Issue |
E3S Web Conf.
Volume 146, 2020
The 2019 International Symposium of the Society of Core Analysts (SCA 2019)
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Article Number | 01005 | |
Number of page(s) | 11 | |
Section | Core Analysis in a Digital World | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202014601005 | |
Published online | 05 February 2020 |
High-Resolution Inline Density Measurements: Insight on Multiphase Flow and Transport Phenomena in Porous Media
1 Univeristy of Calgary, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department, 2500 University Dr. NW T2N 1N4
2 Canada Excellence Research Chair in Materials Engineering for Unconventional Oil Reservoirs
Understanding fluid flow in porous media is essential with complex and multiphase fluid flow. We demonstrate that high-resolution in-line density measurements are a valuable tool in this regard. An in-line densitometer is used in fluid flow in porous media applications to quantify fluid production and obtain quantitative and qualitative information such as breakthrough times, emulsion/foam generation, and steam condensation.
In order to determine the potential applications for in-line densitometry for fluid flow in porous media, a series of sand pack floods were performed with a densitometer placed at the outlet of a sand pack. All fluids passed through the measurement cell at experiential temperatures and pressures. An algorithm was developed and applied to the density data to provide a quantitative determination of oil and water production. The second series of tests were performed at high temperature and pressure, with a densitometer placed at the inlet and outlet of a sand pack, for steam applications. In both series of experiments, data acquisition was collected at 1 hertz and the analyzed density data was compared to results from the conventional effluent analysis, including Dean-Stark, toluene separations, magnetic susceptibility measurement, and flash calculations where applicable.
The high-resolution monitoring of effluent from a flow experiment through porous media in a system with two phases of known densities enables two-phase production to be accurately quantified in the case of both light and heavy oil. The frequency of measurements results in a high-resolution history of breakthrough times and fluid behavior. In the case of monitoring steam injection processes, reliable laboratory tests show that in-line density measurements enable the determination of steam quality at the inlet and outlet of a sand pack and qualitative determination of steam condensation monitoring
The use of in-line densitometry provides insight on the monitoring of complex fluid flow in porous media, which typical bulk effluent analysis is not able to do. The ability to measure produced fluids at high resolution and extreme temperatures reduces mass balance error associated with the effluent collection and broadens our understanding of complex fluid flow in porous media.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2020
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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