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Viscous fingering effect in sweep efficiency calculation in two dimension displacement by using waterflood method

Proceedings Title : Proc. Indon. Petrol. Assoc., 38th Ann. Conv., 2014

Hydrocarbon displacement by wetting fluid injection is more efficient than displacement by non- wetting fluid. This outcome occurs as a result of capillary effects, saturation gradients behind the front, a narrow transition zone and injected fluid saturation reduction. If the displacing fluid is more viscous than displaced fluid and porosity differences contained in the reservoir rock are not too large, then the field will experience more uniformly efficient front. So, displaced fluids like gas or oil will flow before the front while at the back there is only residual saturation of displaced fluid. A displacing front will cause small, unstable finger width fluid protrusions and suppressions in advance of the swept fluid, called viscous fingering (usually occurring when advancing water meets heavy oil). As a result of swept fluid lagging behind, crowding is experienced at the front. This crowding causes differences in sweeping efficiency and the length of time for breakthrough, due to differences in the assumptions used extents. To state the reservoir then ignoring this breakthrough condition will be achieved along the sweeping effect areal extent. However, if these factors are taken into account the viscous fingering breakthrough conditions will be achieved faster due to reduced sweeping area.

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