Application of microfluidic models in oil and gas field development
LI Junjian, SU Hang, JIANG Hanqiao, YU Fuwei, LIANG Tianbo, ZHAO Yuyun, GAO Yajun, HOSSEIN Hejazi
1 State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Engineering, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing 102249, China; 2 School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing 102249, China; 3 Unconventional Natural Gas Research Institute, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing 102249, China; 4 School of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary T2N 1N4, Canada
During the past 30 to 35 years, microfluidic technology has been increasingly used in various research areas and has achieved fruitful results including disease surveillance, drug screening, cell analysis, materials chemistry, environmental monitor- ing, food safety and in aerospace. In the field of oil and gas development, one of the earliest microfluidic models was developed andusedbyChateneverofOklahomaStateUniversity(1952)forinvestigatingmicroscalemechanismsofresidualoilfluid behavior in porous media. In this review, we focus on the application of microfluidic models in oil and gas field developmentsince 1952. Models of different materials can be made for different research purposes. The distribution and flow path of phases in microfluidic models can be visualized using microscopes, charge coupled device cameras, or particle image velocimetry, etc. Precise, quantitative, fast and safe microfluidic technology will play an irreplaceable role in studies of multi-phase flow and transport in fractured media, in microscale matrices, in nanoscale matrices, enhanced oil recovery by chemical-flooding, etc.
Key words：
microfluidic model; micro remaining oil; micro model; oil field development
