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Factors Affecting

Permeability Determination
Non-Darcy Flow

Some figures in this section are from Fundamentals of Core Analysis, Core Laboratories, 1989.
Some slides in this section are from NExT PERF Short Course Notes, 1999.
Some slides appear to have been obtained from unknown primary
sources that were not cited by NExT. Note that some slides have a notes section.

Air Permeability Measurement


Measurement of permeability in the laboratory is most commonly
done with air
Convenient and inexpensive
Problem: low values of mean flowing pressure
downstream pressure, patm
upstream pressure, just a few psi higher than patm

At low mean flowing pressure, gas slippage occurs


Diameter of flow path through porous media approaches the mean free
path of gas molecules
mean free path is a function of molecule size
mean free path is a function of gas density

Increasing mean flowing pressure results in less slippage


as pmean, we obtain absolute (equivalent liquid) permeability

Non-Darcy Flow - Gas Slippage


Liquid flow and gas flow at high mean flowing pressure is laminar
Darcys Law is valid
flow velocity at walls is zero

At low mean flowing pressure gas slippage occurs


Non-Darcy flow is observed
flow at walls is not zero

Klinkenberg developed a method to correct gas permeability measured


at low mean flowing pressure to equivalent liquid permeability

Non-Darcy Flow - Klinkenberg Effect


As pmean, gas permeability approaches absolute permeability

Non-Darcy Flow - Klinkenberg Effect


Klinkenberg correction for kair depends on mean flowing pressure
correction ratio shown is for pmean = 1 atm

Non-Darcy Flow - Klinkenberg Effect


Klinkenberg correction for kair is more important for low absolute
permeability

Non-Darcy Flow - High Flow Rates


In the field, gas wells exhibit non-Darcy flow at high flow rates
At high flow velocity, inertial effects and turbulence become
important, and cause non-Darcy flow
inertial effect

Non-Darcy Flow - Turbulence


Recalling Darcys equation for gas flow, (zg )=Constant

q g,sc

k A Tsc

L T p sc

2z
g

p12 p 22

For laboratory flow experiments we can assume T=Tsc and z=1

q g,sc

p sc

p 22
2L

2
1

For Darcy flow, plotting (qg,sc psc)/A vs. (p12-p22)/(2L) results in straight
line.
line passes through origin [when qg,sc =0, then (p12-p22)=0]
slope = k/ g
behavior departs from straight line under turbulent flow conditions (high flow
velocity)

Non-Darcy Flow - Turbulence

Darcy
flow

Non-Darcy
flow

q psc
A
k
Slope =
0
0

(p12- p22)
2L

Non-Darcy Flow - Forchheimer Equation


Forchheimer proposed a flow equation to account for the nonlinear effect of turbulence by adding a second order term

qg
dp g q g
g


ds
k A
A

Note that unit corrections factors would be required for non-coherent unit
systems.
As flow rate decreases, we approach Darcys Law (2nd order term
approaches zero)

Non-Darcy Flow - Forchheimer Plot


Based on Forchheimers Equation a plotting method was
developed to determine absolute permeability even with
Non-Darcy effects
(1/kgas) vs. qg,sc
kgas determined from Darcys Law (incorrectly assuming Darcy flow)
and is a function of qg,sc

(1/kgas), (1/md)

intercept = (1/kabs); absolute permeability

Slope = [(g,sc)/(gA)]

Intercept = [1/kabs]
qg,sc

Non-Darcy Flow - Forchheimer Equation


Non-Darcy Coefficient, , is an empirically determined function of
absolute permeability
For Travis Peak (Texas)

NOB=Net
Overburden

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