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Gravity override

This model is slightly more complicated than the conventional block model of a steam zone, a hot condensate zone, and a cold oil zone, but does not try to incorporate the complexity of mixed fluid phases, emulsions, fingering, gravity overrides, etc., as described by Lake 1989 for example. As a point of interest, the seismic images show no evidence of gravity override at the top of the P formation. If a thin steam zone existed along the formation top, it would show up as a bright reflection, and possibly cause some time delay below, depending on its thickness. The reason that gravity override is not visible may be because the permeability and absence of clay is much higher at the base of the P formation than at the top. This would inhibit steam from racing along the top of the formation, and favor it spreading slowly along the base of the unit instead.

 
steam-fronts
steam-fronts
Figure 9
An idealized model of steamflood fluid flow. A rapid high-pressure cold front is expected to lead the injector flow, trailed by hot oil, hot water and hot steam zones. The relative dimensions of each zone are not to scale, and complexities such as mixed phases and gravity overrides are neglected.
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Next: Fluid-flow propagation speeds Up: RESERVOIR FLUID FLOW Previous: Steamflood model
Stanford Exploration Project
11/12/1997