EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON IRREDUCIBLE WATER SATURATION AND RELATIVE PERMEABILITY OF UNCONSOLIDATED SANDS

Abstract

The injection of hot fluids into an oil reservoir has become an important oil recovery process in the last few years. Numerous publications have considered the estimation of oil displacement under hot water or steam injection. None have considered the potential effects of temperature level upon relative permeabilities under immiscible displacement. To investigate this possibility, isothermal water-oil displacements were carried out at various temperature levels with two unconsolidated sands, andresults are discussed. It appears that relative permeabilities may depend markedly upon temperature level.