Estimation Of The Spatially Varying Permeability Of A Porous Solid

Abstract

Proper function of industrial society mandates large supplies of oil both now and in the foreseeable future. In order to meet the great demand for oil, the oil industry uses several enhanced oil recovery techniques. One of the most important of these techniques is water injection. A water injection system uses water, injected into an oil reservoir, to push the immiscible oil in the reservoir out of an oil producing well. Design of a water injection system would be facilitated by knowledge of the ease with which the oil and water could flow through the reservoir. Ease of flow through a porous medium is defined as permeability (denoted by the symbol, K). If the permeability varies with distance through a reservoir, this K is known as spatially varying permeability. The research objective was the estimation of spatially varying permeability. Transient pressure drop data (where the pressure drop is measured between a water injection and an oil producing well) composed the information from which K was estimated. The estimation was conducted with a computer, and the Fortran language was used. The investigator found spatially varying permeability was estimable. However, problems in the program prevented the code's proper function for all the problems tested. Hence, the objective was attained, but the program requires more testing.