Mesoscopic-scale modeling of three-phase processes in porous media

The paper presents a numerical model for multiphase immiscible flows in porous media which is based on the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) using a color gradient approach. This study accomplishes an algorithm of assigning the arbitrary contact angles at the interfaces with a solid surface. This model was tested against the Laplace law and the liquid lens geometry for the cases of two- and three-phase systems. Numerical simulation was applied to the oil displacement phenomenon in a digital core model derived from X-ray micro-computed tomography data. This gives a correct saturation distribution which accounts for the effects of capillary trapping and viscous fingering. The developed approach can be applied for analysis and optimization of petroleum production, study of the residual saturation and carbon dioxide storage in subsurface reservoirs.