An Experimental and Numerical Study of Polymer Action on Relative Permeability and Capillary Pressure
Résumé
Unsteady state two-phase fl.ow experiments were performed to check the action of an adsorbed water-soluble polymer on relative permeability and capillary pressure. A selective reduction of the relative permeability to water with respect to relative permeabi.lity to oil was observed. Capillary pressure, measured directly on the core, was increased after polymer injection. Since the polymer has Little influence on interfacial tension, this trend is interpreted as a reduction of pore size due to polymer adsorption. The validity of this assumption was checked by the investigation of a pore-scale numerical model. Relative permeabilities and capillary pressure were computed for a range of fl.ow rates. Numerical results indicated that the polymer adsorption mode! (wall effect) successfully reproduces qualitatively the experimental observations.