Countercurrent Imbibition
Processes in Diatomite
Many low-permeability reservoirs
contain large resources. Imbibition
is fundamental to oil recovery from
such reservoirs under most sec-
ondary and improved recovery
processes, and is characteristic of
porous-medium wettability. The
rate and extent of imbibition
depend on the viscosities of the wet-
ting and nonwetting phases. A new
formulation for the dimensionless
time appropriate to countercurrent
imbibition was developed, and a
new scaling was used to correlate
experimental and simulation
results that improves correlation
Reservoir Per formance
significantly by taking endpoint
fluid-phase mobilities and the
mobility ratio into account.
Introduction
With more fields approaching matu-
rity and abandonment, recovery
options are required for more-diffi-
cult-to-produce reservoirs, such as
low-permeability diatomite and chalk
formations. Imbibition can occur in a
reservoir in both countercurrent and
cocurrent flow modes, depending on
the fracture network and water injec-
tion rates. In countercurrent mode,
water is imbibed and oil is expelled
from the same fracture face; hence,
the fluids move in opposite direc-
tions. In the cocurrent mode, oil and
water flow in the same direction.
Significantly lower imbibition rates
have been reported from countercur-
rent experiments compared with
cocurrent experiments. It has been
suggested that low countercurrent
imbibition rates are caused by flow
patterns and the viscous resistance
This article is a synopsis of paper
SPE 68837, “An Investigation of
Countercurrent Imbibition Processes in
Diatomite,” by D. Zhou, SPE, Chevron
Petroleum Technology Co.; L. Jia, SPE,
Stanford U.; J. Kamath, SPE, Chevron
Petroleum Technology Co.; and
A.R. Kovscek, SPE, Stanford U., orig-
inally presented at the 2001 SPE
Western Regional Meeting, Bakersfield,
California, 26–30 March.
44
generated when the two phases pass
each other. A shape factor has been
generalized to account for sample
shape and boundary conditions
more accurately.
An experimental and scaling study
was performed on countercurrent
imbibition in diatomite. Despite sim-
ilarities between chalk and diatomite,
generalization of imbibition perfor-
mance between these two rock types
is not currently possible. The full-
length paper details a 1D model that
was developed to analyze the scaling
behavior of countercurrent imbibi-
tion processes.
Experimental Study
The objectives were to obtain the sat-
uration profile and rate of imbibition
to determine fluid displacement
mechanisms during countercurrent
water imbibition into air- and oil-
filled cores. X-ray computed tomog-
raphy (CT) scanning was used for in-
situ visualization of displacement
patterns. The porous medium was a
well-characterized diatomite outcrop
sample. Imbibition performance was
gauged by the speed of oil recovery,
and the amount recovered decreased
as the nonwetting phase viscosity
increased. Water movement through
the cores became increasingly diffuse
with viscosity.
Discussion
Because of the complex nature of
experiments associated with low per-
meability samples and CT scanning,
only a limited number can be per-
formed in a reasonable period of time.
Additionally, several numerical simu-
lations of countercurrent imbibition
were performed to strengthen the scal-
ing arguments.
Countercurrent vs. Cocurrent. In
designing an oil recovery process from
low permeability formations, the nat-
ural recovery potentials must be opti-
mized. In simulating countercurrent
and cocurrent imbibition, the same
relative permeability and capillary
pressure curves were used. Results
from cocurrent imbibition consistent-
ly indicated approximately 20% more
oil recovery compared with counter-
current imbibition. The simulated
residual-oil-saturation distributions
showed that countercurrent imbibi-
tion is much more sensitive to local
heterogeneity, and it traps more oil as
a result. Experiments and simulations
indicate that cocurrent imbibition
reaches residual oil saturation much
faster than countercurrent imbibition.
Results of strictly applying measured
residual-oil-saturation data from
countercurrent imbibition experi-
ments to the field can be pessimistic
because some degree of cocurrent
flow might exist in the field.
Nevertheless, countercurrent imbibi-
tion may be the preferable recovery
mechanism in low-permeability reser-
voirs with relatively viscous oil. Oil
recovery from countercurrent imbibi-
tion is proportional to the square root
of time. For dimensionless times less
than unity, countercurrent imbibition
is expected to recover oil faster than
processes that are proportional to
time. As oil viscosity increases, this
period of time increases in an
absolute sense.
Low-permeability reservoirs, such
as diatomite, have permeability of
approximately 1 md and oil viscosity
of 10 to 20 cp. Experience has shown
that pressure gradients of more than
200 psi/ft are needed for conducting
laboratory forced-displacement exper-
iments. The maximum reservoir pres-
sure gradient is 5 psi/ft in practice,
considering reservoir depth and injec-
tivity. Therefore, oil recovery by dis-
placement is very difficult. However,
extensive fracturing of the formation
and encouragment of countercurrent
imbibition may improve access to the
reservoir and promote increased field-
wide recovery. JPT
Please read the full-length paper for
additional detail, illustrations, and ref-
erences. The paper from which the
synopsis has been taken has not been
peer reviewed.
OCTOBER 2001