Prediction of imbibition in unconsolidated granular materials.

A new way of modeling imbibition is proposed in this paper. It combines two elements. One is a physically consistent, dynamic criterion for the imbibition of an individual pore originally suggested by Melrose (SPEJ (November 1965) 259-271). The other is the use of a simple but physically representative model of porous media: a dense random packing of spheres that is geometrically predetermined. This approach allows truly a priori predictions of imbibition curves (saturation vs capillary pressure) for different values of contact angle, different initial conditions (e.g., different drainage endpoints), and different macroscopic sample geometries (the ratio of external to internal pores). It also provides a mechanistic basis for understanding the influence of pore-scale phenomena such as "snap-off" of nonwetting phase in the pore throats due to the coalescence of pendular rings. The simulations show that the capillary pressure curve for this unconsolidated packing is very sensitive to the wettability parameters (such as contact angle), whereas the influence of different initial conditions and snap-off is almost negligible. Predicted capillary pressure curves are compared to experimental data presented in the literature, and are consistent with them.