Laboratory Measurement

of
Relative Permeability

Rel. Perm. - Unsteady State

Unsteady State Method for relative permeability
provides
Relative permeability ratio (kr,nonwet/kr,wet) as a function
of wetting phase saturation (Swet)
Irreducible wetting phase saturation (drainage)
Residual nonwetting phase saturation (imbibition)

Rel. Perm. - Unsteady State

Imbibition Relative Permeability
Ratio Function
Stage 1: Preparation for
drainage
core saturated with
wetting phase
Stage 2: Irreducible wetting
phase (drainage)
inject non-wetting phase
until steady state,
measure saturation
no wetting phase will
be produced after
steady state

Saturation in
Core Plug

Production
Rates

Rel. Perm. - Unsteady State

Imbibition Relative Permeability
Ratio Function
Stages 3-6: Inject wetting
phase
Stage 3 (A) Wetting
phase has not yet
reached outflow face
only nonwetting
phase produced at
outflow face
Stage 4 (B) Wetting
phase just reaches
outflow face, called
breakthrough
wetting phase will be
produced at outflow
face

Saturation in
Core Plug

Production
Rates

Rel. Perm. - Unsteady State

Imbibition Relative
Permeability Ratio Function
Stages 3-6: Inject wetting
phase
Stage 5 (C) As injection
of wetting phase
continues, production of
nonwetting phase
decreases (unsteady
state)
Important to take
many data points
during this decrease
cummulative
nonwetting
phase produced
production rate
for both phases

Saturation in
Core Plug

Production
Rates

Rel. Perm. - Unsteady State

Imbibition Relative Permeability
Ratio Function
Stages 3-6: Inject wetting
phase
Stage 6 (D) Eventually,
no more nonwetting
phase is produced,
allowing residual
nonwetting phase
saturation to be
determined

Saturation in
Core Plug

Production
Rates

Rel. Perm. - Unsteady State

Analysis Procedure
Assumptions
immiscible displacement
incompressible fluids
linear, 1-D flow
capillary pressure neglected
Determination of average saturation
cumulative nonwetting phase production
Determination of relative permeability ratio from fractional flow
fwet = qwet/qtotal ; where qtotal = qwet + qnonwet
production rate measured at outflow face

Rel. Perm. - Unsteady State

Analysis Procedure
Assumptions
immiscible displacement
incompressible fluids
linear, 1-D flow
capillary pressure neglected
Determination of average saturation
cumulative nonwetting phase production
Determination of relative permeability ratio from fractional flow
fwet = qwet/qtotal ; where qtotal = qwet + qnonwet
production rate measured at outflow face

f wet =

1
k r ,nonwet wet

1 +

nonwet
r , wet

Rel. Perm. - Unsteady State

Relative Permeability Ratio
usually plotted semi-log
hysteresis due to saturation
process (drainage,
imbibition)