Transport Behavior of Oil in Mixed Wettability Shale Nanopores

Shale oil reserves play an important role in the oil & gas industry. The investigation of oil transport behavior in shale nanopores is crucial in the successful exploitation of shale oil reservoirs. However, the transport mechanisms of oil in shale nanopores are still not understood. In this paper, a model for oil transport through a single nanopore was established by considering mixed wettability, surface roughness, varying viscosity, and the effects triggered by adsorbed organic matter. The organic surface ratio of a single nanopore was used to quantify mixed wettability, while the effects of adsorbed organic matter were estimated by the surface coverage and the adsorption thickness. The entire mathematical model was simplified into several equations to discuss the contributions of each mechanism. The results showed that to accurately predict the oil transport properties in mixed wettability shale nanopores, it is necessary to consider varying viscosity, wettability alteration, and the oil molecule structure. Adsorbed organic matter led to increase in oil flow capacity by altering the surface wettability. However, the oil flow capacity was greatly reduced when varying viscosity was considered. Additionally, the contributions of each mechanism varied with the pore type. Furthermore, increasing surface roughness significantly reduced the oil flow capacity in both organic and inorganic nanopores. This work provides a better understanding of oil transport behavior in mixed-wettability shale nanopores and a quantitative framework for future research.