Effect Of The Presence Of A Third Phase On Capillary Pressure Of Consolidated Sandstone By The Centrifuge Method

Abstract

An experimental investigation has been made into two phase capillary pressure phenomena in porous media containing three immiscible fluid phases. Using the centrifuge method, drainage capillary pressure curves were generated for three phase systems and compared to those of two phase systems in a strongly water wet, consolidated, Berea sandstone. Results of the investigation show that a third trapped saturation of oil, gas, or water can affect the residual fluid saturation values, the shape of the capillary pressure curves, and the saturation distribution of the core. Furthermore, it was determined that the Hassler and Brunner method (for determining endpoint saturations in centrifuge experiments) is susceptible to erroneous results in three phase systems. Therefore, in any drainage or imbibition process, the effect of a third phase cannot be considered insignificant in determining the capillary pressure--saturation relationships between two fluids in a three phase system. <p>