Steam Mobility in Porous Media

American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc. Abstract An experimental investigation was made to study the steam displacement process. This paper presents the process. This paper presents the results of those experiments designed to show the role of steam mobility in the process. Calculations of steam phase relative permeabilities as phase relative permeabilities as functions of steam quality and liquid phase water saturation are also shown phase water saturation are also shown as an extension of the use of this type of data. Mobility experiments were made in the absence and in the presence of a light oil. The oil was selected such as to minimize viscosity reduction and eliminate distillation. The role of steam mobility can then be seen in relation to the basic displacement efficiency of steam. Results of the study indicate that steam mobility (in the absence of residual oil) decreases with steam quality for both high and low permeability cores. Where steam mobility permeability cores. Where steam mobility was measured in the presence of residual oil saturation, the effect of residual oil saturation became less pronounced with a decrease in steam pronounced with a decrease in steam quality and an increase in core permeability. permeability Introduction The principal mechanisms for the additional oil recovery from a steamflood over that of a waterflood were reported by Willman et all to be 1) thermal expansion of oil, 2) oil viscosity reduction, and 3) steam distillation of the oil. These three factors are present to various degrees in any field thermal operation and are of vital importance in trying to predict a steamflood performance. predict a steamflood performance. Shutler, using a thermal model to investigate the steamflood process, noted that oil recovery was obtained which could not be explained by temperature or steam distillation alone. He suggested a "condensing drive" mechanism was responsible.