Introduction to

Capillary Pressure

Applications of Capillary ir
k
Pressure Data
o

d
e

h
S

Determine fluid distribution in reservoir (initial conditions)

Accumulation of HC is drainage process for water wet res.

m
a

Sw= function of height above OWC (oil water contact)

h
o

Determine recoverable oil for water flooding applications

Imbibition process for water wet reservoirs

Pore Size Distribution Index,

a
s

Absolute permeability (flow capacity of entire pore size

distribution)

.
r
D
.

s
i
E

Relative permeability (distribution of fluid phases within the

pore size distribution)

f
ro

Reservoir Flow - Capillary Pressure included as a term of flow

potential for multiphase flow
gZ

w po

Pc,ow ; Z , water wet

Input data for reservoir simulation models

DRAINAGE AND IMBIBITION

r
i
CAPILLARY PRESSURE CURVES
k

o
h

DRAINAGE

Drainage

Fluid flow process in which the saturation

of the nonwetting phase increases

Mobility of nonwetting fluid phase

increases as nonwetting phase saturation
increases

a
s

.
r
D
.

Imbibition

f
ro S
S
i

s
i
E
Pd

wt

Modified from NExT, 1999, after

Fluid flow process in which the saturation

of the wetting phase increases
Mobility of wetting phase increases as
wetting phase saturation increases

Four Primary Parameters

Si = irreducible wetting phase saturation
Sm = 1 - residual non-wetting phase saturation

Sm

0.5

d
e

m
a

h
o

IMBIBITION

Pc

1.0

Pd = displacement pressure, the pressure

required to force non-wetting fluid into largest
pores
= pore size distribution index; determines
shape

r
i
k

DRAINAGE PROCESSo

d
e

h
S

Fluid flow process in which the saturation of the nonwetting

phase increases

Examples:

Hydrocarbon (oil or gas) filling the pore space and

displacing the original water of deposition in water-wet rock

Waterflooding an oil reservoir in which the reservoir is oil

wet

Gas injection in an oil or water wet oil reservoir

Pressure maintenance or gas cycling by gas injection in a

retrograde condensate reservoir

Evolution of a secondary gas cap as reservoir pressure

decreases

f
ro

.
r
D
.

s
i
E

a
s

h
o

m
a

o
h

Reservoir Seal

Seal

Fault
(impermeable)

Hydrocarbon
accumulation
in the
reservoir rock

E
.

r
D
.

f
ro

is

a
s

d
e

m
a

h
o

r
i
k

Oil/water
contact (OWC)
Migration route

Seal

Top of maturity
Source rock

Seal

Reservoir
rock

r
i
IMBIBITION PROCESSok
h
S
IMBIBITION
d
e
Fluid flow process in which the saturation
of the
m
a
wetting phase increases
h
o
Mobility of wetting phase increases as wetting phase
M
saturation increases a
s
Examples:
s
i
E
Waterflooding an oil
reservoir in which the reservoir is
.
r
water wet
D
Accumulation
. of oil in an oil wet reservoir
f
o of condensate as pressure decreases in a
Accumulation
r
dewP
point reservoir

f
ro

.
r
D
.

s
i
E

a
s

h
o

m
a

d
e

o
h

r
i
k

CAPILLARY PRESSURE
- DEFINITION -

r
i
k

o
h

The pressure difference existing across

the interface separating two immiscible
fluids in capillaries (e.g. porous media).
Calculated as:
Pc = pnwt - pwt

.
r
D
.

a
s

s
i
E

One fluid wets the surfaces of the formation

rock (wetting phase) in preference to the other
(non-wetting phase).

f
ro

Gas is always the non-wetting phase in both

oil-gas and water-gas systems.

Oil is often the non-wetting phase in water-oil

systems.

m
a

h
o

d
e

Where:
Pc = capillary pressure
Pnwt = pressure in nonwetting phase
pwt = pressure in wetting phase

Capillary Tube - Conceptual Model

r
i
k
Air-Water System
o

s
i
E

Water

.
r
D
.

a
s

d
e
Air
m
a

h
S

h
o

Considering the porous media as a collection of capillary tubes provides useful

insights into how fluids behave in the reservoir pore spaces.

f
ro

Water rises in a capillary tube placed in a beaker of water, similar to water (the
wetting phase) filling small pores leaving larger pores to non-wetting phases of
reservoir rock.

CAPILLARY TUBE MODEL

r
i
AIR / WATER SYSTEM ok

h
S

The height of water in a capillary tube is a function of:

d
e 2 aw

cos
mh
r
g

a
aw
h

Adhesion tension between the air and water

Radius of the tube
Density difference between fluids

This relation can be derived from balancing the upward force due to adhesion
tension and downward forces due to the weight of the fluid (see ABW pg 135).
The wetting phase (water) rise will be larger in small capillaries.
h
=
Height of water rise in capillary tube, cm
aw
=
Interfacial tension between air and water,
dynes/cm

=
Air/water contact angle, degrees
r
=
Radius of capillary tube, cm
g
=
Acceleration due to gravity, 980 cm/sec2
aw
=
Density difference between water and air, gm/cm3
Contact angle, , is measured through the more dense phase (water in this
case).

f
ro

.
r
D
.

s
i
E

a
s

r
i
k
Rise of Wetting Phase Variesowith
Capillary Radius Sh
d
e
m
2
3
4
1
a
h
o
AIR
M
a
s
s
i
E
.
r
D
.
f
o
r
P
WATER

Ayers, 2001

CAPILLARY TUBE MODEL

r
i
AIR/WATER SYSTEM ok
pa1
pw1

h
pa2
pw2

a
s

s
i
E

d
e

Air

m
a

h
o

h
S

Water

Water rise in capillary tube depends on the density difference of

fluids.

.
r
D
.

Pa2

= pw2 = p2

pa1

= p2 - a g h

pw1

= p2 - w g h

Pc

= pa1 - pw1

f
ro

= w g h - a g h

= g h

CAPILLARY PRESSURE AIR / WATER

r
i
k
SYSTEM
o

h
S

Combining the two relations results in the following

expression for capillary tubes:

f
ro

d
e
m
2 aw cos

a
Pc
h
or
M
a
s
s
i
E
.
r
D
.

CAPILLARY PRESSURE OIL / WATER

r
i
k
SYSTEM
o

h
From a similar derivation, the equation
S
capillary pressure for an oil/water system
is
d
e
m
a
2 ow cos

h
Pc
o
Mr
a
s
s
i
E
.
r
D
.
f
o
r
P
Pc

= Capillary pressure between oil and water

ow = Interfacial tension between oil and water, dyne/cm

= Oil/water contact angle, degrees

r

= Radius of capillary tube, cm

for

Pc vs. Sw Function
Reflects Reservoir Quality
Core Pore
Core Lithofacies
Plugs Types

Petrophysical
Data
f vs k Capillary
Pressure

f
ro

.
r
D
.

s
i
E

a
s

h
o

o
h

Gamma Ray Flow

Log
Units

d
e

m
a

r
i
k
5
4
3

Petrophysical analyses of core samples are used to identify reservoir flow units and non-flow units

Pc vs. Sw Function
Reflects Reservoir Quality
Core Lithofacies

Core Pore
Plugs Types

f vs k Capillary

m
a

Pressure

.
r
D
.

Function moves up
and right, and
becomes less L
shaped as reservoir
quality decreases

f
ro

s
i
E

a
s

d
e

Petrophysical
Data

h
o

r
i
k

o
h

Gamma Ray Flow

Log
Units

5
High Quality
4
3

Low Quality

r
i
Effect of Permeability on Shape
k
o
h
S
d
e
m
a
h
o
M
a
s
s
i
E
.
r
D
.
f
o
r
P
20

Capillary Pressure

16

Decreasing
Permeability,
Decreasing

12

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

Water Saturation

Modified from NExT 1999, after xx)

Capillary pressure, psia

r
i
Effect of Grain Size Distribution on Shape
k

f
ro

.
r
D
.

Modfied from NExT, 1999; after )

m
a

Poorly sorted

Well-sorted

a
s

s
i
E

h
o

d
e

Decreasing

Water saturation, %

o
h

f
ro

.
r
D
.

s
i
E

a
s

h
o

m
a

d
e

o
h

r
i
k

f
ro

.
r
D
.

s
i
E

a
s

h
o

m
a

d
e

o
h

r
i
k

f
ro

.
r
D
.

s
i
E

a
s

h
o

m
a

d
e

o
h

r
i
k

2 aw cos
h
r g

d
e

r
i
k

o
h

In a gas reservoir having a gas-water

contact,
m
a
the thickness of the transition
zone will be a
h
o
minimum since willMbe large. Also, if all
other factors remaina unchanged, a low API
s
s with an oil-water contact
gravity oil reservoir
i
E
will have a longer
. transition zone than a high
r
API gravity D
oil reservoir.

.
f
ro

f
ro

.
r
D
.

s
i
E

a
s

h
o

m
a

d
e

o
h

r
i
k

r
i
Capillary Pressure in Reservoirs
k
o
h
S
d
e
m
a
h
o
M
a
s
s
i
E
.
r
D
.
f
o
r
P
A

dpw=wg/D dh

Free
Water
Level

Reservoir, o

Depth

dpo=og/D dh

Pc = po-pw = 0

2
1

Aquifer, w

Pressure

Capillary pressure difference

between
gas and oil phases in core B
Pc,go = h2g (o-g)

Fault

r
i
Fluid Distribution in Reservoirs
k
o
h
S
d
e
m
a
h
o
M
a
s
s
i
E
.
r
D
.
f
o
r
P
Gas & Water

Gas density = g

Oil, Gas & Water

h2

Free Oil Level

Oil & Water

Oil density = o

h1

Free Water Level

Water

Water density = w

Capillary pressure difference

between
oil and water phases in core A
Pc,ow = h1g (w-o)

r
i
LEVERETT J-FUNCTION FORk
o
h
CONVERSION OF Pc DATA
S
d
e
C Pc
am
C Pc
k
k
J(Sw )
h
o

cos f Reservoir
cos f Lab

M
a
s
s
i
E
.
r
D
.
f
o
r
P

10.00

EXAMPLE J-FUNCTION FOR

r
i
WEST TEXAS CARBONATEok

d
e

9.00

m
a

8.00

h
o

7.00

J-function

6.00

a
s

5.00

4.00

.
r
D
.

3.00

2.00

f
ro

1.00

0.00
0.00

0.10

0.20

s
i
E
0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

Water saturation, fraction

h
S

0.70

Jc

Jmatch
Jn1
Jn2
Jn3

0.80

0.90

1.00

Sw* Power Law Model ir

k

o
h

Having an equation model for capillary pressure

curves is useful
Smoothing of laboratory data
Determination of

d
e

m
a

h
o

The Sw* Power Law Model is an empirical model

that has proven to work well

M
Model parameters: S a
,P ,
s
s
i
E
P P S r.
S
D
.
f
o
r
P
wi

* 1/
w

*
w

Sw Swi

1 Swi

Sw* Power Law Model ir

k

Sw* rescales x-axis

d
e

Capillary Pressure vs. Wetting Phase Saturation

25

Pc, psia

15

10

Swi=0.20

.
r
D
.

f
ro

0
0

0.1

0.2

Sw*=0

a
s

s
i
E

m
a

h
o

20

o
h

Pd=3.0

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

Sw, fraction

Sw*, fraction

Sw*=1

Sw* Power Law Model ir

k

o
h

Power Law Equations plot as Log-Log straight

line

d
e

Capillary Pressure Data Plotted vs. Sw* (for Swi=0.20)

m
a

100

a
s

Pc, psia

10

1
0.01

f
ro

.
r
D
.

s
i
E

h
o

slope = -1/ = -1/2.0

Pd=3.0

0.1

Sw*, fraction

Sw* Power Law Model ir

k

Straight line models are excellent for

o
h

Interpolation and data smoothing

Extrapolation
Self Study: review Power Law Equations (y=axb) and
how to determine coefficients, a and b given two
points on the straight log-log line

h
o

m
a

Sw Swi
a
S
s
1 Swi
is

E
.
r
D
.
f
ro

Pc Pd S

*
w

1/

d
e

*
w

Sw* Power Law Model ir

k

Sw Swi
S
1 Swi

* 1/
w

Pc Pd S

*
w

d
e

o
h

Pd, can be determined from Log-Log plot

But, Swi can be difficult to determine from Cartesian plot,
if data does not clearly show vertical assymptote

m
a

h
o

Capillary Pressure vs. Wetting Phase Saturation

a
s

25

20

.
r
D
.

Pc, psia

15

s
i
E

f
ro
10

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

Sw, fraction

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

Sw* Power Law Model ir

k

Choosing wrong Swi limits accuracy of

determining Pd,

d
e

Same Capillary Pressure Data Plotted vs. Sw*

Pc, psia

10

a
s

Swi value too large

1
0.01

f
ro

.
r
D
.

s
i
E

h
o

m
a

100

Swi value correct

o
h

Swi value too small

0.1

Sw*, fraction