..

*qti.,

.
..--

... . ______

- Analytical-Numerical Method in Waterflooding Predictions

.

.
HUBERT J. MORE~SEYTOUX
JUNIOR MEMBER AIME

ABSTRACT.
Methods of predicting
the influence
of pattern
geometry
and mobility
ratio
on water flooding
recovery predictions
are discussed.
Two methods
of calculation
are used separately
o+concrmently.
The analytical
method yields exact solutions
in
a convenient fo~ for a unit rnobilit y rat io piston-like
displacement,
A/ewtypical
pressure distributions,
sweep efficiencies
and oil recoveries
aie presented
/or various patterns.
For non.unit inobility ratio,
one may resort toanurnerical
method,, such us that
of Sheldon and Daugherty. 1I: Because the domains
of applicability y of the analytical
and nurherical
techniques
over!ap,
the exact solutions
provide
estimates
of the ewors in the nurnericul procedures.
The advantages
of the analytical
andnume?ical
methods can be comb fried. To develop a numerical
technique as independent oj geometry as possible,
the physical
space is transformed into a standard
rectangle,
The entire ef feet of geometry is rendered
derived horn
tbrotigb one term, the scale- fact~,
mappin~ relation%
The scale factor can be calcu-.
ratio solution for
lated from the exact unit-mobility
the particular
pattern of interest.
By this means
recovery
performances
for arbitrary mobility ratio
can be obtained for many patterns,, A sample of
results obtained in t has manner is presented,

INTRODUCTION
Pattern geometry and mobility ratio are two major
factors in making a waterflood recovery prediction.
Beca~se assisted recovery has become increasingly
important to the OH industry, pe ttern configuration
and mobiIity ratio also assume a greater significance
in the asses srneim of the economic value of recovery
projects.
The influence of pattern geometry and
mobility raeio in shaping a recovery curve and on
the. other quentities--ef interest to the reservoir
engineer is the main subject of this paper. Much
effort has already been spent on estimating quantitatively the influence of either pattern or mobility
ratio or both on oil recovery. The literature reports

Orighal mwwwcipt reaeived h society of Petrolewm Wiin-s

office JUIY 21, 1964. ~evi-ed mmuSo~lPt of ~~
985 received
Auz, 3, 196S, Paper presented at SPE AWUIO1Fall Meeting held
in Hmmton,Oot. 11-14, 1964.

SEPTEMBER,

1965

CHEVRON RESEARCH
LA HABR&

CO.

CAUF.

many investigations
of this nature. 3-g_H*wever,
many results or methods of recovery prediction
presented in the literature cannot be considered
fully satisfactory.
Even for unit mobility ratio and
piston-like displacement, where analytical solutions
are avaifable, the literature shows discrepancies.
For non-unit mobility ratio, the divergence in the
results ie extreme. For infinite mobility ratio in a
repeated five-~pot, depending on the investigator,
the sweep efficiency ranges from O per cent to 60
per cent. With reepect to the influence of pattern
only the repeated
five - spot has
on recovery,
received much attention. Other confined patterns
and pilot configurations
have received very Iittle
attention.
Two calculation
methods are presented in this
paper,
either
separately
or concurrently:
the
analytical
method of potential
theory and the
nu.rnericel method of finite-difference approximation.
The analytical method is mor& restricted in scope
than the finite-difference
method, but it has the
definite advantage
of providing exact solutions
within ite range of applicability.
If a unit-mobility
ratio piston- like displacement
is asaumed, the
analytical
approach is poseible.
A few typical
results ate reported in this paper; the detailed
description of the general method and of a great
variety of results will be the subject of other
articles. For non-unity mobility ratio, we must resort
to a numerical scheme. The Immerical technique is
that
which
wae described
by Sheldon
and
Dougherty. 112 It is not limited to piston - like
However,
mainly single interface
displacement.
results
will be presented
here. Because
the
respective domains of applicability of the analytical
and the numezical method overlap, uaefu 1 comparisons of exact and numerical solutions can be made .
for a variety of patterns.
The advantages of the analytical and numerical
approaches can be combined. The reason for the
success of this analytical-numerical
approach can
be summarized in the following two points:
1. The numerical solution for arbitrary mobility
ratio can be programmed. most efficiently when. the.
. .
physical space in which the displacement actualIy
takes pla-ce is transformed @to a standard shape;
and
2. Thie can be ddne with remarkabl~ simplicity
whenever an analytical expression for the pressure
847

discribumni is known for the unit mobility ratio

displacement proceaa.
Aa a side-line {t is shown by a mathematical
proof that under certain conditions an approximate
solution for waterflooding predictions can lead to
erroneous results. The approximate method Is one
that aima at predicating non -unit mobility-ratio
performances from a unit mobility-ratio
flow net.
When applied to piston-llke displacement,
it leads
to the conclusion that sweep efficiency ia independent of mobHity ratio. This contradicts well-known
experimental data.6
ANALYTICAL

SOLUTIONS

Both pattern geometry and mobillty ratio influence

the results of a waterflooding prediction. As usual
with a function of two variables,
the relative
dependence of a function on one of the two variables
ia most easily demonstrated
by maintaining the
solution,
other con stant. To obtain an analytical
the mobi~!tv. tatio was held constant at tbe value of
one, If in addition, it is asaumed that the diaplacemenc is piston-like, that gravity and capillary effects
are either negligible or nonexistent, then the flow
pattern of the two fluids ia the same as that of a
single fIuid. Consequently,
the pressure at any
point of the pattern does not change with time as
long as a constant flow rate is maintained. Once
this pressure distribution is known, it is possible
to calculate
the quantities
of interest
to the
reservoir engineersweep
efficiency, oil recovery
and water-oil tatio vs pore volume injected.
The pressure distribution can be obtained in a
closed form (in other words not in the form of an
infinite series) for a variety of patterns within the
3 following categories:
(1) isolated pattern (e.g.
isolated five-spot~ (2) doubly periodic pattern (e.g.
repeated five-spot); and (3) singly periodic pattern.
The isolated
pattern corresponds
to a small
nu~ber of weIls in a large reservoir (mathematically
of infinite extent). The doubly-periodic pattern (Fig.
1) consists of a large number of rows of injection
and production wells reguIarly spread over a large
field (mathematically
an infinite array). lo The
p&tern is constituted of an infinity of basic cells
such as ABCD. Any cell can be superimposed on
any other ceII by an integral number of translations
in the direction
i31, or 6!2. Flow patterns ere
identical
in each basic cell. A singly-periodic
pattern corresponds to the case when one of the
. vectors al or 22 becomes infinite. The basic cell
becomes a basic strip.
It is convenient to calculate first the dimensionless potential distribution @ The pressure is then
calculated from the formula:

P=-

88.74

itself is obtained as the real part of a complex

analytic function, which is known as the complex
potential, w(z). The imaginary part Wof the complex
potential w(z) is known as the stream function. In
the case of isolated and periodic patterns the
construction of the complex potential is a relatively
simple task. Sample reauIts for a few patterns are
isotropic
briefly
presented
for a homogeneous
porous medium, Because of space limitation, ,all
the quantities of interest could not be listed for all
geometries. To give an idea of the range of geometries
that were investigated, each derivation is associated
with a different geometry.
ISOLATED (N + 1)-SPOT
Typical of the isolated configuration is the (N+l)spot, which corresponds to the case of N wells
regularly distributed on a circle with one wel 1 at
the center. Either all the fluid injected is produced
or a fraction of it moves away from the pa:ter!l
(mathematically is lost at infinity). Both cases are
investigated.
NO LOSS OF FLUID AT INFINITY
h this instance,
potential is

u(z)

the expression

for the complex

()
~N

A
211N

..

1.8N

. , (2)

- The breakthrough sweep efficiency is obtained

by the same method described in a later paragraph
on the staggered line-drive:

.
(E)=N
~b

........

. (3)

N+ 2

.. .
The area of the circle is arbitrarily chosen as the
unit of pore voIume occupied by the mobile fraction
of the fluids:
~OMY PERIODICWELL ARRAY

~Q+c

---- ----- . --- .-. *-.. .- :- . ..- - (1) where p is pressure (psi), p viscosity (poise), Q
flow rate (barrel/day),
k permeability (darcies), h
(feet), and the constant
thickness
of reservoir
depends on the boundary conditions. The potential
----

S4a
. . . ..

x I INJECTION WELL

FIG.

1-

90 CIETY
-.-...-.

.-.

.-

.-.

0, PRODUCTION *LL

DOUBLY PERIODIC WELL ARRAY,

OF PETROLEUM

ENGINEERs

JO URINAL

. .. -----
-

4Ry

4Y
F

tie

ha

4Y(X8y)=fi

l-m2z

tan

(2v Y)

where V is the stream function parameter, varying

between O and % The corresponding
curves are
shown on Fig. 2.

+ ktzmzzp
..oo.

(6)

where CFZXstands for cti(x,k), ctry for cn(y,k), and

k,is the complementary modulus (kz + kz = 1). The
value of the modulus k is determined from the
relation

xt(k)
=--

2K(k)

For the repeated

of the staggered
plifies to

$.

five-spot,
line-drive

.....

on2y

k2m2x

. . . . . . . (4)

LOSS OF FLUID

--

. . . . . . . . . . . .

V*.
p% +

== (1-4Y)

E;

,-

where cn(z,k) is the elliptic cosine lo c11 of modulus

k. and K(k) is the comcdete elliptic integral of the
f~rst kind. Calculation;
of the p&ential ~ield

1
-I- C08

..

From the knowledge of the stream function Y and

from considerations
of relative areal spread of the
different streamtubes,
the parametric equations of
normalized oil recovery (E;) and water-oil ratio
(Fwo) vs normalized pore volumes injected ( v~l )
can be obtained. For an isolated three-spot (N = 2)
they are very simple:
V* , =
p%
1

. . . . .. . .. .
,.

..*

,,

(7)

which is a special case

(d/a = I/2), Eq. 6 sim-

AT INFINITY

Usually in a pilot flood only a fraction of the

volume of f[uid displaced by injection is produced.
The capture factor @depends on the relative values
of injection,
production and reservoir pressure.
.Once @ has been calculated,
it is possible to
predict the performances of the pilot flood (within
the Iimirarions
of tbe assumptions).
Curves of
breakthrough oil recovery vs capture factor and of
oil recovery vs pore volumes injected for sample
values of /3 are shown respectively on Figs. 3 and
4 for an inverted, isolated five-spot (injection at
the center of the ,parteri). The capture factor can
cake values greater than unity if primary recovery
is still important.

because

k = k. Th t term in k is omitted because

,.
UNIT

MOBILITY

RATIO

,65~
4 -

ti
.3
.2-

STAGGERED

LINE-DRIVE
.1

The staggered line-drive (Fig, 5) is typical of the

doubly-periodic
pattern. Detailed analysis
shows
that the complex potential is

o
0

.10

.20 .!0

40
CfiPTURE

.50

ANALYTICAL S4LUTION

Eo

10

,80 .w

6P.CTOR

BREAKTHROUGH RECOVERY VS CAPTURE

~AG6~OR, INVERTED ISOLATED FIVE - SPOT WITH
LEAK AT -.

.. . .
IA
1.$-

NVVERTEO ISOLATED
PERFORMANCE CURVES FOR AN ISOLATED
3 3POT

SINOLE INTERFACE
[.( uNIT
MOBILITY RATIO

* 5.0 ~
>
-

1
g 4,0
n

%s-

01 L RECOVERY

p.1.50
D c CAPTURE FACTOR
, VOLUME OF PRODUCEQ FLW?
VOLUME OF INJECTED FLulD
UNIT MOBILITY

-5=

1,0-

p.lao

A 2.0&
~

.8 .4.i-

RATIO

3.0 :

E
z

J -

.-a

~ srOT

ierws PORE - vOLUMES INJECTEO

ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
0 u A tvuMERICAL SOLUTIONS

-2

8
ml .0-

-1

~.

,.D
D

0
NORMALIZED PORE vOLUMES INJECTEO

FIG, 2PERFO&NCE
CURVES FOR AN ISOLATi$D
THREE-SPdT.

/3to.70

1,0
NORMBLIZEO PORT. VOLuMfs

INJEcTCo

FIG. 4 INVERTED ISOLATED FIVE -SPOT, O~L

RECOVERY VS PORE-VOLUMES INJECTED.

-...

. . ... ..

. .. .

... . .. . ... . .. .,.

.-?.

. . .. .-

the potential
is defined only to an arbitrary
constant, The breakthrough streamline by reason of
symmetry is the diagonal line y = x and the breakthrough time (~b) is:

J&=v2,

4n

. . . . ..(9)
.

2+R2
u
the breakthrough
five-spotlz is

I
Conseqtmntly
for a repeated

sweep

&

,= 1

dt

-.

f(S)

J(t##Y)q

(13)

In the event the steamtube is straight, then @ =x,

J = 1 and Eq. 13reduces to the well-known i3uckley Leverett equation. 15 Returning to the assumption
of piston-like unit mobility ratio displacement,
Eq.
13 becomes, after integration

~_I d@

...,.....

(14)

J(@a Y)

For the repeated

five-spot,

efficiency

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,
~A)b

-..

(15)

so that after explicit integration and inversion the

equation of the water-oil interface at a given time
t becomes

= ~,=4x(1::,40?)2

= 71,78%
. . . .(10)

The result is strikingly simpIe and is exact.

Breakthrough sweep efficiencies
for the direct and
the staggered Iinti-drive, 13 for a flank flood and for
other p?ttems can also be evaluated by this method.
The breakthrough sweep efficiency is interesting,
but the complete recovery curve is more valuable.
This recovery curve can be obtained from the
knowIedge of the location of the water-ii interface
as follows.
The location of the water-oil interface and the
rate at which this interface moves can be found in
every steamtube
of the flow pattern by considers tion
of mass conservation.
Along the streamline W the
elementary arc length is da, and dA is the steamtube
elementary cross-section.
Then if we depart from
the assumption of piston-like displacement-for
a
moment, expression of the conservation
of mass
yields

+f(s)du~=

$dA ~

o,.

.(11)

where qi is porosi~,
S water saturation, / water
flow fraction and du is die volumetric flow rate in
the steamtube.
If we now consider the streamlines
W and an orthogonal set of lines, the @lines, as a
coordinate system, Eq. 11 transforms to

at

J(Q, Y)q

= O ~ (12)

f(S)~

a+

-where- q-.=-&- is the flow rate per .unit. streamsube.

n
.. and /(@t W) is the Jacobian of the transformation. 14
< From Eq. 12 the frontal advance kquation, i.e., the
equation for the veIocity of a front of constant
saturation
is
2s0

{$ .

8722

- co B(81r Y)
K(C08411y)a

(16)

COS411y}..C.O.S.....

The breakthrough time of a particular streamline

is obtained from Eq. 16 for the value O = m:

=l?w$x(

e),.,,,,

,(17)

At time of breakthrough
of streamline
W, the
instantaneous
producing water-oil ratio is (1 -8Y)/
By; therefore, the equation of FWO vs V~j curve is
obtained:
~;{

= ,46LS{

aO

ati

$ =

co8h(8v@)

.( o)
} .
0 F
1 + Fuo

(18)

Oil recovery and Fwo vs V~i curves for a repe~ted

five-spot are shown on Fig. 6.
REPEATED

SEVEN-SPOT

The complex potential can be obtained for the

repeated seven-spot and other patterns by superposition
of simpler patterns.
For the repeated
seven-spot, the complex potential is expressible in
terms of the elliptic cosine of modulus k = sin (15)

. M.(z L .5.. &n...{?

(1-cn2a)
l+eflz g..-....

. ..- .. . .... . .... _.

and calculations
efficiency

yield

for

breakthrough

areal

T2

()

K(l

A ~= i?K(16)
=74,37

S)

Analytical solutions have been obtained

wide variety of patterns.
These sohttions
simple exact results.

(2)
for a
yield

NUMERICAL SOLUTION
As mentioned earlier,
the analytical
method,
however
advantageous
within
its domairr of
has
serious
drawbacks.
It is
applicability,
difficult
to obtain anaIytic soh.trions when the
mobility ratio is not one. Therefore, at present, we
must resort to a finite-difference
numerical techanalysis
and
nique. The folIowing mathematical
the description of the numerical procedures carried
out in a corresponding
computer program are
essentially a summary of Sheldon 1 and Dou.gherty s2
approach. However, in their work the results of
Buckley and Leverett, obtained for a linear system,
were extended to two dim&nsions without proof.
The more rigorous approach briefly outIined here
shows that this extension is valid.
MATHEMATICAL

where S{ is the saturation of fluid i and % thi total

volumetric flow-rate vector (the fluids are assumed
incompressible,
gravity
and explicit
capillary
the medium is assumed
effects
are neglected,
homogeneous). The fundamental information to be
drawn from Eq. 21 is that the rate of advance of a
given saturation surface in any direction is proportional to the total flow-rate
component in that
direction, and that the constant of proportionality
is /(S)/+. This resuit allows generalization
of the
BuckIey-Leverett
method to two-dimensional apace.
Eq. 21 can be rewritten in terms of pressure. If,
moreover, the smooth saturation profi Ie behind the
BuckIey-Leverett
front is approximated by a series
of steps, between two successive steps the saturation is constant and in this region (Rk ) Eq. 21
simplifies to LapJaces equation:

a2pk

v~~
=~

Pk

For each

requires

STAGGERED[IRE-DRIVE
v
t

~Pk+l,

4K

C@lPLEX

,..

,..

.(23)

($)k
=(i%+)
n.

where Ak is the toral mobiIity of the fluids in

region h. The coefficient of d#k/& in Eq. 24 is
independent
of pressure,
pattern geometry
or
location
of the interface.
It characterizes
the
displacement process. Eq. 24 can be written more
generally:

POTENTIAL

$m In

w(z).=

-.

.,.

-(=)~*(24)

(z,k)

cn

(22)

where didn denotea differentiation

along the local
normaI to the interface k and Mk is the total mobility
ratio
at
the interface
k. The total mobility, is
defined as the sum of the nobilities
of. the fluids
in a region.
The riormal rvelocity component of the interface
is proportional
to the toral flow rate in that
direction and proportional to the slope of the secant
approximation to the fractiona I flow curve. Thus,

.=
BASIC CELL FOR

where pk is the pressure in region (Rk).

In addition, the following conditions, which express
continuity of mass flux and of pressure at the
saturation-step
surface, must be satisfied:

ANALYSIS

fluid i the law of mass conservation

that the following equation be satisfied:

a2pk.

+W=O,

[m (z+

K,k)]

.P67ENTiAL

. - .

Dk will be a different expression depending on the

=recovery -process 2.. (wate~ flooding, .~nriched gas.

drive, carbonated
NUMERICAL

FIG. 5 STAmERED

LINEDRIVE.

On the basis

water flood),

PROCEDURES

of the above equations,

a computer
2s1

.. . .. .....
,,
.,...:..
--.w

program was developed by Sheldon and Dougherty.

Eqs. 22, 23 and 25 comprise what we refer to as
a two-dimensional fluid-fluid interface problem. In
each subregion of constant a aturation, Laplaces
equation ia replaced by a fini m-difference equation,
s taadard away- from interfaces or boundaries, special
in their vicinity, The first step in the calculation
is to determine the coefficients
for the pressure
equations. Then the system is solved by the method
of successive -over-relaxation.
Next the interface
velocities
are calculated.
J3ecauGe the pressure
distribution changes with time, a pressure solution
at a given time cannot be used to describe the
motion of an interface over a long increment of
time. The time-step si~e is determined in such a
way that the maximum distance travelled by any
interface over this period At will be a fraction of
the mesh size. Then the new position of a set of
points on the interface is calculated.
Volumes of
injection and withdrawal, and incremental volume
swept are then computed. This concludes one cycle
of operation.
The cycle is repeated
until the
quantity of pore volume injected or the water-oil
ratio exceeds a specified vaIue.
,
COMPARISON WITH EXACT

SOLUTIONS

Numerical procedures are subject to errors. On

the other hand, though limited to unit mobility
ratio, exact solutions are avaiIabIe for a variety of
geometries. An estimate of the error in the numerical
solution is possible by comparison with the exact
solutions.
Figs. 2 and 6 are typical of the good
agreement even for such a sensitive quantity as
water-oil tatio.
ANALYTICAL-NUMERICAL

SOLUTION

So far che analytical smd numerical methods were,

considered independently,
bur the advantages
of
the analytical
and numerical approaches can be
combined. In the numerical solution, the space in
which the displacement takea place is transformed
into a standard rectangular form. The entire effect
of the original geometry for the transformed prob Iem
is expressed
through a single term, the scaIe

13 .

E
? 1?9 ,,

PERFoRMANcE CURVES FOR A REPEATED

5 SPOT

TRANSFORMATION

With a general curvilinear system 1Aof coordinate

~~
(I$ v), di~ (VP) = O takes the form

+(<g)++pg)=o
... ................

. (26)

the elemental Iengths

where eqdq and e~df are
along the lines < = constant and q = constant. If
the & q system of coordinates
corresponds
to a
conformal mapping of the Cartesian system, then
e(=eq
= e and Eq. 26 becomes:

$+$=

O,. . . . . . . .

. (27)

I.e., Laplaces
equati~n is invariant under the
conformal transformation..
The interest
of this
transformation is double. First, for a welI system
such as is depicted in Fig. 7, the transformation
greatly expands the critical region in the neighborhood of the wells, thereby facilitating more accurate
numerical
computations.
Second,
the boundary
conditions
(constant
pressure
or constant
flow
rate) and Eqs, 22 and 23 are invariant under the
rranaformation. However, I?q. Z5 becomes

;kI+&8pk
n
k

--%

... . . . . . (28)

where e is the scale factor for the coordinate

transformation and ~$ is the interface velocity in
the transformed space. The scale factor is a point
function obtained from the transformation equation
equation: < = ~ i- iq = <(z), via the expression

100

Q
:

9.

10

~<

M =
g

$1
A ,5:,

0
w

lY

:.

~:
d,
. ....
-5

!0

1$

NORMkLIZEO

. .
?0
PORE

AnalytiCal

SOLUTION

NuMER(CAL

SOLUTION

?$
VOLUMES

30

it

29

-EEEw
$..
c

c?%

&

PRODUC{NO WELL

(:

FIG, 6PERFORMANCE CURVES

FIVE-SPOT.

FOR

~ (,

REPEATED

(z

(,

~,

(a

tNJtCTED

INJECUOU

a. . . . ..

4/

PROOUCINO WtLL

~.~
b ~

1?0

:,

COORDINATE

SINGLE INTERFACE
UNIT MOSILITV RATIO

~ lb -,

~,

factor. The point of the matter is that the scale

factora can be calculated
from the unit-mobility
ratio analytical
solutions
for the geometries of
interest and then applied co the numerical method
for. non-unit mobifity ratio.

INKCTION

WELL

----

WELL

PFiOOUCIUO WELL

. . . . . .. .

FIG. 7INVERTED ISOLATED FIVE-SPOT COORDIN!

,
ATE TRANSFORMATION.
ii OCIETY

ok PEIROLE1!M

tiXCINEEl?s

JO II RNAL

..

. .- ....- . ..,-.
,.--. .- -..

If the scale factor is known for a variety of geometry,

performances
of a particular
well pattern are
obtained by changing a single subroutine in the
computer program with an otherwise unchanged
main program.
SCALE

FACTORS

The complex potential was derived earlier for a

of geometries.
The equipotential
and
variety
streamlines corresponding to this complex potential
can be chosen as the system of coordinates,
and
with this system of coordinates the physical apace
is mapped onto a basic rectangle. Therefrom,
=. 4m2J(Q8Y)

e2
because
form

the complex

u(z)

(B)

potenriaI

in

= &

2,

. (30)

f z)

1+1

is always

{f(z)}

of the

. . .

.(31)

The function /(z) can be constructed generally for

all isolated and periodic patterns. A few examples
were given in the section Analytical
Solutions .
Following arc a few typical expressions
for the
square of the scale factor.
Regular Isolated

..

. .

. ..

Qpo
as ,
where Q ~a the
khAb
injection
flow rate, F. the viscosity
of oil, &
the formation permeability,
b formation thickness
and hp pressure
drop between
injector
and
producer. In addition to direct use, these curves
can tie incorporate
into standard
prediction
calculation methods. For example: (1) the DyksttaParsons 16 method, which assumes one-dimensional
flow in layers of different permeabilities,
can be
extended to two dimensions;
and (z) the Hursts
method, which assumes unit mobility ratio, a
repeated five-spot pattern and a single layer of
can be extended to non-unit
average permeability,
mobility ratio and a number of weIl geometries.
Note that the curves of water-oil ratio on Fig. 9
intersect
one another. This behavior is always
observed for, confined patterns, never for unconfined
patterns. It can be proved that for confined patterns
the FWO curves must intersect. Let (Fwo)k, ( Fwo)i
be the water-oil ratio for mobility ratios M&, Mj
respectively.
The total amount of oil that can be
recovered
after an urfinite time is the original
finite quantity of oil irt place, which is arbitrarily
chosen as unity. Thus,

injectivity

is defined

: 01RSC7 LINE C-(d/b.l/2)

Vc=z2=z=

(N + I)-Spot

y
@2=e

{li2

lVe-2g
&

Ze -g

Cosrl}

Repeated

[2(

cos4n

Staggered

{3*)

1.

.(

~2

,.

Five-Spot

cosh4g

4s?2
=

N*,

2 . .

.9

13

2.1

1?

kORhfhLIZED

PORE

2.9

!!.

VOLUMES

if

4,1

4,5

INJECTED

FIG. S INFLUENCE OF MOBILITY RATIO ON OIL

RECOVERY.

L,ine-Drive

CoSh2~

IC

(33)

S~y12Q)
DIRECT LINE DRIVE
SINGLE INTERFACE

2g+2kzkt2sZn2n)l
(k4e2E+k1be
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (34)

(d/o* 1/2)

It must be noted that the scale factors irivolve

only elementary functions., and are thus simpler
than the pressure distributions
which for doubly
periodic patterns involve elliptic functions. Knowing
the scale factor:, we can now proceed to uae the
computer to obtain the numerical sohttion for arbitrary geometry and mobility ratio.
_-.

SINGLE INTERFACE

FOR ALL M

though the- assumption of piston - likedisplacement

may seem restrictive,
curves of
which Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 are examples can be
used by engineers for quick estimates.
In Fig. 10
E-ven

SEPTEMBER,

. 1
,1

.3

,1

.9

NORMALIZED

1.1
PORE

13

1.5
VOLUME S

1.1

1,9

INJECTED

?1

?$

?5

FIG, 9 INFLUENCE OF. MOBKLITYRATIO ON PRODUCING WATER OIL RATIO.

,

2!ss

196s

.. . .. . .- ----- . .. . . . . . .. . . . ...

.. . .. .

. . . ... . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . .. .. .. .. . . ..... .... . ... -~... . .-.....-..

. . ...,...
... ......

. (3$)

. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .

36

cannot

be satisfied
unless the quantity
changes sign, i.e., un&s,, the-F ~. curves intersect.
Thus, an FWOcurve, for a
given Mk will intersect all the other Fwo cdr~es
corresponding
to a different mobility ratio Mj
This result brings additional
evidence that. th L
numerical solution is correct.
Because actual displacement
of oil by water
even tuaII y deviates appreciably from a piston-like
one as the mobility ,becomes more tinfavorable,
estimates of oil recovery on the basis of single
interface curves will be in error when the mobility
ratio exceeds a value of the order of five to seven.
The breakthrough displacement
efficiency (ED )1
may be known from a core flood or from a correlation
of (ED); vs M. (ED); is defined by the relation
- -.

- (Fwo)k
(F-wo)j

10.00

..

where ~w is the average water saturation in the

core at breakthrough, S ~c connate water saturation
and So, residual oil saturation.
The normalized recovery at breakthrough in a
pattern is for all practical purposes the product:

and, taking the difference,

13q.

)IRECT LINE DRIVE

[d/a: 1/2)

/--+c
-----

-.

I.N

n- ----- M,= 2 -

(displacement efficiency) x (sweep efficiency

for M .= MBL) .
,.
MB~ is the mobility ratio across the Buckley Leverktt front. Again, this value of. hlBL can be
obtained from permeability data or from a correlation
o~hfBL,VS M, MBL is usually much smaller than M,
For M = 8, on the average, (ED);= 0.63 and MBL=
1.50. From Fig. 11, (ED); = 0.67 for M = 1.50. This
gives a breakthrough recovery of the order of 0.42,
After breakthrough a good estimate of the shape of
the recovery curve is obtained by selecting the
curve corresponding
to the value of M equal to
MBL. Drawing a line parallel to the curve corresponding to M = 1.50 (Fig, 11) from the breakthrough
point (V~i = 0.42, oil recovered = 0.42) will yield
a more reaIistic estimate of the recovery curve dran,
the straight use of the singIe interface recovery
curve for M = 8.

,.

BREAKTHROUGH SWEEP EFFICIENCY

FOR UNFAVORABLE M

From Figs; 8 or 11, curves of breakthrough sweep

efficiency
vs mobility ratio can be deduced.
Because
sweep efficiency
depends on mobility
ratio and pattern geometry, we can hope to relare
the breakthrough
sweep efficiency
in a given
pattern for a given M to the value of M and to the
value of breakthrough sweep efficiency in the same
pattern, for M= I, (.f?A)~.For the repeated five-spot
and three cases of the direct line-drive (d/a = 1/2,
1 and 2) a simple relationship
fitted reasonably
welI the calculated curves of area 1 efficiency for
l+i~l:
I

SINGLE INTERFACE

+
M=

,(

Me+
----,...
.

E-===

ii t
1

ASYMPTOTE --

.0

-~-

.2

NORMALIZED

PORE

VOLUMES

INJECTEO

-,-,-

.6

FIG. 11 _

--.

.-

..

,6
I.L
II
!.6
1,6
1.8
u.
NORMALIZED PORE vOLUMES INJECTEO

2.?

I .....

INFLUENCE OF MOBILITY RATIO ON OIL

RECOVERY.

sOCIETY

6iF PETl\66LuIllt EN GISEEEt!i

J(JliftNAL -

.-. .

.-....-.

...-. ..

..-. .

. .. .. .. . ... .--
.-. .-.--- .-- --

ANALYTICAL TEST OF AN
APPROXIMATE SOLUTION

()

LL
1

A ~ =(1+

$/

. . . . (38)

MULTIPLE INTERFACE SOLUTIONS FOR ALL M

Whenever the curves of re]ative .m?rmeabilitv. for

oil and water are known, a Buckley - Leverett
calculation
for the pattern
can be performed.
Results for a repeated five-spot geometry are shown
curves used for
on Fig, 12. Relative-permeability
the calculations
sre those of Fig. 13, The same
permeability
curves were used to obtain the
performances
of a direct line drive (d/a = 1/2)
shown on Fig. 14. A comparison of experimental vs
calculated
normalized
oil recoveries
using the
permeability data and experimental results reported
by Douglas 17 is shown on Fig. 15.

of predicting
oil
for arbitrary mobility ratio
from the unit mobility-ratio flow net. For non.unit
mobiIity ratio, the performances of a pattern will
remodified in two ways because (I) the streamlines
are continually changing and (2) the resistivities
in the invaded and the non-invaded
zonks are
different. If the shift in streamline is assumed (O
be a minor effect, predictions
can be made by
performing a BuckIey-Leverett
calculation
in the
potential
fIow streamtubes.
This
now means
@ppIY:ng Eq. 13 with a flow rate per unit steamtube
q, which changes with time as the flood proceeds.
The value of the procedure can be tested by
comparison with experimental results 3 using actual
permeability
data. It csn also be tested on its
ability to accurately represent limiting cases for
which reliable solutions are known. In particular,
the application
of the method for a piston - iike
throws some light on the nature of
displacement
The approximation
recovery in a pattern

consists

10

L/

161820ZZ

0?$66101?1$
&ORMALIZCO

FIG. 12
.-

PORE

VOLUMCS

DIRECT LINE DRIVE

..
...

MULTIPLE

,ti,.*

INTERFACE

/*

I
24 26

IwEC?CO

tNFLUENCE OF MOBILITY RATIO ON OIL

RECOVERY.

RATIO
0,08

1----

Sw
FIG, 13 RELATIVR PERMEABILITY CURVES FOR
WATER AND OIL..

.. .

AA

AA

/--

,4 I
AAA

*,

.---!

:0

NORh@EO

-r-Is
20

26

PORE VOLUMES INJECTED

F~G. 15 OIL RECOVERED VS PORE VOLUMES

INJECTED.
I

-. .-

. ...... . . .

.-. .-

..

. . . .. .

the approximation. If a piston-like displacement is

assumed, with a pressure drop maintained constant,
of
the value of q is obtained from considerations
the total resistance of the steamtube in which the
frootha
sreache dtheequipotential
line@:
A@
q=
(M-l-

A@

1)4 + (-)

. . . . . . . . ...*

$*

*...

.[39)

where A@is the potential increase from injection

to production well. Substituting g into Eq. 13 for
the particular case of a repeated five-spot, and
integrating yields the equation of the front at a
time t in the ~, Ysystemof
coordinates:

.-

-.

efficiency

.- .

on mobility ratio for piston-like

displace-

ment, in contradiction
of experimental
evidence.
After breakthrough the prediction of the water-oil
ratio may be somewhat in error, but it does not
conflict with experimental
evidence. ..The results
calculated
by this method are shown on Fig, 16,
These results differ considerably
from those of
Fig, 11, calculated
by the numerical technique
described earlier.
When the displacement is no longer piston-like,
i.e., when a relative permeability curve is used to
calculate /(S), this approximate method is likely
to yield improved resuita because the mobiIity ratio
at a Buckley -Leverett front is often not in excess
of two to three.

.-

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

For unit mobiIity ratio, single-interface
solutions
can be obtained exady in a convenient form. These
solutions are valuable per se, but the method to
obtain them also yields the means to caIculate the
scale factor of a coordinate transformation used in
obtainitlg the numerical soIution for non-unit mobility
ratio. This greatly expands the potential of the
numerical technique.
By the combined analytical-numerical
approach,
performances
of a variety of patterns
can be
obtained. They can be obtained for a displacement
that is assumed piston-like (single interface) or for
an actual displacement
in a given porous medium
whenever permeability data are available,
curves of oil recovery
Single-interface

The equation of the front when water first breaks

through is

aosh($wo)
coah(8w4)
.x[oos(41r

YJI

- 1

=8n2

{II

C08(8ny1

-;

M-1

G(Qa Y)a

vs pore
volume injected for a given value of M can be
used directly or with other. methods, for example
as areal coverage vs area processed in the Hurst
method, thereby improving the method without
additional effort.
Under certain conditions, the analytical method
of solution for unit mobility ratio allows an estimate
of the error in the approximate method which uses
the unit-mobility ratio flow net in calculating nonunit mobility ratio displacement.
This method will
not represent very accurately a displacement process

().

Cros(411Y) }

(42)

A acudy of G(@,Y) indicates that-its limit when

AQ=M (i.e., rw= O) is zero, and that, even for
extremely large values of rw, its contribution to
the argument of the elliptic sine is negligible even
for infinite mobili~ ratio. In other. words, breakthrough sweep effi~iency for any M is practically
the same as for unitmobility ratio. This holds also
areal
coverage.
However,
for post-breakthrough
after breakthrough the water-oil ratio is different
from that of unit mobility ratio, because the flow
rate in the steamtube
having broken through is hi,
whereas
for! the other streamtubea. stiIl produe!ng.
.

gIo i

.9 .

.8 -

e
*
~

,1

.6 -

gi

-.

Y
8
s

,4 -

.5 -

REPEATED 5 SPOT
SINGLE INTERFACE

.?

-?

.$6

$:

RECOVERY CURVES AS CALCULATED

WITH THE ASSUmptiOn OF NO STREAM
FLOW CHANGE w ITII M

.2
.2

.4

.6

.8 . ..10.

1
.12

l.!-

!.!

L!.

NORM~L12E0 PORE VOLUWS

.2)

.22. . L-

1.$

INJECIED

FIG. 16 _ RECOVEFiY CURVES AS CALCULATED

WITH THE ASSUMPTION ,OF NO STREAM FLOW
CHANGE WITH M.
.SOUIETY

OF PETROLEOM

EN211NEERS JO U22NAL

.-

.-

with a non - unit

piston-like.

mobility

ratio

.
that

is

almost

NOMENCLATURE

distance between adjacent injection

wells
b= subscript for breakthrough
Cn (Z,k) = elliptic cosine bf argument z and
a .

K,

modulus k
distance between two adjacent rows
of injection and production wells

d=

flow rate in an elernentaty

steamtube
normalized
injection
dV;i = incremental
volume
e . scale factor for coordinate transformation
fractional flow of water
fractional flow values on the two
W
sides of a front
~= fractional flow of fluid i
. reservoir thickness
k.= formation permeability,
or moduIus
of Jacobian elliptic functions
k = complementary modulus
n= normal direction to an interface
p = pressure
pk = pressure in region k
q =flow rate

(@,w

= Jac#i~~)of

t = time

of

argument

and

= breakthrough time
~=
breakthrough timefor streamline Y
-+
U = total volumetric flow-rate vector
Uti = normal component of 2

vn
w(z)
x, y
z

=
=
=
=

velocity normal to interface

complex potential
coordinates in the physical space
complex number
Dk = interface velocity constant

SEPTEMBER,

..-- . ... .

of water at residual
saturation

mobility

of oil at connate
saturation

oil

water

sum of nobilities

of water and oil at

the BuckleY-Leveretc front saturation
mobility of oil at connate water
saturation
mobility ratio at interface k
number of wells regularly distributed
on a circle in an (N + 1)-spot
Q= total flow rate
Re( ) = Real part of ( )
Rk G region bounded by interfaces k and
MB= =

k+l

s=

water saturation

Si =

saturation

s or = residual

of fluid

oil saturation

normalized

saturation

Sw- Swc
So,-swc

=
. 1-

connate water saturation

average saturation at breakthrough
saturations on the two sides of the
frOnt ;
pore
volume
.
~$=
normalized pore volume .Y~ S(1 VP =

sSw,) Vp
V;i = nor~~lized pore volume injected

..=

capture factor

angle in degrees
complex number in transformed space
=g+rq
~
A, hi = mobility, of fluid z
Ah = total mobility in region k

c.=

oil

/4 Pw, /.10 = viscosity,

of watet, of oil

~, q = system of coordinate

in transformed

space
pi =
=
~ .
@=
@i, Q?p= @w =

density of fluid i
arc length
porosity
potential ,
potential

at the injection

well,

at

.theproductiifn~ell..
. - ..
W = stream function:- al, W2 = periods of a doubly periodic function
,.,

./

9s7

1965

. .. . . . ... ....-, ,.. . . . .

-/

water

mobility
=

(?,(F== angle,

= normalized recovery efficiency or oil

-rkcove-iyin units of norm-alized
pore volume

producing
F We, = instantaneous
ratio

.
.

(@,

kind
K = complementary complete eHiptic integral
.
M= mobility ratio (> 1 when unfavorable)

areal efficiency
(EA )& = breakthrough
areal efficiency
for
(EA)~ = breakthrough
mobility ratio M
(EA )1 = breakthrough
areal efficiency
for
unit mobility ratio
(ED ); = normalized breakthrough
displacement efficiency
~

E;

the transformation

K(k),K(t$) = complete elliptic integral of the first

du = volumetric

r = radial distance
sn (z, k) = elliptic
sine
modulus k

. . . .. . ..

.. . .... .

. . . .. ... . . . . .

...
,.,

----- .. ... .... .. ..

:. :.
,.

:-.
.

A@= potential

increase

production

from injection

to

well

REFERENCES
L Sheldon, J. W. kd Dougherty, 1%L.: A Numerl?al
Method for Computing the Dyna~cal
Behavior of
Fluid-Fluid Interfaces tn Permesble Media, Sot.
Fe;, fhrg,Jour( June, 1964) 158,

2,

3.

4.

.5,

Dougherty, E, L. and Sheldon, J. W,: Whe Use of

Fluid-Fluld Interface to Predict the Behavior of Oil
Recovecy Process~ Soc. Pet. En& Jww.(June,1964)
171.
Higgins, R, V. and Leighton, A., J.: $Computer %ediction of Water Drive of Oil and Ges Mixturem
Through Irregularly Bounded Porous Medis-firee
Phaae Flow, Jour. Pet. Tech. (Se@., 1960!O@
M~@ket, M.: ~~~e F1OW of EIOfIIOgCWMrOUS Fluids
Through Porous Media?, J.W.Edwards, Ann Arbor,
Mich. ( 1946),
Hurst, W.: Determination of Performance Curve in
Five-Spot Water Flood, Pet, Engi (1953) Vol. 25,
No. 4, 538.

6, Dyes, A. B., Csudle, B. H. and Erickson, R. A.:

kfiuenced
tioil pro~uction After B*eakthrough-As
by Mobility Ratio; ffr?ns. , AIME(1954) VO1, 201, 81.
Prats, M., Matthewa, C. 8., Jewett, R, L. and Bsker,
J, D,: $~Prediction of Injection Rate and Production
Five-Spot
Floode ~, Ttans.,
History for Multi-Fluid
AIME (1959) Vol. 216, 98.

_. _--.,-----

. ..

.
.-.

$. Hauber, W. C.: 4~Prediction of Waterflood Pe?fonesnce

for Arbitrary -Well Patterns and Mobility RatioaJ~,
1964) 95.
&?WCPet. Tech (h.,
9, Jacqusrd, P,: t#CaI=u~ Num&iques de D6p1acement6
de Fronta~\ 6tb WorldPetroleum Congress, Frankfurt/
Msin (1963),
10* Whittaker, E. T, and Wateon, G, N.: A Course Oj
Modem Atrdysis,
Cambridge University Press, 4th
Edition (Reprinted 1962) 429-462,
11, hfllne,l%ome~,
L. M.:~Jacobien Elliptic Function
Ttiblea, Dover (KWO),
12, Prats, M,, Strickier, W, R and Matthews, C. S,: %ingleFluId Five-Spot Floods in Pipping ReservoIra?J,
?kW2S,, AIME (19S5) Vol. 204, 171,
Breakthrou@
Sweep Efficiency
Of
13, Prats, M.: ~f~e
the Staggered
Line Drive }~, Jour. Pet. Tech. (Dec.,
1956) Vol. VIII,, 67.
of Potential
Theory,
D.: Fourrdationa
17S-183.
Buckley,
S, E, and Leverett,
M, C,: $~Mechsniam of
Fluid Displacement
in Sands,
T~dns., AIME (1942)
vol. 146, 107,

14: KeUog,

O.

Dover (1953)

1s.

16. Dykstra,
H, and Psraons,
R. L.: 4(Oil Recovery
PredicUon, by Water Flood,
Secondary Recovery oj
Oil in #be United States, 2nd Edition, API (1950),
Jim, Jr., Peaceman,
D. W, and Rachford,
17. Douglas,
Multi-dimensional
H, H,: ~A Method for Calculating
Trans., AIME (1956) Vol.
Immiaclble Displacement,
216, 297.
***

.,

... ----

.. .

,.

-.... .. ..: ._ ..-

..

. . .

. . .-. .-----

SOCIETY

OF PET NO Ll!ki M NxGIXEEUS

,

JOtlaN.AL