Predicting oil recovery using percolation theory

Abstract

In this paper we apply scaling laws from percolation theory to the problem of estimating the time for a fluid injected into an oil field to breakthrough into a production well. The main contribution is to show that, when these previously published results are used on realistic data, they are in good agreement with results calculated in a more conventional way but they can be obtained significantly more quickly. As a result they may be used in practical engineering circumstances and aid decision-making for real field problems.