Coupled pressure-driven flow and spontaneous imbibition in shale oil reservoirs

Coupled pressure-driven (viscous) flow and spontaneous imbibition are the main regimes during shale oil production. Revealing the unclear mechanisms of this coupled flow is a major concern for scholars and field engineers. In this work, the oil-water flow mechanisms within shale pore structures are investigated by pore-scale modeling methods in focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy digital rocks enhanced by applying super-resolution reconstruction (SRR). More small pores are identified with SRR, and the connectivity is improved. The enhanced pore size distribution is consistent with the nitrogen adsorption measurement; hence, more representative capillary pressure and relative permeability curves are obtained with essential experimental measurements. Then, an analytical solution of coupled pressure-driven (viscous) flow and spontaneous imbibition is derived, and a corresponding algorithm is proposed. Based on the pore-scale calculated relative permeability and capillary pressure curves, the analytical solution is applied to investigate the variations in water saturation profiles and conductance of the oil phase during the shale reservoir development. The results demonstrate that most of the shale oil is recovered by pressure dropdown-induced viscous flow and that imbibition is a minor factor. The overall oil-relative permeability decreases due to imbibition invasion. When the fracture spacing increases, the impairment of the overall oil-relative permeability decreases.

Automated summary

In this study, the mechanisms of oil-water flow within shale pore structures were investigated using pore-scale modeling methods and super-resolution reconstruction technology. An analytical solution and corresponding algorithm were proposed to investigate the variations in water saturation profiles and oil phase conductance during shale reservoir development. The results showed that pressure dropdown-induced viscous flow was the main mechanism for shale oil production, while imbibition had a minor effect, leading to a decrease in overall oil-relative permeability.