Fluid Flow in Porous Media

The following sections are included:

• Dedication
• Preface
• About the Authors
• Contents
• List of Tables
• List of Figures

The characteristics of liquid and rocks and the physical properties of relevant parameters in subsurface reservoirs are shown in this chapter. It provides simple conceptual understanding and specific numerical references to understand the flow mechanisms in porous media. In addition, we analyze the characteristics of the mechanical phenomena, flow regimes and various pressures, which form the foundation to extract the physical law and establish the mathematical model of flow mechanics.

This chapter mainly introduces the basic law of flow in porous media: Darcy’s law, and other concepts such as flow velocity, flow resistance and non-linear flow. The composition and establishment of the mathematical model to describe the flow process will be introduced, which provides the basis to solve the flow problem quantitatively.

In classical flow mechanics in porous media, the influencing factors considered in the flow process are relatively simple, such as it is assumed that the medium is homogeneous and isotropic with intergranular pore structure, the fluid is a Newtonian fluid, the reservoir is under isothermal condition, the well is vertical well, etc. The classical flow problems in porous media mainly include the single-phase steady state flow, the multi-well interference, the elastic energy driven flow, the oil-water two-phase flow, the natural gas flow, the oil-gas two-phase flow and the gas-water two-phase flow. The first four problems are the key problems in this book.

The flow characteristics in complex media are different from those in single porosity media as has been discussed in the classical flow mechanics of porous media. Complex media mainly include: the fracture-pore-matrix medium, the anisotropic medium, the deformable medium, the heterogeneous medium, the fractal medium and the horizontal well flow medium. Each part focuses on the flow characteristics, key parameters and factors considered in the establishment of the mathematical model.

Different from the simple Newtonian fluid in the classical flow theory of porous media, there will be some physical property changes and chemical reactions in the physicochemical flow process. These physical properties can be viscosity, surface tension, phase state, concentration, temperature, and so on. The flow problems mainly include non-Newtonian fluid flow, mass transfer by diffusion, and the multiphase and multicomponent fluid flow. In this chapter, we will introduce the flow characteristics and key parameters considered in the establishment of the mathematical model, so as to provide the basis to quantitatively describe the physicochemical flow problem in porous media.

Unconventional reservoirs and fluids highlight the complex situation of flow. In order to adapt to the development trend of unconventional resources, this chapter introduces the flow problems in unconventional reservoirs briefly, which mainly include shale gas, tight oil, coal bed methane, shale oil, natural gas hydrate, geothermal, water-soluble gas, etc. Each part focuses on its basic geological and resource characteristics, flow characteristics, key parameters and factors considered in the establishment of the mathematical model, so as to provide the basic understanding on these problems.

In order to reflect the importance of the basic theory of flow mechanics in porous media, this chapter briefly introduces the application of the basic theory to reservoir numerical simulation, modern well testing, production engineering, reservoir engineering, and enhanced oil recovery. Each part focuses on the interactions with flow mechanics in porous media.

The following sections are included:

• Bibliography
• Index