Analysis of Nonlinear Seepage Characteristics of High Water Cut Preferential Channel

Abstract

After long-term water injection, some preferential seepage channels would form which are several times or even hundreds of times larger than the original channels in the reservoir. The inefficient and ineffective circulating water injection caused by the preferential channel restricts the efficient development of the oilfield. In this paper, based on the seepage law of the preferential channel, the seepage model for the preferential channel is established. The pressure gradient, seepage velocity and average formation pressure under the nonlinear seepage flow are calculated. The nonlinear seepage characteristics in the preferential channel are analyzed. After comparing with the Darcy linear flow, it is considered that the existence of the preferential channel has a great influence on the production, and the influence of the nonlinear flow in the preferential channel should be considered in the calculation of the development index.