Network modelling of wettability and pore geometry effects on electrical resistivity and capillary pressure

Recent research efforts have focused on using simple non-circular cross-sectional pore shapes to honour the physics observed at the pore scale. For example, there is evidence to suggest variations of wettability occur at this level. These pores can exhibit water-wet and oil-wet regions, depending on the physics of wetting films, and hence the porous medium maybe of mixed-wettability character. For low water saturations, electrical resistivity cannot be physically simulated at the pore scale using cylindrical tubes, even though wetting film thicknessʹ and pore constrictions are taken into account. e-dimensional network model that investigates the petrophysical characteristics, electrical resistivity and capillary pressure, is presented. The influence of saturation history is also modelled. Key pore geometrical attributes such as pore shape, aspect ratio, pore coordination number (pore connectivity) and pore size distribution are included in the model. In addition, pore constrictions are introduced which may result in phase trapping via snap-off within the tube itself. is of our developing network model starting from representing the pore shape as circular is presented. Using a simple non-circular cross-sectional pore shape we show bulk water retained in the crevices give rise to predictions that are in close agreement with electrical resistivity and capillary pressure trends observed in experiments. Numerical results are presented and compared with experimental data.