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Updated: Jun 4, 2025

Pore-scale Imaging and Characterization of Hydrocarbon Reservoir Rock Wettability at Subsurface Conditions Using X-ray Microtomography
Published on: October 21, 2018
Insights into Rock Wettability Influencing Factors: A Review
Xiao Deng1, Ahmed Bashir2, Muhammad Shahzad Kamal1,2
1Center for Integrative Petroleum Research, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, 31261 Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Abstract:
Wetting characteristics of a hydrocarbon reservoir are generally quantified for cost-effective field development. The wetting process of rock by oil is a complex process involving reactions among compounds (rock, oil, and brine), the impact of environmental conditions (temperature, pressure, etc.), and treatment history (coring, transportation, etc.). There has not been much attention given to understanding the mechanisms causing different rock wetting states to quantify rock's wettability. This work aims to provide an in-depth insight into rock wettability influencing factors including CO2 & H2. In addition, advanced computational approaches such as molecular dynamics simulation, computational fluid dynamics, and machine learning for wettability have also been reviewed to govern the undiscovered interactions and mechanisms of this complex process. The key observation is that the polarity of organic components (asphaltenes and long-chain acids) determines the oil wetness in crude oil. In addition, acidic polar organics dominate oil-wetting in carbonate rocks; basic polar organics are key in sandstone. Also, environmental factors such as water films, brine salinity, and pH influence wettability significantly.
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