A NEW VERSATILE RELATIVE PERMEABILITY CORRELATION

There are at least two key aspects of simulating multi-phase flow experiments. One is the actual estimation of multiphase flow properties from measured data, and the other is the representation of the unknown functions for relative permeability and capillary pressure. It is essential that the representation of these functions have sufficient degrees of freedom to model the measured data whilst remaining straightforward and easy to communicate. A new smooth and flexible 3 parameter analytical correlation for relative permeability is proposed as a possible replacement for currently adopted industry standards. Results from e.g. steady-state relative permeability experiments often exhibit behaviour which is difficult to model using e.g. the Corey correlation. The new correlation influences different parts of the relative permeability curve and thereby captures variable behaviour across the entire saturation range. The strength of the new correlation is demonstrated by utilizing steady-state experiments performed at reservoir conditions on core samples from the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The new correlation has been included in a core flow simulator, and the experimental data has been reconciled through an automated optimisation routine. The benefits of applying this correlation during full-field simulation are also demonstrated.