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 Wettability
Definition:

Wettability is defined as the tendency of one fluid to spread on or

adhere to a solid surface in the presence of other immiscible fluids.

Concepts:

The concept of wettability is illustrated in Figure. Small drops of

three liquids mercury, oil, and water are placed on a clean glass
plate.

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• The three droplets are then observed from one side as illustrated
in Figure.
• It is noted that the mercury retains a spherical shape, the oil
droplet develops an approximately hemispherical shape, but the
water tends to spread over the glass surface.

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• The tendency of a liquid to spread over the surface of a solid is an

indication of the wetting characteristics of the liquid for the solid.

• This spreading tendency can be expressed more conveniently by

measuring the angle of contact at the liquid-solid surface.

• This angle, which is always measured through the liquid to the

solid, is called the contact angle Ɵ.

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• As the contact angle decreases, the wetting characteristics of the

liquid increase.

• Complete wettability would be evidenced by a zero contact angle,

and complete non-wetting would be evidenced by a contact angle

of 180.

• There have been various definitions of intermediate wettability

but, in much of the published literature, contact angles of 60 to 90

will tend to repel the liquid.

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• The wettability of reservoir rocks to the fluids is important in that

the distribution of the fluids in the porous media is a function of

wettability.

• Because of the attractive forces, the wetting phase tends to occupy

the smaller pores of the rock and the non-wetting phase occupies

the more open channels.

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For example, for water-oil-solid system at equilibrium, the following
equation (known as Young’s equation) can be expressed

 so   sw   woCos

where σso is the interfacial tension between the oil and solid, σsw
between the water and solid, σwo between the oil and water. Ɵ is the
contact angle measured through the water Phase

Interfacial tensions for water-oil-solid system at equilibrium 8

Adhesion tension, which is a function of the interfacial tension,
determines which fluid preferentially wets the solid. In the case of
water-oil-solid, the adhesion tension AT is defined as

AT   so   sw   woCos

 A positive adhesion tension AT indicates that water preferentially

wets the solid surface (water wet).

 An AT of zero indicates that both phases have an equal affinity for

the surface (neutral system).

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 A negative AT indicates the oil wets the solid surface (oil wet).

 The magnitude of the adhesion tension determines the ability of the

wetting phase to adhere to the solid and to spread over the surface
of the solid.

 Based on the contact angle, the wetting index WI is defined

according to the tabulation below:

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• The limits of the scales are not definite, since a system with
contact angle in the range of about 700 to 1100 is considered
neutral. Another scaling system is used during Experiment

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Spreading wetting. In spreading wetting the adhesion forces
between the liquid and the solid are greater than the cohesive forces
between the liquid molecules, and the liquid will spread on the
surface as a thin film. The spreading coefficient S is defined by the
expression.

  so   sw   ow 
dG
S 
dA

where dG is the free energy increase due to spreading and dA is

change in interfacial area.

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• The liquid spreads spontaneously over the solid surface when S is
positive or zero. When S is negative the liquid remains as a drop
having a definite angle of contact with the solid surface. The
equilibrium contact angle is such that the total surface free energy
of the system is minimum.
• To illustrate that, the quantitative relation between interfacial
tension, contact angle and spreading coefficient are tabulated
below:

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The wettability of a reservoir rock system will depend on the
following factors

 Reservoir rock material and pore geometry

 Geological mechanisms (accumulation and migration)

 Composition and amount of oil and brine

 Physical conditions; pressure and temperature

 Mechanisms occurring during production; i.e. change in

saturations, pressure and composition.

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Other lesser known types of wettability are:

 Neutral or intermediate wettability: no preference is shown by

the rock to either fluid; i.e., equally wet.

 Fractional wettability: heterogeneous wetting; i.e., portions of the

rock are strongly oil wet, whereas other portions are strongly water

wet. Occurs due to variation in minerals with different surface

chemical properties. Silicate water interface is acidic, therefore

basic constituents in oils will readily be absorbed resulting in an

oil-wet surface.
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• In contrast, the carbonate water interface is basic and will attract
and absorb acid compounds. Since crude oils generally contain
acidic polar compounds, there is a tendency for silicate rocks to be
neutral to water-wet and carbonates to be neutral to oil-wet.

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 Mixed wettability: refers to small pores occupied by water and are
water-wet, while larger pores are oil-wet and continuous.
Subsequently, oil displacement occurs at very low oil saturations
resulting in unusually low residual oil saturation.

Microscopic fluid saturation Microscopic fluid saturation

distribution in a water-wet rock distribution in a oil-wet rock
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Interfacial tension:
When two immiscible fluids (gas-liquid or liquid-liquid) are in
contact, the fluids are separated by a well-defined interface, which is
only a few molecular diameters in thickness. Within the fluid and
away from the interface and the walls of the container, the molecules
attract each other in all directions.

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• At the surface between two immiscible fluids, there are no
similar molecules beyond the interface and, therefore, there is an
inward-directed force that attempts to minimize the surface by
pulling it into the shape of a sphere.
• This surface activity creates a film-like layer of molecules that
are in tension, which is a function of the specific free energy of
the interface.
• The interfacial tension has the dimensions of force per unit
length (N/m) which is the modern standard expression of the
units.
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 Wetting Phase Fluid
• Wetting phase fluid preferentially wets the solid rock surface.

• Attractive forces between rock and fluid draw the wetting phase
into small pores.

• Wetting phase fluid often has low mobile.

• Attractive forces limit reduction in wetting phase saturation to an

irreducible value (irreducible wetting phase saturation).

• Many hydrocarbon reservoirs are either totally or partially water-

wet.
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 Non-wetting Phase Fluid
• Non-wetting phase does not preferentially wet the solid rock
surface

• Repulsive forces between rock and fluid cause non-wetting phase

to occupy largest pores

• Non-wetting phase fluid is often the most mobile fluid, especially

at large non-wetting phase saturations

• Natural gas is never the wetting phase in hydrocarbon reservoirs

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 Water-wet Reservoir Rock
• Reservoir rock is water - wet if water preferentially wets the rock
surfaces
• The rock is water- wet under the following conditions:
so > sw
wo Oil
• AT > 0 (i.e., the adhesion tension
is positive) Water
so  sw
0 <  < 90
Solid
• If  is close to 0, the rock is considered to be “strongly water-wet”

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 Oil-Wet Reservoir Rock
• Reservoir rock is oil-wet if oil preferentially wets the rock surfaces.

• The rock is oil-wet under the following conditions:

so < sw

• AT < 0 (i.e., the adhesion tension is negative)

90 <  < 180

Water
wo Oil


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• If  is close to 180, the rock is considered to be “strongly oil-wet”
90 <  < 180
• The interfacial tension between the rock surface and oil is less than
between the rock surface and water.

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 Measurement of Wettability

Measurements on Core Samples

In porous media the contact angle is determined indirectly. The

methods are mainly based on measurements during displacement
tests. But the problem is that no valid theory is developed for the
relationship between displacement pressure and wetting preference.

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The most common methods for measuring wettability on core
samples are
- Displacement test with two different fluids
- Capillary pressure measurements
- Measurements of nuclear magnetic relaxation rate
- Measurement of dye absorption
- Imbibition measurements
- Imbibition and displacement (Amott method).
The test developed by Amott seems to be most accepted and widely
used test in the oil industry.
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