Abstract
Many resistivity data from laboratory measurements and well logging are available. Papers on the relationship between resistivity and relative permeability have been few. To this end, a new method was developed to infer two-phase relative permeability from the resistivity data in a consolidated porous medium. It was found that the wetting phase relative permeability is inversely proportional to the resistivity index of a porous medium. The proposed model was verified using the experimental data in different rocks (Berea, Boise sandstone, and limestone) at different temperatures up to 300°F. The results demonstrated that the oil and water relative permeabilities calculated from the experimental resistivity data by using the model proposed in this article were close to those calculated from the capillary pressure data in the rock samples with different porosities and permeabilities. The results demonstrated that the proposed approach to calculating two-phase relative permeability from resistivity data works satisfactorily in the cases studied.
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Abbreviations
- A :
-
Across area of rock
- E c :
-
Electric current or flux
- G :
-
Conductance of a tube
- G a :
-
Conductance of a porous medium at a water saturation of 100%
- G w :
-
Conductance of a porous medium at a water saturation of S w
- I :
-
Resistivity index
- k :
-
Absolute permeability
- k rnw :
-
Relative permeability of the nonwetting phase
- k rw :
-
Relative permeability of the wetting phase
- l :
-
Length of tube or rock
- n :
-
Saturation exponent
- ΔP :
-
Pressure gradient
- q :
-
Volumetric rate of flow
- r :
-
Radius of tube
- R 0 :
-
Resistivity of rock at a water saturation of 100%
- R t :
-
Resistivity of rock at a specific water saturation of S w
- R w :
-
Resistivity of water
- S w :
-
Wetting phase saturation
- \(S_{\rm w}^*\) :
-
Normalized wetting phase saturation
- S wr :
-
Residual water saturation
- ΔV :
-
Voltage gradient
- μ :
-
Viscosity
- λ :
-
Pore size distribution index
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Li, K. A New Method for Calculating Two-Phase Relative Permeability from Resistivity Data in Porous Media. Transp Porous Med 74, 21–33 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-007-9178-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11242-007-9178-4