Accounting for Fluid Rheology in the Hydrophobization Model of Relative Permeability Hysteresis

Abstract

A complex mathematical model of relative permeability hysteresis is developed based on percolation theory. The model takes into account the change in the surface properties of the pore space and the rheology of percolating fluids during the transition from drainage to imbibition, which gives rise to hysteresis. It is shown that accounting for the change in the rheology of percolation fluids, along with accounting for the hydrophobization of the surface of the pore space, provides a better agreement between the calculated and experimental curves of relative permeabilities.