Direct pore-to-core up-scaling of displacement processes: Dynamic pore network modeling and experimentation

We present a new dynamic pore network model that is capable of up-scaling two-phase flow processes from pore to core. This dynamic model provides a platform to study various flow processes in porous media at the core scale using the pore-scale physics. The most critical features of this platform include (1) the incorporation of viscous, capillary, and gravity pressure drops in pore-scale displacement thresholds, (2) wetting-phase corner flow in capillary elements with angular cross-sections, (3) adjustments of corner interfaces between wetting and non-wetting phases based on changes in local capillary pressure, (4) simultaneous injection of wetting and non-wetting phases from the inlet of the medium at constant flow rates that makes the study of steady-state processes possible, (5) heavy parallelization using a three-dimensional domain decomposition scheme that enables the study of two-phase flow at the core scale, and (6) constant pressure boundary condition at the outlet. For the validation of the dynamic model, three two-phase miniature core-flooding experiments were performed in a state-of-the-art micro core-flooding system integrated with a high-resolution X-ray micro-CT scanner. The dynamic model was rigorously validated by comparing the predicted local saturation profiles, fractional flow curves, relative permeabilities, and residual oil saturations against their experimental counterparts. The validated dynamic model was then used to study low-IFT and high-viscosity two-phase flow processes and investigate the effect of high capillary number on relative permeabilities and residual oil saturation. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V.