Trapping and mobilization of residual fluid during capillary desaturation in porous media

Abstract

We discuss the problem of trapping and mobilization of nonwetting fluids during immiscible two-phase displacement processes in porous media. Capillary desaturation curves give residual saturations as a function of capillary number. Interpreting capillary numbers as the ratio of viscous to capillary forces the breakpoint in experimental curves contradicts the theoretically predicted force balance. We show that replotting the data against a novel macroscopic capillary number resolves the problem for discontinuous mode displacement.