18/01/2022

Normalization & Averaging of Relative

Permeability Data
(Case Study)
Hesham Mokhtar Ali
Senior Reservoir Engineer
in/heshammokhtarali/ 2022

Relative Permeability Data

• The relative and effective relative permeability data are used in almost reservoir engineering
calculations that involve multi-phase flow through the porous media.
• They are also used in the estimation of the residual oil and gas saturation.
• Relative permeability data are also an important parameter in every reservoir simulation model that is
used to evaluate the different field production plans like water injection, gas injection, or EOR methods.
• Water-oil relative permeability results:
– The steady-state water-oil relative permeability tests are commonly started with the brine-saturated
samples, where a combination of a centrifugal de-saturation and dynamic displacement with oil is
used to establish the initial water saturation (Swi).
– At this stage (Initial Conditions), the effective permeability to oil at the irreducible water saturation
(Keo, Swi) is determined.
– Brine and synthetic oil is then injected together at several water-oil injection ratios until 100 % brine
flow.
– At this moment (Terminal Conditions), the effective permeability to water in the presence of the
residual oil (Kew, Sor) is determined.

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Water-oil Relative Permeability Data

• From data, the intersection point where Kro
1.0 1.0
equals to Krw almost lies at values of Sw 3H
3H
0.9 0.9

Relative Permeability to Water (Krw)

which is lower than 0.5. 127

Relative Permeability to Oil (Kro)

219
0.8 0.8
32
73
0.7 230 0.7

• That means the reservoir is oil-wet which is 0.6

127
219 0.6
32
demonstrated by the higher values of 0.5 73 0.5
230
residual oil (Sor) and the lower values of 0.4 0.4

irreducible water (Swi). 0.3 0.3

0.2 0.2

0.1 0.1

0.0 0.0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
The relative permeability results suggested an
Water Saturation (Sw), Fraction
oil-wet reservoir based on Craig's rule of thumb:

1. Initial water saturations (Swi) were lower than 20 % PV,

2. Crossover points at which Krw= Kro were lower than 50 % PV
3. Relative permeability to water at residual oil saturation (Krw at Sor ) ranged from 0.092 to 0.58

Reservoir Rock Typing

• HU data indicate that we have only 2 rock types or hydraulic units.
• Relative permeability data can be correlated with the HU by the values of Swi and Sor, where the higher
quality rock (higher HU values) will exhibit a lower irreducible water saturation (S wi) and higher residual
oil saturation (Sor).
• Swi for HU-1 ranges from 5 to 9.3 %PV, while HU-02 ranges from 3.1 to 4.7 %PV.
• While, Sor for HU-1 ranges from 22.7 to 36.7 %PV, while HU-02 ranges from 22.2 to 40.2 %PV.

Well Sample ID Kair, mD ϕ, Frac. RQI PHIZ FZI HU

• The oil recovery factor for HU- 3H 2600 0.21 3.49 0.27 13.14 16
A-2 127 2180 0.204 3.25 0.26 12.67 16
01 will range from 61.4 to 75 219 874 0.196 2.10 0.24 8.60 15
32 2820 0.236 3.43 0.31 11.11 15
% OOIP (original oil in-place),
A-3 73 5800 0.237 4.91 0.31 15.81 16
while, for HU-02, will range 230 2070 0.245 2.89 0.32 8.89 15

from 57.6 to 66.6 % OOIP,

equation below; Soi  Sor 1  Swi  Sor
RF  
Soi 1  Swi

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Normalization & Averaging Relative Permeability Data

• As the relative permeability measurements conducted on a rock types, it’s important to average the
relative permeability data to be applied widely throughout the reservoir.

• More than one application of relative permeability data like oil recovery prediction and reservoir
simulation, the relative permeability curves must first be normalized to remove the effect of the different
end points, initial water saturation (Swi) and critical oil saturations (Sor).

• The relative permeability can then be de-normalized and assigned to different rock types of the
reservoir based on the existing critical fluid saturation.

• So, normalization of saturations is one way that these saturations can be reduced to common basis.

Normalization & Averaging Relative Permeability Data

• The normalized saturation and normalized relative permeabilities are calculated from the following
equations:
S w  S wi
S w* 
1  S wi  S or
K ro K rw
*
K ro  *
K rw 
K ro , S wi K rw , Sor

Where;
Soc=critical oil saturation
Swi=irreducible water saturation
S*w=normalized water saturation
Kro= relative permeability to oil
Kro,Swi= relative permeability to oil at irreducible water saturation
K*ro = normalized relative permeability of oil
Krw,Sor = relative permeability to water at the residual oil saturation

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Normalization & Averaging Relative Permeability Data

1.0 1.0
Plug 219 Plug 32
• Applying the normalization calculations for 0.9
Plug 230 Average Krw*
0.9
0.8 Average Kro* Plug 219 0.8

each HU, and using its own average end 0.7 Plug 32 Plug 230 0.7
0.6 0.6
point data as shown. 0.5 0.5

Krw*

Kro*
0.4 0.4
Rock unit-1 0.3 0.3
0.2 0.2
0.1 0.1
0.0 0.0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
Sw*

1.0 1.0
Plug 3H Plug 3H
0.9 Plug 127 Plug 73 0.9
Plug 127 Plug 73
0.8 0.8
Avwerage Krw* Average Kro*
0.7 0.7
0.6 0.6
0.5 0.5
Krw*

Kro*
Rock unit-2 0.4 0.4
0.3 0.3
0.2 0.2
0.1 0.1
0.0 0.0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
Sw*

Normalization & Averaging Relative Permeability Data

• De-Normalization Process:
– The final step involves de-normalizing the relative permeability curve to reflect actual reservoir and
conditions of Swi and Sor.

– These parameters are the most critical part of the methodology, therefore, a we need to accurately
determine the most representative values of Swi and Sor for each individual rock type.

– When representative end values have been estimated, it is again convenient to perform the de-
normalization calculations using the following equations:

S w  S w* (1  S wi  Sor )  S wi
__
K rw  ( K *
)
rw avg ( K rw ) Sor
__
K ro  ( K *ro ) avg ( K ro ) Swi

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Normalization & Averaging Relative Permeability Data

• De-Normalization Process:
– To check the reliability of the de-normalization, de-normalized data for every HU is plotted versus
the actual gas-oil relative permeability data (supplied by the laboratory) as shown.
1 1
Actual laboratory and de- Krw actual Lab. data
0.9 0.9
Krw after De-normalization
normalized water-oil relative 0.8 Kro actual Lab. data 0.8

Kro after De-normalization

permeability data for the three 0.7 0.7

0.6 0.6
core samples that representing Krw

Kro
0.5 0.5
HU-1. 0.4 0.4

0.3 0.3

0.2 0.2

0.1 0.1

0 0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Sw

Normalization & Averaging Relative Permeability Data

• De-Normalization Process:
1.0 1.0
Krw actual Lab. data
Actual laboratory and average de- 0.9 0.9
Krw after De-normalization

normalized water-oil relative 0.8 Kro actual Lab. data 0.8

Kro after De-normalization

0.7 0.7
permeability data for the three
0.6 0.6
core samples that representing
0.5 0.5

HU-2. 0.4 0.4

0.3 0.3

0.2 0.2

0.1 0.1

0.0 0.0
0.000 0.100 0.200 0.300 0.400 0.500 0.600 0.700 0.800 0.900 1.000

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Gas-Oil Relative Permeability Data

• The steady-state gas-oil relative permeability tests are commonly started with the oil-saturated samples
at the irreducible water saturation (Swi).

• At the initial conditions, the effective permeability to oil at the irreducible water saturation and the critical
gas saturation (Keo, Sgc) is determined.

• The gas and synthetic oil is then injected together at several gas-oil injection ratios until 100 % gas flow.

• At this moment (Terminal Conditions), the effective permeability to gas in the presence of the residual
oil (Keg, Sor) is determined.

Gas-Oil Relative Permeability Data

1.0 1.0
• Results of relative permeability tests 53
0.9 53 0.9
performed on the 6 core samples from 154
0.8 230 0.8
51
wells A-02 (plugs no. 230, 154, and 53)
Relative Permeability to Gas

Relative Permeability to Oil

0.7 97 0.7

231
& A-03 (plugs no. 51, 97, and 231) . 0.6
154
0.6

230
•
0.5 0.5
The composite gas-oil relative 51

0.4 97 0.4
permeability curve is shown. 231
0.3 0.3

0.2 0.2

0.1 0.1

0.0 0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Gas Saturation, % PV

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Normalization & Averaging of Gas-oil Kr Data

1.0 1

• By a procedure similar to that’s followed in the HU-1 0.9

Average Krg*

Plug 230
Average Kro*

Plug 231
0.9

water-oil relative permeability data, the 0.8

Plug 231 Plug 230
0.8
0.7 0.7
normalized saturation and normalized relative 0.6 0.6
permeabilities are calculated:

Kro*
0.5 0.5

Krg*
0.4 0.4
Sg  Sgc 0.3 0.3
S 
*

1  Swi  S org  S gc
g 0.2 0.2
0.1 0.1
0.0 0
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
K ro K rg
K 
*
ro K 
*
rg 1.0
Sg*
1
K ro , S gc K rg , S org Plug 154 Plug 154
HU-2 0.9 Plug 53 Plug 53 0.9
Plug 51 Plug 51
0.8 Plug 97 Plug 97 0.8
Average Krg* Average Kro*

Krg*
0.7 0.7
Where;
0.6 0.6
• Sgc=critical gas saturation, 0.5 0.5

Kro*
• Swi=irreducible water saturation, 0.4 0.4
0.3 0.3
• S*w=normalized water saturation,
0.2 0.2
• Kro,Sgc= relative permeability to oil at critical gas saturation, K*ro= 0.1 0.1
normalized relative permeability of oil, 0.0 0
• Krg,Sorg = relative permeability to gas at the residual oil saturation. 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
Sg*
0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0

Normalization & Averaging of Gas-oil Kr Data

• De-Normalization Process:
– To check the reliability of the de-normalization, de-normalized data for every HU is plotted versus
the actual gas-oil relative permeability data as shown.

1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0

Krg actual Lab. data Krg actual Lab. data
0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9
Kro actual Lab. data Kro actual Lab. data

0.8 Krg after De- normalization 0.8 0.8 Krg after De-normalization 0.8
Relative permeability to Oil, Kro
Relative permeability to gas, Krg

Relative permeability to Oil, Kro

Relative permeability to gas, Krg

Kro after De-normalization

0.7 0.7 0.7 Kro after De-normalization 0.7

0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6

0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5

0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4

0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
Gas Saturation, Sg Gas Saturation, Sg

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Hesham Mokhtar
Hesham Mokhtar

Hesham Mokhtar
Hesham Mokhtar
Hesham Mokhtar
Hesham Mokhtar