New workflow developed to help estimate relative permeability and capillary pressure in downhole conditions
Reservoir relative permeability and capillary pressure, as a function of saturation, is important for assessing reservoir hydrocarbon recovery, selecting the well completion method, and determining the production strategy because they are fundamental inputs to reservoir simulation for predicting lifetime production of a well. Estimation of relative permeability and capillary pressure curves at reservoir conditions is also an important task for successful planning of waterflooding and enhanced oil recovery. The relative permeability and capillary pressure data estimated from core analysis might cause concern regarding representativeness, and adjustments are typically necessary for successful production forecasting. This paper proposes a new method to obtain relative permeability and capillary pressure curves with downhole pressure-transient analysis (PTA) of mini-drillstem tests (miniDSTs) and well log-derived saturations.
The new approach was based on performing miniDSTs in the free water, oil, and oil-water transition zones. Analyses of the miniDST buildup tests provided absolute formation permeability, endpoints of relative permeability to both oil and water, and curvature of the relative permeability data. Additionally, resistivity, dielectric, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logs were used to determine irreducible water, residual oil, and transition zone saturations. Combining these downhole measurements provided the relative permeability and capillary pressure curves.
Click below to view further details and download the technical paper (PDF).
SPE Improved Oil Recovery Conference, 14-18 April, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
Authors: Mona Al-Rushaid (Kuwait Oil Company) | Hamad Al-Rashidi (Kuwait Oil Company) | Munir Ahmad (Kuwait Oil Company) | Mehdi Azari (Halliburton) | Hamid Hadibeik (Halliburton) | Mahmoud Kalawina (Halliburton) | Gibran Hashmi (Halliburton) | Farrukh Hamza (Halliburton) | Sandeep Ramakrishna (Halliburton)
