The impact of wettability alterations on oil release and transport mechanisms in a 2D porous medium

Abstract

The effects of wettability alterations in a 2D network model of a porous media has been studied. By changing the wetting properties of the reservoir through a developed wettability changing algorithm, previously immobile oil clusters in the network are re-mobilized, leading to significant changes in the steady state flow distribution of the model porous mediaThis caused de-stabilization of percolating and trapped clusters as the wettability was changed from an oil wet to a mixed wet system.A critical transition at a certain wetting angle, depending on the initial saturation and lattice size of the system was found. This indicating a possible phase transition from a percolating flow regime to a more uniform flow distribution through the network model. A link between changes in fractional flow and a percolation transition is also suspected, and using the theoretical framework of percolation theory, critical exponents were estimated.