Direct measurement of relative permeability in rocks from unsteady-state saturation profiles

We develop a method to measure liquid relative permeability in rocks directly from transient in situ saturation profiles during gravity drainage experiments. Previously, similar methods have been used for sandpacks; here, this method is extended to rocks by applying a slight overpressure of gas at the inlet. Relative permeabilities are obtained in a 60 cm long vertical Berea sandstone core during gravity drainage, directly from the measured unsteady-state in situ saturations along the core at different times. It is shown that for obtaining relative permeability using this method, if certain criteria are met, the capillary pressure of the rock can be neglected. However, it is essential to use a correct gas pressure gradient along the core. This involves incorporating the pressure drop at the outlet of the core due to capillary discontinuity effects. The method developed in this work obtains relative permeabilities in unsteady-state fashion over a wide range of saturations quickly and accurately.