Research on flowing characteristics of foam fluid in porous media

The experiment is conducted to test the flowing characteristics of the foam fluid in porous media injected by the long slim tube model. The aim is to research the flowing characteristics, the migrating laws, and the end jamming conditions of the foam fluid of different gas-liquid ratios and different injecting manners in the long slim tube model. Experimental results show that the foam fluid features in homogeneous distribution of pressure difference (PD) when it flows in porous media. The PD increases when the foam fluid flows in the porous media of which the permeability is 20 μm2. But end plugging does not happen. The PD and the velocity of producing PD increase with the gas-liquid ratio. It takes less time to produce stable pressure difference. The PD based on mixed injection of foam fluid moves from the top to the end, while the PD based on alternative injection of gas and foam solution is firstly produced in the middle and then extends towards two ends. The time of forming foam jam based on mixed injection is obviously shorter than that based on alternative injection. Foam fluid is suitable for oil displacement of reservoirs, and end jam will not be produced. Mixed injection is superior to the alternative injection.