Reservoir Simulator Practical

Lecture 5: Effective Permeability Calculations

By: Dr. Julian E. Mindel

04/11/2014

Lecture Milestones
Permeability
Calculation of effective values
Isotropy vs. Anisotropy
Heterogeneities

Lecture 5: Effective Permeability Calculations

Example: Diagonal permeability tensor calculation

Permeability:
Calculation
of
effective
values
Up until today we have always addressed porous medium properties as isotropic and

homogeneous, which allowed us to simplify modelling approaches of our governing

equations.
The truth is that, while most of us enjoy writing theory behind simplified isotropic and
homogeneous domains, real porous media are in general heterogeneous and
anisotropic.
It is normal to "up-scale" heterogeneous fields of permeability or porosity to, at least,
the level of our smallest mesh cell or region of interest, which will allow us to continue
applying our Darcy + Mass Conservation laws for low Reynolds numbers1. It also allows
us to homogenize our material, at least, to the cell-size level.
Anisotropy, however, is not something that can be overlooked while upscaling.
Anisotropy establishes that flow entering a control volume through only one face will
not necessarily remain in that direction while within the control volume, and may exit
through the other faces. This is normally due to the internal lower resistance flow paths
established via the heterogeneities within that control volume.
In this lecture we will be addressing two important aspects of our attempts at adding
further porous-media-realism to our simulations :
1.

2.

How to model heterogeneous media without incurring into extreme levels of resolution
(typically, less cells = less computational expense).
How to address anisotropy.

Lecture 5: Effective Permeability Calculations

04/11/2014

1. If we would actually geometrically discretize (i.e. generate a mesh!) our domain to the level of the void space, our macroscopic modelling laws might break
down and we would need to generate new ones! Remember that the Reynolds number depends on a reference length or size.
3

+ =

=
=

+ =

+ =

Direction shown of this vector is merely illustrative and not

necessarily the actual direction of the pressure gradient!

Imagine a portion of an incompressible porous

medium, with an unknown permeability tensor in
the absence of gravity.
This "control volume" has a prismatic shape, with
sides of length , , and , which are aligned with
the Cartesian axes. As we saw in our derivation of the
mass conservation equation, the total volume of the
domain is given by,
=
Given our incompressibility assumption, an assumed
constant viscosity, and uniform (within the cube)
permeability tensor we know that there will likely be
a resulting pressure gradient in each direction linked to
fluid flow in each direction through .
We also know that the Darcy velocity relationship
yields the relationship between the fluxes and
pressure gradients (in the absence of gravity),
1
= ,

This velocity may be integrated (or in our simplified

cube case, multiplied by the face area) over each face
of to obtain the mass fluxes (when multiplied by
the constant density), as shown in the figure to the
left. (final result of integration)
We also know that the mass flow
volumetric flow rate via,
=

is related to the

Lecture 5: Effective Permeability Calculations

Permeability:
Isotropy vs anisotropy

04/11/2014

+ = 0
x

= 0
+ = 0

+ =

= 0

=
0
0
1. Applying no-flow BC's is not necessary if we know that the material is truly
isotropic. Even if we do not prevent flow across the remaining faces, no flow
should appear!

Suppose we are told that our medium is isotropic.

In that case we know that our tensor looks like this,
0 0
= 0 0
0 0
To find out the value of k, either through numerical
simulation (also applicable to physical
experiments), we only need to apply a pressure
differential across two opposing faces of the cube
(say, x direction), while preventing flow in the
others1.

1 0 0
= 0 0 ,
where =

0
0 0
0
And so we know that ,

= =

0
We can thus determine , after measuring
volumetric flow (hint: surface flow in Paraview!)
and dividing by the face area ( in our case) to
calculate velocity,

=
=
=

Lecture 5: Effective Permeability Calculations

Permeability:
Isotropy vs anisotropy

04/11/2014

+ =

=
=

+ =

Suppose now that we are told that the tensor is

diagonal, however it is no longer isotropic. The
diagonal-anisotropic permeability tensor is
given by,

0
0
= 0 0
0
0
Applying the strategy from the previous slide,
we can obtain each component of the tensor
via applying pressure drops in each respective
direction,
=

+ =

1 = 0
0

or

2 =

or

0
0
3 =

These are the gradients used in rach independent simulation to determine the three tensor diagonal components.

, =
, =

x

Where we would determine , , and in

three separate numerical experiments
(simulations), applying the same pressure drop
in each direction.
Notice how although we have applied the same
pressure differential in each direction, the flow
rates will be different since the permeability
tensor has different diagonal values (while also
assuming = = ).
This case shows anisotropy, although the
absence of off-diagonal values in the tensor
prevent pressure drops in one direction to
potentially cause flow in another.

Lecture 5: Effective Permeability Calculations

Permeability:
Isotropy vs anisotropy

04/11/2014

Isotropy and diagonal anisotropy are particular cases

of the otherwise more general full anisotropic case..
For any our risk assessment modelling purposes, it
would not be prudent to assume isotropy in general.
x
y
Let us now suppose that our cube is filled with an
= +
anisotropic medium. Thus, our tensor within Darcy's
law would be,

1

= ,
+ =

+
+

= +

In contrast to the isotropic and diagonal anisotropy
cases, we are not able to simply "close" the
boundaries and apply independent pressure
differentials. This would only get us the values of the
diagonal components.
Calculating the off diagonal components in practice
involves imposing fluxes in one direction, and with all

+ =

+
+
boundaries free, measuring resulting pressure drops

= +
and fluxes in the other two. By doing this in three
directions, you obtain a system of equations, where
the coefficients to solve for are the components of the
tensor.
Remember, pressure drop or flow imposed in one
direction (x in this example) will cause fluid flow and
pressure drops in all three others. The directional
"coupling" is caused by the off-diagonal terms.
Remember that, in general, the permeability tensor is
Imposed pressure gradient is oriented in the x direction as stated
symmetric.
z

+ =

+
+

in the example. (if is positive, otherwise it points in the

opposite direction)

Lecture 5: Effective Permeability Calculations

Permeability:
Isotropy vs anisotropy

04/11/2014

Permeability:
Isotropy
vs
anisotropy
The case of diagonal anisotropy is a special case that happens rarely in nature, particularly

04/11/2014

while assuming the orthogonal coordinate system , , and .

It is important to note at this point that a generic permeability tensor1 can be "diagonalized"
by changing/rotating the reference local coordinate system. In short, given,

typically possesses "eigenvectors" 1 and 2 and 3 , also known as the principal

components or directions of a particular tensor. Each one of those vectors corresponds to a
particular "eigenvalue", also charateristic of .
In this particular case, the mentioned eigenvectors can be used to construct a new
orthogonal coordinate system (a basis like x, y, and z), in which there exists a new matrix .
This new matrix is the diagonalized version of generic ,
1 1
= 0
0

2 2
0

0
0

3 3

Note that unless special care is taken (i.e. a specific pre calculation is in place) matrix
may not be used directly in a simulator.
Also note that 1 and 2 and 3 coupled to the eigenvalues give rise to the elipsoidal
representation of tensor . (see next slide)
1. With particular characteristics (e.g. Symmetric positive definite or semi-definite)

Lecture 5: Effective Permeability Calculations

Permeability:
Isotropy vs anisotropy
Isotropic Permeability Tensor Representation
(one point in space)

04/11/2014

Anisotropic Permeability Tensor Representation

(one point in space)

Sphere

= 0
0

0
0

1 1

=
0

0
2 2
0

0
0
3 3

Note: Principal directions 1, 2, and 3 are interchangeable (i.e. axis 3 is not

always the smallest axis)

Lecture 5: Effective Permeability Calculations

Permeability:
Heterogeneities

04/11/2014

Figure 1: Representative plot of a cross section of our control volume

. Different colours represent different permeabilities.

Lecture 5: Effective Permeability Calculations

While the homogeneous isotropic case is relatively simple to model and useful
to formulate and understand theories, heterogeneities play a very important
role in defining an overall anisotropy within our control volume, and thus the
complexity of the fluid flow. This anisotropy must be honoured correctly to
model its effects appropriately.

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could formulate a permeability tensor within an REV

(Representative Elementary Volume).
This permeability tensor, while quite possibly
anisotropic, can be assumed homogeneous within
this representative volume for all modelling purposes.
Note that this does not mean that your whole model
is homogeneous, but it means that certain regions
have been homogenized for the sake of modelling
simplicity.
While the detailed studies regarding the statistics of
how to obtain such values will remain outside the
scope of this course, we will perform a series of
simulations that will allow us to calculate flow within
an REV, to obtain effective values of permeability.
Note that we will be assuming that those models have
been created with such detail that they are true or
statistically true models of reality.

Lecture 5: Effective Permeability Calculations

Permeability:
Heterogeneities
Taking a rather macroscopic view of the rock, one

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Example: Diagonal permeability tensor

calculation

04/11/2014

Use the model ThreeSectors with the following parameters:

= 1 1012 for SECTOR1 (matrix rock)

= 1 1011 for SECTOR2
= 1 1013 for SECTOR3
= 0.001

The model is a 10x10x10 m cube containing heterogeneities, and we will

calculate their effects on an otherwise diagonal permeability tensor (we will
assume no flow on the side walls during the individual directional tests).
Using the SteadyStatePressure simulator (use the launcher provided!),
perform the required independent directional flow tests to obtain the effective
permeability tensor characteristic of this model if it was to be used as an REV.
Set a pressure differential in the x-direction (i.e. try 3 bar), and measure the
volumetric flow rate using Paraview. (Make sure to remain slightly away from the
domain boundary when measuring!!!).
Perform identical measurements in the y and z directions.
Using the theory from class, and assuming a diagonal tensor (off diagonal terms
neglected), formulate the permeability tensor.

Lecture 5: Effective Permeability Calculations

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