55 46
Oil recovery [%OIP] 0 6 7 25 25 35 39 26 42 39 28
Waterflood # 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Flow rate [ml/hr] 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34 34
Swi [%PV] 17 25 27 40 39 52 54 45 57 55 46
dSw [%PV] 57 58 57 27 24 11 11 26 13 9 26
Swf [%PV] 74 83 84 67 63 63 65 71 70 64 72
Recovery [%OIP] 69 78 80 59 54 50 53 61 59 51 63
End point eff. perm. [mD] 1,2 1,4 1,2 1,1 1 1,0 1,1 1,4 1,1 1,1 1,3
Wettability index 0,00 0,07 0,09 0,43 0,45 0,70 0,73 0,42 0,70 0,76 0,45
a) Filter plug for crude oil filtered at 90oC.
b) Swf is the final water saturation after the first oilflood, corresponding to the Swi during aging.
c) Endpoint relative permeability is higher than the absolute permeability.
10 A. GRAUE, T. BOGNØ SPE 56672

0 PV injected 0.08 PV injected

P8W1-01 P8W1-07

Table 5. Experimental History for Drilled-Out Plugs 1, 1

1, 0
0 ,9
1, 1
1, 0
0 ,9
0 ,8
0 ,8
0 ,7 0 ,7
Core CHP8-1 CHP8-2 CHP8-4 Sw
0 ,6
0 ,5
Sw 0 ,6
0 ,5
0 ,4 0 ,4
0 ,3 0 ,3
Drilled from block# CHP8 CHP8 CHP8 0 ,2
0 ,1
0 ,2
0 ,1
0 ,0 0 ,0

Outcrop Portland Portland Portland 1

4 1
1
4 1
7 7
5
Location Denmark Denmark Denmark Length [cm]
10
13 9
Height Length [cm] 10
13
9
5
Height
16 [cm] 16
[cm]
19
Lenght (cm) 5,2 5,3 5,3
0.17 PV injected 0.23 PV injected
Diameter (cm) 3,7 3,7 3,7 P8W1-12 P8W1-18
1, 1 1, 1
1, 0 1, 0
Porosity (%) 48 48 48 0 ,9
0 ,8
0 ,9
0 ,8
0 ,7 0 ,7
0 ,6 0 ,6
Pore Volume (ml) 27 27 27 Sw 0 ,5
0 ,4
Sw 0 ,5
0 ,4
0 ,3 0 ,3

Abs. Permeability (mD) 2 2 2 0 ,2

0 ,1
0 ,0
0 ,2
0 ,1
0 ,0
1 1
Oilflood #: 1 1 1 4
7
1
4
7
1

10 5 10 5
Height
Oil Viscosity (cP) 2,7 2,7 2,7 Length [cm] 13
16 9 [cm]
Length [cm] 13
16 9
Height
[cm]
19 19
Swi (%PV) 75 75 75
0.30 PV injected 0.41 PV injected
dSw (%PV) 39 39 44 1, 1
P8W1-25
1, 1
P8W1-32
1, 0 1, 0

Swf (%PV) 36 36 31 0 ,9
0 ,8
0 ,7
0 ,9
0 ,8
0 ,7
0 ,6 0 ,6
Sw Sw
Spontaneous Imbibition #: 1 1 1 0 ,5
0 ,4
0 ,3
0 ,5
0 ,4
0 ,3
0 ,2 0 ,2
Oil Viscosity (cP) 0,92 0,92 0,92 0 ,1
0 ,0
0 ,1
0 ,0
1 1

Swi (%PV) 36 36 31 4
7
1 4
7
1

10 5 10 5
Length [cm] Height Height
dSw (%PV) 35 30 39 13
16 9
[cm]
Length [cm] 13
16 9
[cm]
19 19

Swf (%PV) 71 66 70 0.53 PV injected

Oil Recovery (%OIP) 55 47 56 1, 1
P8W1-42 Sw: Brine Saturation
1, 0
0 ,9
W ater Flood # 1 1 1 0 ,8
0 ,7
0,00-0,10 0,10-0,20
0 ,6
Sw 0 ,5
0,20-0,30 0,30-0,40
Flow Rate (ml/hr) 34 34 34 0 ,4
0 ,3
0 ,2
0 ,1 0,40-0,50 0,50-0,60
Swi (%PV) 71 66 70 0 ,0
1
4 0,60-0,70 0,70-0,80
dSw (%PV) 10 5 8 7
10 5
1

Length [cm] 13
Height 0,80-0,90 0,90-1,00
Swf(%PV) 81 71 78 16
19
9 [cm]

Recovery (%OIP) 70 55 68
End point Eff. Perm. (mD) 0,8 1 1 Fig.2-Saturation development for the first waterflood of the whole
W ettability Index 0,79 0,86 0,82 block CHP8.

A C2

C
B
A2

Fig.1-Interconnected fractured network with hydraulic contact

from inlet to outlet.
SPE 56672 WETTABILITY EFFECTS ON OIL RECOVERY MECHANISMS IN FRACTURED RESERVOIRS 11

0 PV injected 0.08 PV injected 0 PV inje cte d 0.08 PV inje cte d

P9W1-01 P9W1-04 P8W3-01 P8W3-08
1, 1 1, 1 1, 1 1, 1
1, 0 1, 0 1, 0 1, 0
0 ,9 0 ,9 0 ,9 0 ,9
0 ,8 0 ,8 0 ,8 0 ,8
0 ,7 0 ,7 0 ,7 0 ,7
0 ,6 0 ,6 0 ,6 0 ,6
Sw 0 ,5 Sw 0 ,5 Sw 0 ,5
Sw 0 ,5
0 ,4 0 ,4 0 ,4 0 ,4
0 ,3 0 ,3 0 ,3 0 ,3
0 ,2 0 ,2 0 ,2 0 ,2
0 ,1 0 ,1 0 ,1 0 ,1
0 ,0 0 ,0 0 ,0 0 ,0
0 ,5 0 ,5 1 1
0 ,5 0 ,5 4 1 4 1
5,5 5,5 7 7
10 , 5 5,5 10 , 5 5,5 10 6 10
Height Length [cm] Height Length [cm] 6
Height
Length [cm] 15 , 5 15 , 5
Height Length [cm]
13 13
16 16
[cm] [cm] [cm] [cm]

0.13 PV injected 0.21 PV injected 0.16 PV inje cte d 0.21 PV inje cte d
P9W1-06 P9W1-08 P8W3-13 P8W3-16
1, 1 1, 1 1, 1 1, 1
1, 0 1, 0 1, 0 1, 0
0 ,9 0 ,9 0 ,9 0 ,9
0 ,8 0 ,8 0 ,8 0 ,8
0 ,7 0 ,7 0 ,7 0 ,7
0 ,6 0 ,6 0 ,6 0 ,6
Sw 0 ,5 Sw 0 ,5 Sw 0 ,5 Sw 0 ,5
0 ,4 0 ,4 0 ,4 0 ,4
0 ,3 0 ,3 0 ,3 0 ,3
0 ,2 0 ,2 0 ,2 0 ,2
0 ,1 0 ,1 0 ,1 0 ,1
0 ,0 0 ,0 0 ,0 0 ,0
0 ,5 0 ,5 1 1
0 ,5 0 ,5 4 1 4 1
5,5 5,5 7 7
10 , 5 5,5 10 , 5 5,5 10 6 10 6
Length [cm] Height Length [cm] Height Length [cm] 13 Height Length [cm] 13 Height
15 , 5 15 , 5 16 16
[cm] [cm] [cm] [cm]

0.26 PV injected 0.40 PV injected 0.28 PV inje cte d 0.40 PV inje cte d
P9W1-10 P9W1-16 1, 1
P8W3-20 1, 1
P8W3-27
1, 1 1, 1
1, 0 1, 0 1, 0 1, 0
0 ,9 0 ,9 0 ,9 0 ,9
0 ,8 0 ,8 0 ,8 0 ,8
0 ,7 0 ,7 0 ,7 0 ,7
0 ,6 0 ,6 0 ,6 0 ,6
Sw 0 ,5 Sw 0 ,5 Sw 0 ,5 Sw 0 ,5
0 ,4 0 ,4 0 ,4 0 ,4
0 ,3 0 ,3 0 ,3 0 ,3
0 ,2 0 ,2 0 ,2 0 ,2
0 ,1 0 ,1 0 ,1 0 ,1
0 ,0 0 ,0 0 ,0 0 ,0

0 ,5 0 ,5 1 1
0 ,5 0 ,5 4 1 4 1
5,5 5,5 7 7
10 , 5 5,5 10 , 5 5,5 10 10
6 6
Length [cm] Height Height Length [cm] 13 Height Length [cm] 13 Height
15 , 5 Length [cm] 15 , 5 16 16
[cm] [cm] [cm] [cm]

0.52 PV injected 0.65 PV inje cte d

P9W1-20
Sw: Brine Saturation P8W3-40 Sw: Brine Saturation
1, 1 1, 1
1, 0
1, 0 0,00-0,10 0,10-0,20 0 ,9 0,00-0,10 0,10-0,20
0 ,9
0 ,8 0 ,8
0 ,7 0 ,7
0 ,6 0 ,6
0 ,5 0,20-0,30 0,30-0,40 0 ,5 0,20-0,30 0,30-0,40
Sw 0 ,4 Sw 0 ,4
0 ,3 0 ,3
0 ,2 0 ,2
0 ,1 0,40-0,50 0,50-0,60 0 ,1 0,40-0,50 0,50-0,60
0 ,0 0 ,0

0 ,5 1
0 ,5 0,60-0,70 0,70-0,80 4 1 0,60-0,70 0,70-0,80
5,5 7
5,5 10 6
Length [cm] 10 , 5
Height Length [cm] 13 Height
15 , 5 0,80-0,90 0,90-1,00 16 0,80-0,90 0,90-1,00
[cm] [cm]

Fig.3-Saturation development for the first waterflood of fractured Fig.5-Saturation development for the third waterflood of fractured
block CHP9 with interconnected fracture network. block CHP8, with interconnected fracture network.

1,00 Iw = 0,52 ; PC2-13

Iw = 0,54 ; PC2-15 1,00
0,90
Fractional Water Saturation

Iw = 0,32 ; PC2-11 0,90

0,80 Iw = 0,31 ; PC2-12
Iw = 1,00 ; CPA-1.5
0,80
Water Saturation [PV]

0,70 Iw = 1,00 ; CPA-1.6 0,70

0,60 0,60
0,50
0,50
0,40
0,40 CHP-9 Fractured Block; Iw=1
0,30
0,30 0,20 CHP-6 Fractured Block; Iw=1

0,20 0,10 CHP-6 Whole Block; Iw=1

0,00
0,10
0,00 0,20 0,40 0,60 0,80
0,00
0,01 0,1 1 10 100 1000 Brine Injected [PV]

Time [Hours]
Fig.6-Average water saturation during waterflooding of the
Fig.4-Imbibition characteristics for the duplicate set of core plugs, strongly-water-wet block CHP9 with interconnected fractures.
PC2-13 and PC2-15, used to indicate wettability conditions for Data for strongly-water-wet block CHP6 (ref. 4,11), when
CHP8 and for steady state relative permeability measurements. waterflooding the block as a whole and with embedded fractures,
For comparison typical imbibition characteristics for strongly- are included for comparison.
water-wet and nearly-neutral-wet plugs are included.
12 A. GRAUE, T. BOGNØ SPE 56672

1,00
Fractional Water Saturation

1,00
0,90

Fractional Water Saturation

0,80 0,80
0,70
0,60 0,60
0,50
0,40 0,40
Fractional Water Saturation -
0,30
CHP-8, Whole Block Experimental
0,20 CHP-8, Interconnected Fractures
0,20
Fractional Water Saturation -
0,10 Simulation
0,00
0,00 0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8
0,00 0,20 0,40 0,60 0,80 PV Injected

Brine Injected [PV]

Fig.10-Comparison of experimental and simulated average water
saturations when waterflooding the whole block CHP8.
Fig.7-Average water saturation in the moderately-water-wet block Experimentally measured relative permeability curves and
CHP8 during waterflooding. capillary pressure curves are used in the simulations.

1,00

0,90
1,0 0
Fractional Water Saturation

IN ITIA L
0,80 0 ,9 0
S IM U LA TED
0,70
0 ,8 0 EXP ER IM EN TA L
0,60

0,50 0 ,7 0

0,40 0 ,6 0
Fractional Water Saturation -
0,30
Experimental 0 ,5 0
0,20 Fractional Water Saturation -
Simulation 0 ,4 0
0,10

0,00 0 ,3 0
0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8
PV Injected 0 ,2 0

0 , 10
Fig.8-Comparison of experimental and simulated average water
0 ,0 0
saturations for block CHP9 with interconnected fracture network. 0 5 10 15 20
Leng ht [ cm]

1,00

0,90
IN ITIA L Fig.11-Comparison of experimental and simulated water
SIM U LA TED saturation profiles averaged over cross section of block, at initial,
0,80 EX PER IM EN TA L 0,21 PV and 0,40 PV, when waterflooding the whole block CHP8.
Experimentally measured relative permeability curves and
0,70 capillary pressure curves are used in the simulations.
0,60

0,50

0,40

0,30

0,20

0,10

0,00
0 5 10 15 20
Leng ht [cm ]

Fig.9-Comparison of experimental and simulated water

saturations profiles averaged over cross section of blocks, at
initial, 0,21 PV and 0,40 PV, when waterflooding block CHP9 with
interconnected fracture network.
SPE 56672 WETTABILITY EFFECTS ON OIL RECOVERY MECHANISMS IN FRACTURED RESERVOIRS 13

1,0 0
IN IT IA L
1,00 0 ,9 0 S IM U L A T E D
0,90
0 ,8 0 E X P E R IM E N T A L

0,80
0 ,7 0
0,70
Iw = 1.0 0 ,6 0
Water Saturation [%]

0,60
Iw = 0.8 0 ,5 0
0,50 Iw = 0.5
0 ,4 0
0,40 Iw = 0.3
PC 2-13; Iw = 0,6 0 ,3 0
0,30 PC 2-15; Iw = 0,6
CHP8-1; Iw = 0,8 0 ,2 0
CHP8-2; Iw = 0,8
0,20
CHP8-4; Iw = 0,8
PC 2-11; Iw = 0,3 0 , 10
0,10
PC 2-12; Iw = 0,3
P 4-6; Iw = 1 0 ,0 0
0,00 0 5 10 15 20
0,01 0,1 1 10 100 1000

Time [hours] Leng ht [ cm]

Fig.12-Imbibition characteristics for duplicate set of core plugs, Fig.14-Comparison of experimental and simulated water
PC2-13 and PC2-15, and drilled-out plugs, CHP8-1 to 4, from the saturation profiles averaged over cross section of block, at initial,
moderately-water-wet block CHP8. Corresponding data for 0,21 PV and 0,40 PV, when waterflooding whole block CHP8.
strongly-water-wet and nearly-neutral-wet plugs are included for Simulation with modified, Iw=0.8, capillary pressure curve.
comparison.

1,00
Water Relative Permeability -
0,90 Simulation
1,00 Oil Relative Permeability -
Fractional Water Saturation

0,80
0,90 Simulation
0,70 Water Relative Permeability -
0,80
Relatiove Permeability

Experimental
0,60
0,70 Oil Relative Permeability -
0,50 0,60 Experimental

0,40 0,50

0,30 0,40
Fractional Water Saturation -
Experimental 0,30
0,20
Fractional Water Saturation - 0,20
0,10 Simulation
0,10
0,00 0,00
0,000 0,100 0,200 0,300 0,400 0,500 0,600 0,700 0,800 0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8
PV Injected
Fractional Water Saturation

Fig.13-Matching of experimental and simulated average water

saturation when waterflooding the whole Block CHP8. A modified Fig.15-Experimentally obtained relative permeability curves
capillary pressure curve is used in the simulations. compared to optimized relative permeability curves during history
matching the waterfloods of the whole block CHP8.
14 A. GRAUE, T. BOGNØ SPE 56672

70 Drainage Capillary Pressure - Simulation

60 Imbibition Capillary Pressure - Simulation
Drainage Capillary Pressure - Experimental
50
Capillary Pressure [Psi]

Imbibition Capillary Pressure

40

30

20

10

0
0,0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8
-10

-20
Fractional Water Saturation

Fig.16-Experimentally obtained capillary pressure curves

compared to the modified capillary pressure curves, Iw=0.8, used
for input to the simulator.

0 PV injected 0.08 PV injected 0.01 PV injected 0.08 PV injected

P9W1-01 P9W1-04 P9S 1-01 P9S 1-04
1, 1 1, 1
1, 0 1, 0 1, 1 1, 1
0 ,9 0 ,9 1, 0 1, 0
0 ,8 0 ,8 0 ,9 0 ,9
0 ,7 0 ,7 0 ,8 0 ,8
0 ,6 0 ,6
Sw 0 ,5 Sw 0 ,5
0 ,7 Sw 0 ,7
0 ,4 0 ,4 Sw 0 ,6
0 ,5
0 ,6
0 ,5
0 ,3 0 ,3 0 ,4 0 ,4
0 ,2 0 ,2 0 ,3 0 ,3
0 ,1 0 ,1 0 ,2 0 ,2
0 ,0 0 ,0 0 ,1 0 ,1
0 ,0 1 0 ,0 1
0 ,5 0 ,5
0 ,5 0 ,5
5, 5 5, 5 0 4 ,5 0 4 ,5
5, 5 5, 5 6 6
10 , 5 Length [cm] 10 , 5 8 Length [cm] 8 Height
Height Height Height
Length [cm] 15, 5 15, 5 Length [cm] 13 13
[cm] [cm] [cm] [cm]

0.13 PV injected 0.21 PV injected 0.15 PV injected 0.21 PV injected

P9W1-06 P9W1-08 P9S 1-06 P9S 1-07
1, 1 1, 1
1, 0 1, 0 1, 1 1, 1
0 ,9 0 ,9 1, 0 1, 0
0 ,8 0 ,8 0 ,9 0 ,9
0 ,7 0 ,7 0 ,8 0 ,8
0 ,6 0 ,6 0 ,7 0 ,7
Sw 0 ,5 Sw 0 ,5 Sw 0 ,6 Sw 0 ,6
0 ,4 0 ,4 0 ,5 0 ,5
0 ,3 0 ,3 0 ,4 0 ,4
0 ,2 0 ,2 0 ,3 0 ,3
0 ,1 0 ,1 0 ,2 0 ,2
0 ,0 0 ,0 0 ,1 0 ,1
0 ,0 1 0 ,0 1
0 ,5 0 ,5
0 ,5 0 ,5 0 0
5, 5 5, 5 4 ,5 4 ,5
5, 5 5, 5 6 6
10 , 5 Height 10 , 5 8 8
Length [cm] Length [cm] Height Length [cm] Height Length [cm] Height
15, 5 15, 5 13 13
[cm] [cm] [cm] [cm]

0.26 PV injected 0.40 PV injected 0.26 PV injected 0.40 PV injected

P9W1-10 P9W1-16 P9S 1-09 P9S 1-10
1, 1 1, 1
1, 0 1, 0 1, 1 1, 1
0 ,9 0 ,9 1, 0 1, 0
0 ,8 0 ,8 0 ,9 0 ,9
0 ,7 0 ,7 0 ,8 0 ,8
0 ,6 0 ,6 0 ,7 0 ,7
Sw 0 ,5 Sw 0 ,5 Sw 0 ,6 Sw 0 ,6
0 ,4 0 ,4 0 ,5 0 ,5
0 ,3 0 ,3 0 ,4 0 ,4
0 ,2 0 ,2 0 ,3 0 ,3
0 ,1 0 ,1 0 ,2 0 ,2
0 ,0 0 ,0 0 ,1 0 ,1
0 ,0 1 0 ,0 1
0 ,5 0 ,5
0 ,5 0 ,5
5, 5 5, 5 0 4 ,5 0 4 ,5
5, 5 5, 5 6 6
10 , 5 10 , 5 8 8
Length [cm] Height Length [cm] Height Length [cm] 13
Height Length [cm] 13 Height
15, 5 15, 5
[cm] [cm] [cm] [cm]

0.52 PV injected 0.70 PV injected

P9W1-20
Sw: Brine Saturation P9S 1-12
Sw: Brine Saturation
1, 1
1, 0 0,00-0,10 0,10-0,20
0 ,9
1, 1
1, 0
0,00-0,10 0,10-0,20
0 ,8 0 ,9
0 ,7 0 ,8
0 ,6 0 ,7
0 ,5 0,20-0,30 0,30-0,40 0,20-0,30 0,30-0,40
Sw 0 ,4 Sw 0 ,6
0 ,5
0 ,3 0 ,4
0 ,2 0 ,3
0 ,1 0,40-0,50 0,50-0,60 0 ,2 0,40-0,50 0,50-0,60
0 ,0 0 ,1
0 ,0 1
0 ,5
0 ,5 0,60-0,70 0,70-0,80
5, 5 0 4 ,5 0,60-0,70 0,70-0,80
10 , 5 5, 5 6
Length [cm] 8
Height Length [cm] Height
15, 5 0,80-0,90 0,90-1,00 13 0,80-0,90 0,90-1,00
[cm] [cm]

Fig.17-Comparison of experimental, left two columns, and

simulated, rightmost two columns, in-situ saturation development
for the first waterflood of the strongly-water-wet block CHP9, with
interconnected fracture network.