Experimental Study of Oil-Water Displacement Dynamics in Berea Sandstone

Zhanhe Jia, Wenbin Jiang () and Mian Lin ()
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Zhanhe Jia: Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Wenbin Jiang: Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Mian Lin: Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 8, 1-16

Abstract: Understanding pore-scale oil-water two-phase flow dynamics in reservoir rocks is fundamental for optimizing petroleum exploitation. However, limitations in real-time observation have hindered comprehensive characterization of these processes. This study employs a novel three-dimensional visualization platform that integrates online micro-CT imaging (3.78 μm resolution) with oil-water displacement experiments in Berea sandstone. Experiments conducted at 20 °C and 50 °C across flow rates (0.10–0.35 mL/min) revealed distinct temperature-dependent saturation patterns: non-monotonic N-type behavior (initial increase, decrease, and then increase with flow rate) at 20 °C and V-type behavior (initial decrease followed by increase) at 50 °C, accounting for 76.0–94.3% of observed variations. Quantitative analysis demonstrated that these dominant patterns correlate with the evolution of maximum oil cluster volumes and their dynamic merging-splitting processes. Significantly, we identified temperature-sensitive preferential flow pathways that maintain stable oil phases independent of flow rate variations, occupying 17.1% and 13.6% of pore space at 20 °C and 50 °C, respectively. These findings advance our understanding of oil migration mechanisms by revealing temperature-dependent non-monotonic saturation patterns and quantifying the dynamics of preferential pathway formation, providing insights for optimizing reservoir development through enhanced characterization of fluid distribution patterns at varying depths and temperature conditions.

Keywords: oil-water displacement; Berea sandstone; micro-CT imaging; temperature effects; preferential flow pathways (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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