Session: 11-08-01 Multiphase Flow & Flow Assurance

Paper Number: 104737

104737 - Multiphase Seepage Flow Characteristics of Micro-Fractures in Subsurface Reservoirs by Using the Lattice Boltzmann Method 

Multiphase seepage flow characteristics in micro-fractures embedded in rock mass are of great importance for subsurface oil reservoirs, deep-buried pipelines and tunnels, deep drilling wells and storage reservoirs, especially with the current nanotechnology for enhanced crude oil recovery. Due to the micro-scale of fractures whose width is less than 1 mm, numerical methods based on the conventional Navier-Stokes equation is no longer applicable. On the other hand, the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) which was derived from the Boltzmann Equation, formulates solutions at a mesoscopic level, and has been widely used to study multiphase fluid flows. In this study, the seepage characteristics of micro-fissures considering interface roughness are investigated by using the Multiple Relaxing Time (MRT) - LBM improved Shan-Chen (SC) pseudo-potential model. The SC model realizes the phase separation by implementing micro-molecular interactions without the need of tracking the interfaces between different phases. The effects of geometric characteristics (height and space) of three types (rectangle, trapezoid and triangle) of rough elements on the multiphase micro-fracture seepage flow were examined.  It is found that the geometric characteristics of the three types of rough elements affects the seepage flow characteristics differently for hydrophobic and hydrophilic micro-fractures.  This study is expected to inform the use of nanoparticles as drag reducers and hydraulic fracturing in tertiary oil recovery.

Presenting Author: Miao Li Charles Sturt University

Presenting Author Biography: Dr Miao Li is a senior lecturer at the School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering, Charles Sturt University. Her research expertise includes offshore renewable wind energy, computation fluid dynamics and structural analysis.

Authors:

Dan Pu Kunming University of Science and Technology
Linfang Shen Kunming University of Science and Technology
Zhiliang Wang Kunming University of Science and Technology
Miao Li Charles Sturt University
Zhenquan Li Charles Sturt University
Pengyu Wang Kunming University of Science and Technology