Fracture Relative Permeability Estimation by Lattice-Boltzmann Method and its Effect on SAGD Performance in Carbonate Reservoirs
Yi Hu
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Abstract
In this work, the Lattice-Boltzmann method is applicable to calculating fracture relative permeability curves at different fracture porosity. It shows that irreducible water saturation, residual oil saturation, initial oil relative permeability and final water saturation bear a linear correlation to fracture porosity, respectively. Moreover, it shows that gravity enlarges a two-phase flow area. In SAGD process simulation, we can see that it is necessary to apply nonlinear fracture relative permeability curves and their correlation with fracture porosity. In the future, effects of wettability on relative permeability curves should be added into the Lattice-Boltzmann model and applications in different thermal recovery processes should be investigated.