Application of pore network modeling in deep bed filtration analysis

Particle invasion in porous media is an important phenomenon that could lead to formation damage during different operations, such as waterflooding, workover, and drilling. In this paper, a 3D pore network model coupled with a particle tracking method was developed to investigate particle retention and permeability reduction of a pore network system. The proposed model considers the effect of hydraulic drag, gravity, and friction forces. Three mechanisms, including surface deposition, straining, and bridging, have been considered in the development of the proposed pore network model. The results of the proposed model show good agreement with experimental data. A sharp permeability reduction is observed in the early time of the injection, which indicates the blockage of the small radius throats by particles, as well as unstable fluid flow due to the distribution of the particles. Moreover, the number of throats with a small radius and different contributing mechanisms cause the discontinuous decrease of the porous media permeability. The proposed pore network modeling demonstrates that a small section of the pore network can reproduce the results of the experiment, and a big pore network that is too time and cost consuming is not required. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.