Scaling Up Heterogeneities With Pseudofunctions

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Abstract
Summary: This paper describes a multistep pseudofunction-generation process designed to incorporate several scales of heterogeneities into one set of final pseudofunctions to be used in large gridblocks for field simulations. A detailed description of the multistep scale-up process is provided. The calculational procedure and the results of an extensive numerical scaling-up experiment from Kyte and Berry pseudofunctions are described. Three geological descriptions involving random permeability variations are used. The effect of three scales (sizes) of heterogeneities on a standard oil/water relative permeability curve is determined from a three-step pseudofunction-generation process. Ranges of mobility ratios, viscosity/gravity ratios, and viscosity/capillary ratios are used in the displacements to provide a guide to the effect of various types and scales of heterogeneities on fluid flow in several regimes.