A general capillary equilibrium model to describe drainage experiments in heterogeneous laboratory rock cores

Macroscopic observations of two-phase flow in porous rocks are largely affected by the heterogeneity continuum properties at length scales smaller than a typical laboratory sample. The ability to discriminate among rock origin is key development numerical models be used for prediction. Here, we present capillary equilibrium model that represents spatial dual-porosity media terms entry pressure, 1/?, and irreducible wetting phase saturation, Sir. Both parameters scale local pressure curves using three-dimensional imagery acquired during multi-rate gas/liquid drainage displacements. We verify proposed approach considering case study limestone core use variation Sir as proxy microporosity heterogeneity. latter places potentially next-to-leading order controls on observed fluid saturation distribution, which strongly correlated distribution 1/?. While large uniform observation 0.1 cm3, correlation 1/? 1 cm therefore not statistically represented volume samples.