Pore-scale processes in amott spontaneous imbibition tests

Abstract

We observed the redistribution of the oil phase in the pore space of the rock in real-time in water-wet and mixed-wet (by ageing in crude oil) carbonate samples. During the imbibition of the water phase both, pore filling events with connection to the surrounding brine as well as snap-off events connected through water films only were detected. The distribution of the oil in different pore sizes as well as the different event types help to identify the wettability state of the system and understand how pore scale processes lead to the oil production at the larger scale.