Visualization of Imbibition Process in Fractured Porous Media Using Hele Shaw Cell

Analyzing fluid flow behavior and also determination of production mechanisms are key parameters to study fractured reservoirs. Due to a low oil recovery in fractured reservoir, there is a good potential to apply different enhanced oil recovery methods to produce more oil. Surfactant flooding is thought to be a viable method to recover more oil from fractured reservoirs by changing e rock wettability toward more water-wet and thus enhancing imbibition mechanism. In this paper, we studied tertiary oil recovery by injecting Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate into oil-wet fractured porous media by using a Hele Shaw cell. An artificial porous medium of polyurethane with high porosity and high permeability was used to mimic fractures in a porous matrix. We successfully visualized water imbibitions from fracture to matrix and also obtained saturation profiles. The result also showed the surfactant was able to alter matrix wettability to a more water-wet condition leading to an extra oil recovery as much as 8% of the initial oil in place.

Keywords:

Fractured reservoir , Hele Shaw cell , Imbibition , Surfactant flooding , Incremental oil recovery