Reinfiltration in Fractured Porous Media: Part 1 - One Dimensional Model

Abstract

SUMMARY Conventional fractured reservoir simulation models often neglect some fundamental aspects of multiphase flow in fractured porous media. Reinfiltration of the drained liquid from the upper blocks to the lower blocks is a key process which is often neglected. In this study, we present a theory of reinfiltration in fractured porous media in a one-dimensional (1-D) space. Based on this theory, it is established that the rate of drainage in a matrix block is always less than or equal to the reinfiltration rate. This implies that the drained liquid (for a gas-liquid system) from an upper block, rein-filtrates to the lower block and does not flow through the fracture network.