Digital Commons Network^™

Progressive Water-Oil Transition Zone Due To Transverse Mixing Near Wells, Shengkai Duan

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study derives from observations made in petroleum research and practices of chemical industry that efficient mixing takes place in segregated immiscible fluid flow in granular packs and static mixers. A hypothesis was formulated that transverse mixing (TM) across oil-water interface may occur in segregated inflow to wells resulting in progressive transition zone, more water production, and reduced oil productivity. “Mixing” is broadly interpreted here to address the entire range of stirring, splitting, dispersion and diffusion processes between two fluids.

Initial study showed that a commercial reservoir simulator would not model any transition zone in segregated oil-water flow at high …