1. PETROLEUM ENGINEERING AND ROCK MECHANICS GROUP
Pore Scale Modelling of Non-Newtonian Flow
Xavier Lopez
Martin Blunt
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
8th January 2001
8th January 2001

2. IMPERIAL COLLEGE CONSORTIUM
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
IMPERIAL COLLEGE CONSORTIUM
BHP
Department of Trade and Industry
Enterprise Oil
Gaz de France
Japan National Oil Corporation
PDVSA-Intevep
Schlumberger
Shell
Statoil
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
8th January 2001

3. Aims and Objectives Project Motivation Research Plans CONTENTS
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
8th January 2001

4. Effects of non-Newtonian rheology on flow in porous media:
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Effects of non-Newtonian rheology on flow in porous media:
Multi-phase flow properties (Kr, wettability and saturation changes…)
Modify PERM mixed-wet network code to cope with complex rheology
Experimental validation
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
8th January 2001

5. The oil industry and complex fluids
PROJECT MOTIVATION
The oil industry and complex fluids
Drilling, fracturing, well treatments and stimulation (fracturing), water control (gel blocking)…
… physics of complex fluids flow in porous media still poorly understood
Our approach: describing the physics at the pore-scale using network modelling ( “platform” of investigation)
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
8th January 2001

6.  = f () Non linear system Pin Pout  Q = 0 Q = C . P RESEARCH PLANSpk pc
Shear rate, 
Viscosity, 
A. P
K =  . Qt . L
eff
 = f ()
eff
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
8th January 2001

7.  = . Power law fluid RESEARCH PLANS Methodology1 :
Derive an expression relating effective viscosity and pressure drop
Initial guess
Solve for flow
Update pressure field, and viscosity guess
Recompute pressure, iterate until convergence
1Sorbie et al, The rheology of pseudo-plastic fluids in porous media using network modelling
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
8th January 2001

8. Complications RESEARCH PLANS Multi-phase flow: Flow in layers
Non circular elements
Momentum transfer
Cross flow interaction (i.e. between the phase in the centre of the pore and in the corners)
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
8th January 2001

9. Experimental Validation
RESEARCH PLANS
Experimental Validation
Collaboration with Schlumberger Cambridge Research Centre:
Ideal systems (single phase Newtonian and non-Newtonian flow)
Micromodel experiments
Core flooding experiments
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London
8th January 2001