Lattice Boltzmann study on oil-water flow in shale heterogeneous porous media

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2096-1693.2025.03.015

Abstract

Abstract:

Unconventional shale oil is characterized by nanoscale pores, heterogeneous pore structures, diverse mineral compositions, non-uniform wettability, and multiple fluid types, resulting in complex multiphase flow behaviors in shale porous media that require further investigation. In this study, a nanoscale multicomponent and multiphase lattice Boltzmann method is employed to simulate oil-water two-phase flow in heterogeneous porous media with heterogeneous wettability and structure. The effects of transverse/longitudinal structural heterogeneity, capillary number and nanoscale effects on the oil-water flow and relative permeability are investigated. The results indicate that due to the higher capillary resistance in the transverse porous media, the relative permeability of the water phase in the transversely heterogeneous porous media is lower than that in the longitudinally heterogeneous porous media. As the capillary number decreases, capillary resistance becomes dominant, and the viscous driving force is insufficient to overcome the capillary forces, making it difficult for oil and water to flow. Consequently, the relative permeabilities of both oil and water phases decrease, and more fluid becomes trapped due to capillary resistance. The presence of an oil film on the solid wall induces liquid-liquid slip, which significantly enhances water flow. This enhancement effect outweighs the weakening effect caused by viscosity heterogeneity. As a result, when nanoscale effects are considered, the relative permeability of the water phase increases.

Key words: shale oil, lattice Boltzmann method, heterogeneous porous media, capillary number, nanoscale effects

摘要：

非常规页岩油藏具有纳米尺度孔隙、非均质孔隙结构、多样矿物类型、非均质润湿性以及多种流体类型，从而导致页岩多孔介质中呈现出复杂的多相流动行为，亟需进一步研究。本文采用纳米尺度多组分多相格子Boltzmann方法，模拟了非均质润湿性/结构多孔介质中的油—水两相流动，探讨了非均质润湿条件下，横向/纵向非均质性结构、毛管数以及纳米尺度效应对油—水两相流动和相对渗透率的影响。结果表明，由于横向多孔介质中的毛细管阻力大，水相在横向非均质多孔介质中的相对渗透率小于其在纵向非均质多孔介质中的相对渗透率；随着毛管数的减小，毛细管阻力占主导作用，驱替体相力无法克服毛管阻力造成油水难以流动，油相与水相的相对渗透率降低，同时更多的油相和水相被毛细管阻力束缚在多孔介质中；固体壁面上的油膜导致的液—液滑移对水相流动的增强作用大于非均质黏度效应的削弱作用，考虑纳米尺度效应的水相相对渗透率增大。

关键词: 页岩油, 格子Boltzmann方法, 非均质多孔介质, 毛管数, 纳米尺度效应

CLC Number:

WANG Han, ZHAO Wei, XIA Xuanzhe, HE Wu, PANG Aixing. Lattice Boltzmann study on oil-water flow in shale heterogeneous porous media[J]. Petroleum Science Bulletin, 2025, 10(4): 736-746.

王瀚, 赵伟, 夏轩哲, 贺武, 庞爱兴. 页岩非均质多孔介质中油—水两相流动格子Boltzmann模拟研究[J]. 石油科学通报, 2025, 10(4): 736-746.

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URL: https://sykxtb.cup.edu.cn/EN/10.3969/j.issn.2096-1693.2025.03.015

https://sykxtb.cup.edu.cn/EN/Y2025/V10/I4/736

Figures/Tables 10

Fig. 1 Oil-water distribution under different S_w(red/blue: oil/water phase; black: oil-wetting solid matrix)

Fig. 2 Relative permeability verification^[38]

Fig. 3 Initial oil-water distributions in the transverse (a) and longitudinal (b) heterogeneous porous media (red/blue: oil/water phase; grey/black: quartz/kerogen)

Fig. 4 Oil-water distributions and velocities in the transverse (a) and longitudinal (b) heterogeneous porous media (S_w=0.5)

Fig. 5 Oil-water relative permeability in the transverse and longitudinal heterogeneous porous media

Fig. 6 Oil-water distribution in transverse heterogeneous porous media

Fig. 7 Oil-water distribution in longitudinal heterogeneous porous media

Fig. 8 Oil-water relative permeability versus the capillary number

Fig. 9 Oil-water relative permeability versus the nanoscale effects

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