Estimation of relative permeability functions from data of laboratory experiments

A method for estimating functions of relative permeabilities based on actual laboratory experiments is proposed. Functions were estimated by minimizing the difference between experimental data and numerical results obtained by mathematical modeling of oil displacement by water from a sampleof porous medium. Results of series of laboratory experiments for the samples from wells of actual oil field were processed by the method established.
Materials and methods
For determination of absolute permeability of samples in laboratory conditions procedures outlined in state standardswere used. Determination of permeability ofsample on water and oil was conducted on a laboratory setting UIPK - 1M. Amount of residual water in the sample is determined by NMR. For mathematical modeling of oil displacement by water from the sample of porous medium, the model proposed by Buckley and Leverett is used. Numerical approximation of the problem is constructed using the control-volume method and the scheme of IMPES method. Search for the minimum of residual function is performed by the method of flexible polyhedron.
Results
An algorithm for reconstructing functions of relative permeabilities from laboratory experiments was developed in thispaper based on mathematical modelingmethods and techniques for solving inverse problems. The algorithm was tested in processing the results of the experiment in the laboratory of NIIneftepromchim on core samples from well 2262 of Akanskoe field.
Сonclusions
The method presented can be used to interpret the results of laboratory experiments on cores from the wells ofthe real fields, and the resulting functions of relative permeabilities can be used in problems of hydrodynamic modeling of field waterflooding.