(213f) BP Oil Ganglia Transport In Transparent Porous Media At Low Capillary Number

Using
video-capillary-microscopy, microscopic packed beds were constructed inside
capillaries, using cryolite as the porous
medium.   When such packed bed was filled with an aqueous surfactant
solution, the cryolite was rendered
transparent.   Oil droplets were injected inside or next to the
porous media and their flow/mobilization was monitored.  Pressure-driven
flow was induced at varying pressure gradients and at different concentrations
of key surfactants.  At low capillary number, e.g., superficial flow
rate on the order of 10^-2ml/min, the motion of oil phase is mainly
driven by capillary force.  The change of the oil phase from ganglia to
small droplets of a size comparable to that of the pores,
was captured in film.  Subsequent analysis of the multiphase flow revealed
the evolution of the flow patterns along the axis of the capillary.  The
talk will show videos of the oil mobilization phenomena and will present the
conclusions of this on-going research to date.