Abstract:

Oil-based foams hold significant potential for enhancing oil recovery and regulating subsurface fluid flow, yet their stability under high-temperature reservoir conditions and their transport mechanisms within pore-throat structures remain insufficiently understood. To address this gap, this study systematically investigates the behaviour of an oil-based foam system through temperature-dependent stability experiments, complemented by pore-scale numerical simulations that characterize bubble deformation and breakthrough within porous media. Experimental results show that increasing temperature accelerates liquid drainage and gas diffusion within the foam films, leading to a reduction in the number of bubbles, enlargement of average bubble size, and a pronounced decline in overall foam stability. Simulation results further demonstrate that pore-throat diameter and injection pressure jointly govern bubble morphology evolution and breakthrough behaviour, with the competition between capillary forces and external driving pressure emerging as the key mechanism influencing oil-based foam mobility. By integrating these findings, this work establishes a unified mechanical framework linking temperature effects and pore-throat confinement, thereby providing theoretical support for the application and optimization of oil-based foams in high-temperature reservoirs.

Key words: oil-based foam, stability, flow mechanism, injection pressure, pore-throat diameter

摘要：

油基泡沫在提高采收率及地下流体调控中具有重要应用潜力，但其在高温储层条件下的稳定性及孔喉尺度下的运移机理仍缺乏系统认识。针对这一问题，本文以油基泡沫体系为研究对象，系统开展了不同温度条件下泡沫稳定性实验，并结合孔喉尺度数值模拟分析泡沫在多孔介质中的形变与突破行为。实验结果表明，随着温度升高，泡沫液膜排液加剧、气体扩散增强，泡沫数量减少、气泡平均尺寸增大，稳定性显著降低。模拟结果表明，孔喉直径与注入压力共同控制气泡在孔喉中的形态演化与突破行为，毛细管力与外部驱动力之间的竞争机制是影响油基泡沫运移特征的关键因素。本研究在同一体系下建立了温度效应与孔喉约束效应的统一力学解释框架，为油基泡沫在高温储层中的应用提供了理论参考。

关键词: 油基泡沫, 稳定性, 流动机制, 注入压力, 孔喉直径

CLC Number: 

• TE345