Sensitivity Analysis of the Dimensionless Parameters in Scaling a Polymer Flooding Reservoir

• Published in: Transport in porous media Vol. 73; no. 1; pp. 21 - 37
• Main Authors: Bai, Yuhu, Li, Jiachun, Zhou, Jifu, Li, Qingping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.05.2008; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Civil Engineering; Classical and Continuum Physics; Density; Dimensionless analysis; Dimensionless numbers; Dominance; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Engineering geology; Exact sciences and technology; Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences; Hydrogeology; Hydrology/Water Resources; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Parameter sensitivity; Permeability; Polymer flooding; Polymers; Reservoirs; Saturation; Scaling; Sensitivity analysis; Shear rate; Viscosity; Water compressibility; Dimensionless parameter; Polymer flooding; Sensitivity analysis; Multiphase percolation; diffusion; shear; density; absorption; sensitivity analysis; permeability; reservoirs; aqueous solutions; inundations; transport; water; compressibility; saturation; viscosity; percolation; solution; multiphase flow; polymers; dispersion; injection; porous media
• ISSN: 0169-3913; 1573-1634
• DOI: 10.1007/s11242-007-9157-9

A set of scaling criteria of a polymer flooding reservoir is derived from the governing equations, which involve gravity and capillary force, compressibility of water, oil, and rock, non-Newtonian behavior of the polymer solution, absorption, dispersion, and diffusion, etc. A numerical approach to quantify the dominance degree of each dimensionless parameter is proposed.With this approach, the sensitivity factor of each dimensionless parameter is evaluated. The results show that in polymer flooding, the order of the sensitivity factor ranges from 10 −5 to 10 0 and the dominant dimensionless parameters are generally the ratio of the oil permeability under the condition of the irreducible water saturation to water permeability under the condition of residual oil saturation, density, and viscosity ratios between water and oil, the reduced initial oleic phase saturation and the shear rate exponent of the polymer solution. It is also revealed that the dominant dimensionless parameters may be different from case to case. The effect of some physical variables, such as oil viscosity, injection rate, and permeability, on the dominance degree of the dimensionless parameters is analyzed and the dominant ones are determined for different cases.