AN ANALYTICAL MODEL FOR TWO-PHASE RELATIVE PERMEABILITY WITH JAMIN EFFECT IN POROUS MEDIA

Abstract

Jamin effect, which is a capillary pressure obstructing the drop/bubble flow through the narrow throat, has an important effect on the multiphase flow in the low permeability reservoir porous media. In this work, a novel model for the relative permeability with Jamin effect is developed to study the two-phase flow through porous media based on the fractal theory. The proposed relative permeability is expressed as a function of the applied pressure difference, shape parameters of the drop/bubble, the physical parameters of the wetting and nonwetting fluids, and microstructural parameters of porous media. Good agreement between model predictions and available experimental data is obtained, and the advantage of the present fractal model can be highlighted by comparisons with the empirical model predictions. Additionally, the influences of Jamin effect on the two-phase relative permeability are discussed comprehensively and in detail. The model reveals that the length ratios ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]) have significant effects on the relative permeabilities. It is also found that the nonwetting phase relative permeability strongly depends on the interfacial tension, applied pressure difference, viscosity ratio and porosity of porous media at the lower wetting phase saturation. Furthermore, the fractal model will shed light on the two-phase transport mechanism of the low permeability reservoir porous media.