Mathematical modeling of the Colloidal Gas Aphron transport through porous medium using the filtration theory

Recently, Colloidal Gas Aphron fluids, which includes micro-bubbles in a based fluid, have been successfully employed in drilling depleted reservoirs or formations which had previously experienced huge fluid losses. Aphron bridging in the front of the porous media in near wellbore zone, reduces the formation damage and fluid depth of invasion into the formation. Although more experimental investigation is carried out on Aphron fluid filtration, a few modeling works were performed in the literature. In this work, the filtration theory approach is used to mathematically model the Aphron transport in porous medium. Several physical/chemical parameters including surfactant type, surfactant concentration, temperature, rock porosity and permeability, grain and bubble size, and pressure, were investigated. Results from the modeling suggest that retention of Aphrons could be adequately described by the filtration theory.