Pore-Scale Modelling of Rate Effects in Waterflooding

We develop a rate-dependent network model that accounts for viscous forces by solving for the wetting and non-wetting phase pressure and which allows wetting layer swelling near an advancing flood front. The model incorporates a new time-dependent algorithm by accounting for partial filling of elements. We use the model to study the effects of capillary number, mobility ratio and contact angle distribution on waterflood displacement patterns, saturation and velocity profiles. By using large networks, generated from a new stochastic network algorithm, we reproduce Buckley–Leverett profiles directly from pore-scale modelling thereby providing a bridge between pore-scale and macro-scale transport.