Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
By HENRY J. WELGE*
reservoir from which the core originated The Buchner funnel of Fig I is treated
and the estimated ultimate position reached with silicones or methyl chloro-silanes to
by the contact plane separating oil and render its surface oil-wetted and water
displacing phase at economic abandonment. repellent. 3• 4 Kleenex paper, which is like-
The formula is: wise treated with silicones, is used to ensure
capillary continuity between the oil phase
in the core and the external column of oil.
where g is the acceleration of gravity. The pores in the fritted disc and the stem
The information given by the type of test of the funnel are filled with the stripped
indicated may require special interpretation crude oil. The cell is held in the inverted
to yield a quantitative measure of the oil position from that shown in Fig I while
obtainable by horizontal water injection. mounting the core in place. The flat face
Two factors are probably different when of the corel should be placed in contact with
secondary recovery is simulated in the the paper. At this point the cell is returned
laboratory:2 (I) when no interfacial barrier to the position shown in Fig I, and a hypo-
is employed, the capillary pressures im- dermic needle is passed through the neo-
posed can be very small, and may in addi- prene stopper. As brine is now poured in
tion vary significantly from point to point rapidly through the Saran tube, the air in
in the core; and (2) the velocity of fluid the funnel can escape through the needle;
flow through the pores may be high enough when all the air is replaced by brine, the
to influence the amount of displacement. needle is withdrawn. Nitrogen pressure is
Field and laboratory experience is believed applied to the water phase in increments of
to indicate that secondary recovery meth- about H to H psi until the oil level no
ods would obtain somewhat less oil than longer rises, thus indicating that the oil
primary methods, if the latter can be effi- saturation in the core has been reduced to
ciently employed. the minimum obtainable by this displacing
technique. The displacement may require
DISPLACEMEKT OF OIL BY WATER
I to 2 weeks to run its complete course.
If the efficiency of the displacement of oil It is thought desirable to have the denser
by water is to be studied, the core is re- fluid (the brine in this case) occupy the
moved from the connate water apparatus lower part of the apparatus, as in the
and transferred to the cell shown in natural reservoir, although recent experi-
Fig I. An excess of oil normally cIin~s ments have indicated that this precaution
to the core when it is first lifted from the may not be necessary.
connate water apparatus. This oil must be I\.t the end of the displacement, the water
wiped off, but in doing so care must be and oil left in the core are measured by
taken not to remove any oil that is inside analysis. This is done by boiling the core
the pores. Tests have shown that different with CCl 4 in the extractor shown in Fig 2
experimenters can approach the same cor- (or by a method similar to that recently
rect oil saturation within about 30 mg of described by the U. S. Bureau of Mines 6).
oil, or about I pct of the pore volume in After all the water has collected as shown
most experiments. (8 to 24 hr of boiling), the apparatus may
Stripped crude oil from the field being be tilted to bring the water layer down into
studied is used for the oil phase. A brine is the narrow calibrated tube. Finally the core
employed which contains approximately is completely extracted with CCl 4 in a
the same concentration of sodium, chloride, Soxhlet extractor. The density of the ex-
calcium, and hydrogen ions as the brine in tract is accurately measured with a pyc-
the reservoir from which the core originated. nometer at a reference temperature. This
HENRY J. WELGE 135
density is a sensitive function of the con- rises. This test is similar to the restored
centration of oil in CCl 4 and permits the state test for connate water determination,
concentration to be determined with the the significant points of difference being
aid of a suitable calibration graph. From that oil instead of water is displaced by gas
""00" """"-;)
SA"AN TUBE
NEOPRENE STOPPER
-
HYPODERMIC SYRINGE
FIG I-ApPARATUS FOR CAPILLARY DISPLACEMENT OF OIL BY WATER.
this the quantity of oil extracted may be and that at the end of this test the core
ascertained. contains oil, water and gas.
At the end of the displacement by gas,
OIL DISPLACEMENT BY GAS
the core is weighed, then placed in the
In the event the oil is to be displaced by water extractor shown in Fig 2. Subtraction
gas with gravity drainage of the oil, the of the (connate) water found from the
core is transferred from the connate water residual weight of liquids yields one meas-
apparatus to that shown in Fig 3. This cell urement of the residual oil, while the den-
is also treated with silicones to render it sity data from a final Soxhlet extraction
oil-wetted. The fritted glass plate is satu- with CCl 4 yields another.
rated with crude oil, which also fills the It should be borne in mind that only very
curved glass tube and riser arm. The body small fragments of the reservoir rock in
of the Buchner funnel is filled with nitrogen, question can be used in a displacement
the pressure of which is gradually increased study. It is possible that large scale trap-
until the oil level in the open arm no longer ping of oil may occur because of inhomo-
136 DISPLACEMENT OF OIL FROM POROUS MEDIA BY WATER OR GAS
geneities within the reservoir. In such an stored state process of displacing water by
event, lower overall recoveries of oil might oil until only connate water remains. The
be expected than are indicated by the negative values on the ordinate scale show
results reported in this study. There are where the pressure on the displacing phase
NITROGEN
~PRESSURE
CONDENSER TUBE
(DRI-FILMED SURFACE)
SARAN
TUBE
SCALE Of
SQUARED
PAPER
NEOPRENE
STOPPER
oooo::;;::=+-_'N
:::
I CKEL
PLATED
SPRING
'TRAPPED WATER
LAYER
WATER TRAP
SILICON E
t-.:-""""::-<:""..,....,~..,....,,...,..."""'~...JGE i~rEfl NE
fRITTED
VOLUME CALIBRATED GLASS DISC.
TUBING
,~~------OIL------~
REFLUX FLASK
I
I
~----~----~----II- MAGNOLIA, ARK .• RESERVOIR
1 CORE c.-~ ~7262')
1 POROSITY.12.6-"
1 PERMEABIl.ITY • 168 uO.
f-----_+_----I----: - ,-
I _ _ _ :s DISPLAC.E ),lENT 8'1 OIL
: ·------~----~----I: -8--_+_-----+-------t------+----~--f__-___l
1
< I
! CONNATE WAT£R I
JO.S-?
z f-----+----_+_-----iI-·---t-----+---~f___----+_----_+_----_+----~
w I
w I
~
I
...>-co f-----~------+_-----1-0\-_+------+_----~------_+_------+_----_+----~
l-j
I
: 0
f-------+-----+-----~--t------+-----+-----+-----+------If--------l
w I
~ ,f-------+------+------l------l~~.,---_+_----__t_----_+------~----+_----~
~ 'l~~--~~--~--""
I
~"0--O--I-----I-~--J-- o.J .
---+---I----'r-~ I I'0--O'·\0t---_-+-_~
~I
.
,.. - - --0---.",
_) '--_ _-:':_ _ _: L_ _-L_ _ _..l-_ _......I_ _ _....L_ _ _ L_--<~\ ZOS·'.O' i~E VOL
100 90 eo 70 10 50 )0 o to o
to enter the pores spontaneously, and does tained;;on:oil-field cores. The results show
not require forcing in under pressure. that either gas or water displacement
With a core of strongly water-wetted is an efficient means of removing the
material, the displacement proceeds as oil from the limestone cores studied. After
shown in Fig 6. It is to be noted that this displacement only 10 to 20 pct of the pore
138 DISPLACEMENT OF OIL FROM POROUS MEDIA BY WATER OR GAS
volume retains oil. However, with some sponsible for the by-passing of considerable
types of cores the water appears to displace portions of oil by the water. The relative
less oil than the gas. In the case of the inefficiency of the water drive in some of
quartzitic sandstone reservoir (Elk Basin), the argillaceous sandstone cores has been
10.
9.
7
CONNATE
WAT£R-IS,Z%
6.
Vi
n; I
5.
w'
w
U
Z
0::4.
!\
......
w
I \
I
o I
r-..
w 3.
'\
0:: I
=> I
(/)
(/)
I
:J!2 \--- -.-II
w
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~ t-.".
1: I
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o.
~"C -----l-!.$~A:l~ENT
WAre"
--
D.
---~o
---- .
-I.
"<'0 - !~_ E.'$p!:'AC£MENl'
-----0+
----f--_~\
'0,
-0, ___
-
-2. ,
.... ,,
I \
-3.
I~f:':.;,:~ I
1 OIL 1
1 I
-4.
lRESIOUAL
OIL •
I~~~~L
-5.
100 80 eo 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
OIL SATURATION, PER CENT PORE VOLUME
FIG 5-EXPERIMENTAL OIL PRODUCTION, ELK BASIN RESERVOIR, WYOMING.
the water tends to give lower recoveries, somewhat surprising. In all examples given,
especially in the tighter sands having per- the results are supported by an analysis of
meabilities less than about 100 md. Here the core, after the displacement is com-
the tendency of the oil to cling to the oil- pleted, for the residual oil and brine.
wetted type of reservoir rock may be re- Most of the limestone cores for which re-
HENRY J. WELGE 139
suIts are reported in Table I had been any given core before the displacement of the
stored in contact with air for some years oil can begin. Any error)n establishing the
before use. Consequently, these pores may restored-state condition might be expected
'-
~
I
~II I
~II
it
'""I
~I
"'I
\
\ '\
I
I
I
\
L MBIBITtON
\
\
J '--
~
y \
o 1
( '-;r"E,p"0.
~
(.
""1"""
RESlDUAf., Olf., •
,1(0--
I
. . . ,,-L_ r-" •• OF
-o-,.j
r----
~9 ""$ "Q..
"-
-2 ~*
~ <>/"'''i...C'~
:; '+
~A
-3 h
T
I
-4
~ESI0U4l.
OIl. •
·17% oF
-5 ORIGlNAt. OIl.
100 CI() eo 70 eo SO ~ 30 20 10 o
OIL SATURATION, PER CENT PORE VOLUME
FIG 6-ExPERIMENTAL OIL PRODUCTION, PICKENS RESERVOIR, MISSISSIPPI.
have been contaminated by oxidation to appear in the result obtained for ulti-
products. mate recovery, in addition to error in the
The precision of the value obtained for step involving the displacement of the oil.
maximum displacement suffers from the For these reasons two successive displace-
necessity of first establishing the original, ment results obtained under identical con-
restored-state saturation of oil and brine in ditions with the same core may differ from
140 DISPLACEMENT OF OIL FROM POROUS MEDIA BY WATER OR GAS
Magnolia (Arkansas)
Oolitic limestone . .. " . . . 2.882 78.6 77·2 I7 ·9
Oolitic limestone. . . . . . . 623 72.8 81.6 14. 1
Oolitic limestone. . . . . . . . 428 51.9 75·8 71.3 12·5 14·9
Oolitic limestone... 113 67·3 70·9 78·5 19·6 14·5
Turner Valley (Alberta. Canada)
Crystalline dolomite........ . 12 93· 5 91.5 7·9
Crystalline dolomite. . . . . . . . . 12 93·1 76.8 21.6
Elk Ba~in (Wyoming)
Quartzitic sandstone. . 541 9 0 .5 81.0 17.2
Quartzitic sandstone. . 470 88.8 82.6
Quartzitic sandstone. . 248 79·7 88·5 89.7 9·2 8.2
Quartzitic sandstone. . 206 83·8 68.0 88·5 26.8 9. 6
Quartzitic sandstone. . . 133 77·7 51. 3 94·0 37.8 4·7
Quartzitic sandstone. . 126 85. I 88.3 83·3 10.0 14. 2
Quartzitic sandstone. . . 47 76.7 45·5 82.6 41. 8 13·3
Quartzitic sandstone.. 35 81.0 35· 3 74·7 52·5 20.5
---- ----
Pickens (Mississippi)
Argillaceous sandstone. . . . . . 8I 3 72.2 38.0 88·4 44.8 8·4
Agrillaceous sandstone... 813 74·5 73·5 19· 7
Agrillaceous sandstone.,. 612 69.4 80.6 13·5
Agrillaceous sandstone.... 379 57.8 64.8 20·3
Agril1aceous sandstone.... 329 62.0 37·3 38.8
--------1--------1--------1
Hawkins (Texas)
Sandstone. 4.100 78·3 61.6 30.1
Sandstone. 3.800 93·1 96.3 3·4
one another by as much as 10 pct of the (B.P. 125°C) as the basic oil phase. The
pore volume. Recent refinements in tech volatility of n-octane is low enough at room
nique have improved somewhat the result- temperature to permit handling without
over some of the earlier ones reported is significant loss through evaporation, yet
Table I. high enough so that it can be expelled al-
most entirely by preliWoinary heating in a
EFFECT OF VARIATION IN FLUID
drying oven. The interfacial tension of the
PROPERTIES ON THE MAXIMUM
octane may be greatly reduced by adding a
DISPLACEMENT
surface active, oil-soluble detergent. Sor-
One object of the work in this section was bitol trioleate (Span 85, Hercules Powder
to ascertain the extent to which the use of Co.) is efficient in 0.5 pct solution, and
modified crude oil in capillary pressure ex- leaves no residue on subsequent combustion.
periments was justified. In order to study The viscosity of the oil phase was increased
this problem, it was decided to use syn- by the addition of refined mineral oil. The
thetic cores of alundum and of Pyrex glass. pH of the brine was adjusted by means of a
With these cores, it was unnecessary to dilute ammonium acetate-acetic acid buf-
remove residual organic material between fer, which also leaves no residue on ignition.
runs by exhaustive Soxhlet extraction, The interfacial tension and viscosity were
since this cleaning could be done more varied 5 to 7 fold, because this much dif-
quickly by heating the cores in air in a ference might be encountered between the
muffle furnace. properties of reservoir crude oil and the
The removal of organic material was same oil at atmospheric temperature and
facilitated further by employing n-octane pressure.
HENRY J. WELGE
a Measured by the pendant drop method. 6 ThIs value 15 lower than the lIterature value (so dynes per em)
for the n-octane-water interface, because of slight contamination of the octane with neoprene, Saran, and
others. It is to be noted, however, that a considerable variation in tension was possible. Accordingly. it is believed
that any significant effect of tension on ultimate displacement should have had the opportunity to manifest
itself.
The data obtained on two similar alun- fluids when displacement information IS
dum cores are given in Table 2. The results desired on the other combination.
obtained by varying interfacial tension and
TEST OF ACCURACY
viscosity, while not entirely conclusive,
indicate that: (I) extreme variations in The inference that laboratory results on
interfacial tension of a low viscosity oil does maximum displacement are indicative of
not produce a large effect on the minimum conditions existing in underground reser-
residual oil; that is, one greater than the voirs has been justified in the case of con-
precision obtained in duplicate runs, and nate water. 1 In the case of maximum
(2) a 7-fold increase in viscosity produces, displacement of oil, vindication looks to-
at most, only a small decrease in oil dis- ward two sources: (r) further laboratory
placement. Further experiments will be work on altering fluid properties, including
needed to decide whether variations in work with metal displacement cells and
fluid properties produce small observable cellophane membranes capable of operation
effects or none at all. at or near reservoir temperature and
It seems to be impossible to employ a pressure, and (2) verification, possibly
gas, such as nitrogen or air, in place of the through drilling or side-wall coring in
oil phase in the study of maximum displace- flushed out areas, of the residual oil satura-
ment. Many cores when tested, even tion. This saturation could then be checked
though dry initially, imbibed nearly 100 against the residual oil remaining after
pct of their pore volume of water if given laboratory displacement.
the opportunity. This result means that a
ACKNOWLEDG~fE"TS
corresponding volume of the gas originally
present in a core could be displaced spon- The cores from the Turner Valley field in
taneously by water. As will be noted from Alberta, Canada, were obtained through
Tables I and 2, however, an oil phase can- the courtesy of the Royalite Oil Company
not, in general, be displaced completely by Ltd., and those from the Hawkins field
brine, even though capillary pressure is through the courtesy of Humble Oil and
applied. Therefore it would appear that Refining Company. The valuable assistance
there may be fundamental differences of Dr.' W. A. Bruce in developing the
between the behavior of gas-water and oil- theory of the capillary pressure technique
water interfaces in pores which preclude is gratefully acknowledged. Miss Freida A.
the substitution of either combination of Jones aided in obtaining much of the data
14 2 DISPLACEMENT OF OIL FROM POROUS MEDIA BY WATER OR GAS
reported. The author wishes to thank the A second method of displacing one phase by
management of the Carter Oil Company for another involves continuous flo,",. For example,
permission to publish this paper. if a core is saturated with water and oil flowed
through the core continuously at a constant
REFERENCES rate, a steady-state or dynamic equilibrium
1. W. A. Bruce and H. J. Welge: The Restored will be reached beyond which no change in
State Method for Determination of Oil saturation occurs although oil continues to
in Place and Connate Water. Presented
at the Amarillo meeting of the Division flow through the core. Obviously, other initial
of Production, A.P.I., May 1947; Oil and conditions may be used and one or more flowing
Gas Jnl (July 26, 1947) 46, 223·
2. R. C. Earlougher: Relationship between
phases may be used. We have referred to this
Velocity, Oil Saturation, and Flooding as the dynamic method of displacement.
Efficiency. Trans. AIME (1943) 151,125. Both methods may be used for displacement
3. F. J. Norton: Organo-Silicon Films. Gen-
eral Electric Review (August 1944) 47, 6. studies. The author deals with the static
4. E. G. Rochow: The Organosilicon Polymers. method. Dynamically, one may study condi·
Chern. and Eng. News (April 10, 1945)
612, tions along a long core with appropriate flow
5. C. G. Rall and D. B. Taliaferro: A Method rates and observe saturation for various pres-
for Determining Simultaneously the Oil
and Water Saturations of Oil Sands. sure differences between the phases (keeping in
Bur. of Mines, R.I. 4004 (1946). mind the end effect). Our experience indicates
6. J. M. Andreas, E. A. Hauser, and W. B. that static and dynamic methods give different
Tucker: Boundary Tension by Pendant
Drops. Jnl. Phys. Chern. (1938) 42, 100r. relationships between saturation, permeability,
interphase pressure difference and residual
DISCUSSION saturation. Thus, Henderson and Yuster 7 noted
E. R. BROWNSCOMBE* and R. L. SLOBODt- that their (dynamic) irreducible water satura-
The author should be commended for this tions were unaccountably high. Had they run
interesting paper. The extension of the capillary irreducible water saturations statically instead
pressure technique to determine residual oil of dynamically, we would expect their irreduci-
saturations is an important advance. The possi- ble water saturations to be closer to field values.
bility of studying residual oil saturations under In this instance, in view of the static nature of
flowing conditions in which no phase barrier is equilibrium in the field during geologic time,
used is alluded to by the author but no clear the static method would appear 'to be more
distinction between the implication of the flow appropriate for this purpose.
method and the capillary method is made. We On the other hand, the present paper deals
would like to discuss in a little more detail with problems of field depletion. These prob-
some differences between flow experiments and lems may involve a complex mixture of static
capillary pressure experiments of the type given and dynamic types of displacement. The author
in this paper. We are suggesting that these two speaks of relating hydrostatic head to (static)
displacement procedures be referred to as the displacement saturations. Pressure gradients
dynamic method and static method, respectively. due to flow may give rise to pressure differences
In the laboratory two general methods may between the phases as great as those due to
be used for displacing one phase with another. hydrostatic heads, and the passage of the dis-
In one method a semipermeable membrane is placing fluid through the reservoir may estab-
used to restrain one fluid, allowing free passage lish conditions more closely akin to those of
to another so that a fixed pressure differential dynamic laboratory experiments than to those
may be maintained between the phases. The of static ones. In any event, we believe that the
saturation gradually readjusts until a static fundamental nature of the differences between
equilibrium is reached, no further flow occur- the static method used by the author and dy-
ring. We have referred to this as the static namic processes occurring in the reservoir de-
method of displacement. It is the one used by pletion should be pointed out.
the author. We believe that a clear differentiation in the
procedures and implications of static and dy-
* Associate Director, Crude Oil Production
Division, Research and Development Dept., namic laboratory experiments would go far
The Atlantic Refining Co., Dallas, Texas.
t Senior Chemist, The Atlantic Refining 7 Henderson and Yuster: Producers Monthly,
Co., Dallas, Texas. (Jan. 1948) 19.
DISCUSSION 143
toward eliminating confusion in their applica- In many other depleted reservoirs in which
tion to field results. cores for evaluation of secondary recovery pros-
W. A. HEATH*-Dr. Welge's experiments to pects have been obtained, gravity drainage
determine the effects of capillary forces in dis- effects have not been prominent, due possibly
placement of oil from reservoir rocks are ex- to non-homogeneity of the reservoir. Before
ceedingly interesting and commendable. The deciding to operate a pool in such manner to
role of capillarity in fluid displacement has been give preference to gravity drainage rather than
discussed in articles on reservoir behavior for water encroachment, the homogeneity of the
years, but until recently very little progress had reservoir as well as the time element involved in
been made in obtaining a quantitative measure- gravity drainage should be checked thoroughly.
ment of such forces in actual reservoir forma- The residual oil saturations after capillary
tions. It is hoped that Dr. Welge's adaptation displacement by water exhibited in Table I
of the restored state apparatus will provide the vary widely for each formation except the
means for quantitative evaluation of residual Magnolia (Arkansas) oolitic limestone. The
oil saturation obtainable under capillary control residuals of the Elk Basin sandstone vary from
of reservoir productiOn. 9.2 to 52.5 pct of pore space. There does not
The author recognizes, and it should be em- seem to be any correlation of residual oil with
phasized, that the residual saturations ob- permeability or with the water saturation. In
tained in the displacement apparatus are not a horizontal flooding of oil-sand cores in flood
measure of the efllciency of water flooding and pots, the residual oil content correlates roughly
gas drive as applied in secondary recovery with water content of the sample and viscosity
practice. Such methods involve the passage of of the crude. The residual saturation values
the injected media horizon tally through the so obtained generally range from IS to 25 pct
sand. Capillary effects are generally directed of pore space. The highest average residual
vertically in the reservoir. In a producing saturation value coming to the writer's atten-
reservoir both forces are in operation; the hori- tion was 45 pct. In this instance the oil viscosity
zontal flow resulting from movement of fluid to was 250 centi[)oises and the water content 20
the well bores due to pressure gradients and pct of pore space.
vertical forces resulting from disturbance of oil- The displacement of oil by water in the re-
water-gas phase equilibria and unequal pres- stored state apparatus is suggested by Dr.
sure gradien ts in adjoining strata of varying Welge as being analagous to the vertical rise of
permeability. water from a water table into the oil reservoir
It will be observed that in a majority of the due to capillary forces. The encroachment of
reported tests the displacement by gas resulted water into oil reservoirs probably follows laws
in lower residual oil saturations than displace- of hydraulic flow rather than capillary attrac-
ment by water. This is contrary to the concep- tion in a majority of cases. In hydraulic flow
tions of water and gas recovery eftlciency of displacement tests performed in laboratory
horizontal flow based on limiting economic flood pot apparatus, it is necessary to pass
water- or gas-oil ratios. Dr. Welge mentions water equivalent to several pore volumes of the
that the displacement tests are analagous to core specimen through the core before the oil
gas-cap gravity-drainage production of a homo- saturation is reduced to residual. For instance,
geneous reservoir. The effect of gravity drain- in cores saturated with approximately 65 pct
age may be greater than generally considered. oil and 30 pct water, the passage of one pore
In the case of the Oklahoma City Wilcox reser- volume of water yields approximately 65 pct
VOIr, gravity drainage was demonstrated to be of the ultimate recovery; 10 pore volumes, 82
quite effective," however, such performance pct; and 100 pore volumes, 98 pct. A compari-
was thought to be peculiar to that particular son of the effectiveness of the hydraulic dis-
reservoir which was preferentially wetted by place men t mechanism versus the capillary
oil and contained low connate water saturation. displacement mechanism is advisable to furnish
a basis for determining the proper method of
• Earlougher Engineering, Tulsa, Oklahoma. operational con trol of reservoirs to realize the
8 Donald L. Katz: Possibilities of Secondary
Recovery for the Oklahoma City Wilcox Sand. maximum ultimate recovery. In many pools the
Trans. AI ME (1942) 146. 28-49. withdrawal rates may not be subject to suftl-
144 DISPLACEMENT OF OIL FROM POROUS MEDIA BY WATER OR GAS
displacement mechanism in these two cases is recoveries available to the author indicates that
markedly differen t and is in such a direction the static experiment referred to above will
that the analysis given in this discussion will lead to the lower limit of residual oil left after
qualitatively explain the results. the most advantageous displacement condi-
It would be desirable, if appropriate data tions possible have been established. In a
were available, to analyze more of the data number of pools the water table rises very
given in Table I of the paper, on this basis. gradually and in a broad sense uniformly, many
These comments are not intended to imply of the rates of rise being only a few feet per
criticism of the work, but merely to offer a year. In such a case the static experiment may
possible explanation of results which, in some very well be expected to reflect the upper limit
respects, seem to contradict previous evidence of the amount of oil to be obtained by the most
on the relative efficiency of gas and water drives efficient exploitation of this type of reservoir.
(dynamic mechanisms) in producing oil from Further, if the difference in density be-
porous media. tween the oil and water is high and if wells are
completed and controlled in such a way as to
H.]. WELGE (autho;;:S reply)-The author is minimize by-passing, the ultimate recovery
in agreement with Messrs. Brownscombe and from such a reservoir may conceivably ap-
Slobod regarding their definitions of dynamic proach the upper limit indicated by the static
and static conditions of oil displacement and experiment described above.
regarding the statement that these two phe- In regard to .l\Ir. Heath's comment, he is cor-
nomena are basically different. It is very likely, rect that the author recognizes the difference
however, that the results obtained from static between the static experiment described in this
tests of the type described in this paper together paper and the problems of horizontal water
with other measurable. quantities, such as flooding or gas cycling. The reason for this
permeability, porosity, viscosity, and inter- difference is very aptly stated in the comment
facial tension can be used to predict what will by Messrs. Brownscombe and Slobod. It seems
happen in the case of a dynamic flow test. also to follow that the flood-pot experiments
Thus it can be stated that there may exist are not necessarily indicative of the recovery to
relationships between the results of a static be obtained from horizontal water-flooding op-
experiment and dynamic experiments, so that erations, since the rates in the reservoir are
it may not be necessary to run a laboratory extremely variable because of the radial flow
experiment exactly as the field will be exploited nature of the problem. No flood-pot experiment
in order to predict its behavior. can be expected to yield answers which will be
The limited reliable information on fractional applicable at all points in the system.