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Relative Permeability Measurement Using Rapid In-Situ Saturation Measurement With 23Na MRI

Relative permeability (kr) curves are essential for reservoir management. Special core analysis (SCAL) techniques for the estimation of kr curves commonly rely on laboratory coreflood experiments. During these experiments, temporal data, such as volume of produced fluid and pressure drop across the core plug, are used to evaluate kr curves as a function of water saturation (Sw). Experimental artifacts, in particular the capillary end effect, prevent direct application of Darcy’s law for kr measurements. Therefore, the analysis of temporal data relies on simulations to separate capillary pressure (Pc) effects from kr. These simulations can predict the results of a coreflood experiment by using Pc(Sw) and kr(Sw) as input functions. Therefore, the inverse problem is solved by assuming parametrized functional forms for Pc(Sw) and kr(Sw). The temporal data are then fit by optimizing these parameters to obtain Pc and kr curves. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to monitor the coreflood experiment to provide both temporal and spatial fluid saturations during coreflooding. Rapid in-situ saturation monitoring using MRI can be used to determine derivatives of saturation with respect to time and position. In this work, a technique is proposed that employs saturation derivatives as well as the pressure drop across a core plug to extract model-free kr curves. To validate the proposed method, the core analysis simulation program CYDAR was used to generate saturation profiles as well as the pressure drop across the core plug for drainage and imbibition processes, assuming Pc and kr curves. These data were then processed with the proposed method in a mock experiment to retrieve the kr curves. To illustrate the validity of the method experimentally, a drainage experiment was conducted to evaluate kr curves in a Bentheimer core plug undergoing first drainage.
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Year: 2025
Author(s): Mohammad Sadegh Zamiri, Naser Ansaribaranghar, Florea Marica, Andrés Ramírez Aguilera, Derrick Green, Cyril Caubit, Benjamin Nicot, and Bruce J. Balcom
Company(s): University of New Brunswick, Green Imaging, TotalEnergies
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