Effect of particle content on relative permeabilities in water flooding.

Water flooding is the most widely used method to enhance oil recovery. Simulating the influence of particle content on fluid flow in water flooding process can provide instructive significance for oilfield development. In this paper, a pore network model was established to simulate the transport process of particles in injected water and fallen particles from the reservoir. It was used to study the influence of particle blockage, deposition and migration on the clogged throats and changes of oil-water relative permeability curves. In the model, four parameters were set, fallen particle diameter, injected particle diameter, fallen particle number and injected particle number. Other parameters were fixed and only a variable was changed to explore the changeable rule of relative permeability curves. It can be generally noted that fallen particle changes have great influence on the relative permeability curves of oil phase and injected particle changes mainly affect the relative permeability curves of water phase. It is of great significance for oilfield development to study the influence of particle transportation on fluid seepage processes. • A pore network model containing particles was established. • A transport process of injected particles and fallen particles from the reservoir during water flooding was simulated. • The influence of particle blockage, deposition and migration on the clogged throats and oil-water relative permeability curves was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]