Effect of Foam on Liquid Phase Mobility in Porous Media

Eftekhari, A.A.; Farajzadeh, R.

doi:10.1038/srep43870

Effect of Foam on Liquid Phase Mobility in Porous Media

Title

Effect of Foam on Liquid Phase Mobility in Porous Media

Author

Eftekhari, A.A. (TU Delft Reservoir Engineering; Technical University of Denmark)
Farajzadeh, R. (TU Delft Reservoir Engineering; Shell)

Date

2017

Abstract

We investigate the validity of the assumption that foam in porous media reduces the mobility of gas phase only and does not impact the liquid-phase mobility. The foam is generated by simultaneous injection of nitrogen gas and a surfactant solution into sandstone cores and its strength is varied by changing surfactant type and concentration. We find, indeed, that the effect of foam on liquid-phase mobility is not pronounced and can be ignored. Our new experimental results and analyses resolve apparent discrepancies in the literature. Previously, some researchers erroneously applied relative permeability relationships measured at small to moderate capillary numbers to foam floods at large capillary number. Our results indicate that the water relative permeability in the absence of surfactant should be measured with the capillary pressure ranging up to values reached during the foam floods. This requires conducting a steady-state gas/water core flood with capillary numbers similar to that of foam floods or measuring the water relative-permeability curve using a centrifuge.

Subject

crude oil
hydrology
OA-Fund TU Delft

To reference this document use:

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:6c0104e9-1185-426b-a3ec-ef9f2b5eb14e

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1038/srep43870

ISSN

2045-2322

Source

Scientific Reports, 7

Part of collection

Institutional Repository