Characterization of Enhanced Oil Bank Build Up through Relative Permeability Analysis

In this research, we investigate and characterize the oil bank mobilization on a single-mineral porous medial “Fontainebleau sandstone” ( Al Saadi, 2017 ). Chemicals (surfactant and polymer) are used to mobilize the trapped/residual oil and build up the oil bank. The understanding of favorable physical, chemical and spatial conditions of when and how an oil bank is formed is very limited. It is more applicable when coreflow experiments are upscaled from core scale to field scale

Coreflow experiments were carrried out in high end setup which provide us with the robust, accurate and repeatable experimental data for oil mobilization process from 7 cm to one meter scale core samples. Data integrity of coreflow experiments are insured by two ways: repeating the experiments and reproducing the experimental results; improving the precesion and accuracy. Additionally, some of the coreflow experiments were carried out under CT scanner where the mobilization process of oil bank is visualized, monitored and characterized.

For experimental data Interpretation; we used analytical (JBN Method) and in house numerical simulator to produce accurate relative permeability curves for various core lengths. This experimental relative permeability interpretation provides us insight into the mechanisms and dynamics of the oil mobilization process in natural porous media.