Capillary pressure curve

Zhang Yi
Petroleum engineering college
 油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

The phenomena of liquid rising along capillary

2σ cos θ
Pc = ρ w gh = （1）
r
 油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

If there are oil and water in the reservoir

Poa = Pwa
If the section area is so large

Poa = Pob + ρ o gh （2）

Poa = Pwb + ρ w gh （3）

(2)－(3)：
Pob − Pwb = ( ρ w − ρ o ) gh
Pob − Pwb = Pc
油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

2σ wo cos θ wo
Pc = （3）
r
The height of water
2σ wo cosθ wo
h= （4）
r(ρo − ρ w )g
For the system of oil and gas, the height of oil
2σ og cos θ og
ho = （5）
r(ρ o − ρ g ) g
油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

the additional pressure in random surface

By Laplace’ low
1 1
Pc = σ ( + )
R 1 R2

σ: interfacial tension
R1、R2: maximum radius of curvature of the
curved surface
油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

The curved surface of capillary maybe part of

sphericity, cylinder or random shape.
1. If the curved surface is sphericity
R1 = R 2 = R
2σ
Pc =
R
r
R =
cos θ
2 σ cos θ
Pc =
r
油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

2. If the curved surface is cylinder

R1 = ∞, R2 = r
σ
Pc =
r

3. the capillary pressure of random surface

horizontal: R2
vertical: R1
R
油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

R1 ↑ ，R2 ↓ with Sw ↑ ,
1 1 1
Pc = σ ( + ) = f ( )
R1 R2 R
R —average pore radius

R → R1、R2 → distrubutionofoilandwaterinporousmedia → S w

So Pc = f ( S w )
The capillary pressure is associated with water
saturation in random surface.
油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

various resistance effects

1. If oil or gas is at rest
σ
Cylinder surface： Pc ' = （point to the center of tube)
r

Spherical surface 2σ cos θ （point to the wall of tube)

Pc ' ' =
r
2σ cos θ σ
PI = Pc ' '− Pc ' = −
r r
2σ
PI = (cos θ − 0.5)
r
This is first resistance effect.
油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

2. When oil intend flow, spherical surface occur

transmutation
1 1
PⅡ = 2σ ( − )
R' ' R'
2σ
PⅡ = (cos θ ' '− cos θ ' )
r
this is second resistance effect.

From this, when oil get over first and second of

resistance, the oil can flow
油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

3. When oil or fluid flow to narrow path, will

produce additional resistance

1 1
PⅢ = 2σ ( − )
R1 ' R2 '

This is Jamin effect.

油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

Capillary pressure curve

Initial curve
The minimum pressure that non-wet phase
fluid displace wet phase is called threshold.
１）maximum pore radius
2σ cos θ 2σ cos θ
PT = ⇒ rmax =
rmax PT
油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

２） Wettability index
cos θ wo PTwo ⋅ σ og
ω= = ω∈（０，１）
cos θ og PTog ⋅ σ wo

The more ω close 1, the more water-wet.

The more ω close 0, the more oil-wet.
油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

３）pseudo contact angle

cosθog = 1,θog = 0
PTwo ⋅ σ og
cosθ wo =
PTog ⋅ σ wo
θ wo = 0water − wet，θ wo = 90°oil − wet
油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

2. Middle curve
● length of middle curve shows that the more length ,
the more uniformity the distribution of pore.
● the height of middle curve shows that the lower the
height, the smaller threshold, and more the radius of
pore.
● skewness shows if the pore radius is
large or small.
● Pc50(50 means 50% of Sw) shows the less
Pc50 ,the more productivity.
油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

3. last curve

water can’t be injected into porous media, so

we can find irreducible water saturation Swmin.
 油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

Calculate the height of transition layer in reservoir

question：find h→ Sw
Pc 100 Pc
1. h= ⇒h=
(ρ w − ρ o ) g ρw − ρo
100 Pc
h( m) =
ρw − ρo

Pc − MPa；
ρ w、ρ o − g / cm 3

h－m
油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

２. according to Pc~Sw，we can find h─ Sw

３. need to transfer pressure from lab to reservoir

( Pc ) R σ wo cos θ wo σ R
= ≈
( Pc ) L σ gw cos θ gw σ L
σR
∴ ( Pc ) R = • ( Pc ) L
σL
100( Pc ) R
h=
ρw − ρo
油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

Capillary pressure function（Ｊfunction）

1. Ｊfunction
1
P K Pc K 12
J (S w ) = ( ) 2
Pc ~ S w ⇒ J = ( )
σ cos θ φ σ φ

2. application
can analyze complexly reservoir data
油藏物理学——油藏岩石的毛管压力曲线

The application of capillary pressure curve

1. Judge wettability of reservoir
2. Find the distribution of pore in reservoir
3. Classification of reservoir
4. Find irreducible water saturation of reservoir
5. Calculate the height of transition layer in
reservoir