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Assessment and Optimization of Low Salinity Waterflooding via Pore Network Modeling in a Sandstone Reservoir.

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Title: Assessment and Optimization of Low Salinity Waterflooding via Pore Network Modeling in a Sandstone Reservoir.
Authors: Sinchitullo, Joseph1 (AUTHOR) jsinchitullog@uni.pe, Zuñiga, Gregory1,2 (AUTHOR), Romero, Mao1 (AUTHOR), Celis, Cesar2 (AUTHOR)
Source: Energies (19961073). Jun2026, Vol. 19 Issue 12, p2763. 27p.
Subject Terms: *Enhanced oil recovery, *Wetting, *Porosity, *Water salinization, *Capillary flow, *Permeability, *Salinization, *Reservoir rocks
Abstract: Low-salinity waterflooding (LSWF) represents a cost-effective enhanced oil recovery (EOR) strategy for mature sandstone reservoirs. However, its success strongly depends on pore-scale transport and wettability mechanisms that conventional reservoir simulators cannot accurately capture. This study implements a pore-network modeling (PNM) framework to evaluate and optimize LSWF performance in sandstone systems. A representative pore network was calibrated to match core-scale petrophysical properties—porosity, permeability, and pore-throat size distributions. The LSWF process was simulated using a coupled advective–diffusive salinity transport model integrated with salinity-dependent wettability alteration, expressed through variations in contact angle and interfacial tension. From the multiphase invasion and flow simulations, macroscopic constitutive relationships were derived, including capillary pressure, relative permeability, and fractional flow curves for different injection salinities. Sensitivity analyses indicate that wettability alteration induced by salinity reduction is the dominant mechanism enhancing oil recovery, as reflected in measurable shifts in the relative permeability endpoints and capillary pressure curves. The model predicts an optimal injection salinity window between 2000 and 4500 ppm, yielding up to 7.2% incremental oil recovery, while extremely low salinities produce non-monotonic trends due to competing interfacial tension effects. Overall, the proposed PNM workflow demonstrates a robust approach for (i) translating pore-scale phenomena into reservoir-scale constitutive laws, (ii) identifying salinity ranges for pilot testing, and (iii) reducing uncertainty in field-scale LSWF simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Database: Energy & Power Source
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Header DbId: enr
DbLabel: Energy & Power Source
An: 194909212
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  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Assessment and Optimization of Low Salinity Waterflooding via Pore Network Modeling in a Sandstone Reservoir.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sinchitullo%2C+Joseph%22">Sinchitullo, Joseph</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> jsinchitullog@uni.pe</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zuñiga%2C+Gregory%22">Zuñiga, Gregory</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Romero%2C+Mao%22">Romero, Mao</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Celis%2C+Cesar%22">Celis, Cesar</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Energies+%2819961073%29%22">Energies (19961073)</searchLink>. Jun2026, Vol. 19 Issue 12, p2763. 27p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subject Terms
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Enhanced+oil+recovery%22">Enhanced oil recovery</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Wetting%22">Wetting</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Porosity%22">Porosity</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Water+salinization%22">Water salinization</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Capillary+flow%22">Capillary flow</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Permeability%22">Permeability</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Salinization%22">Salinization</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reservoir+rocks%22">Reservoir rocks</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Low-salinity waterflooding (LSWF) represents a cost-effective enhanced oil recovery (EOR) strategy for mature sandstone reservoirs. However, its success strongly depends on pore-scale transport and wettability mechanisms that conventional reservoir simulators cannot accurately capture. This study implements a pore-network modeling (PNM) framework to evaluate and optimize LSWF performance in sandstone systems. A representative pore network was calibrated to match core-scale petrophysical properties—porosity, permeability, and pore-throat size distributions. The LSWF process was simulated using a coupled advective–diffusive salinity transport model integrated with salinity-dependent wettability alteration, expressed through variations in contact angle and interfacial tension. From the multiphase invasion and flow simulations, macroscopic constitutive relationships were derived, including capillary pressure, relative permeability, and fractional flow curves for different injection salinities. Sensitivity analyses indicate that wettability alteration induced by salinity reduction is the dominant mechanism enhancing oil recovery, as reflected in measurable shifts in the relative permeability endpoints and capillary pressure curves. The model predicts an optimal injection salinity window between 2000 and 4500 ppm, yielding up to 7.2% incremental oil recovery, while extremely low salinities produce non-monotonic trends due to competing interfacial tension effects. Overall, the proposed PNM workflow demonstrates a robust approach for (i) translating pore-scale phenomena into reservoir-scale constitutive laws, (ii) identifying salinity ranges for pilot testing, and (iii) reducing uncertainty in field-scale LSWF simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=enr&AN=194909212
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.3390/en19122763
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 27
        StartPage: 2763
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Enhanced oil recovery
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Wetting
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Porosity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Water salinization
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Capillary flow
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Permeability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Salinization
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reservoir rocks
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Assessment and Optimization of Low Salinity Waterflooding via Pore Network Modeling in a Sandstone Reservoir.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
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      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Sinchitullo, Joseph
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          Name:
            NameFull: Zuñiga, Gregory
      – PersonEntity:
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            NameFull: Romero, Mao
      – PersonEntity:
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            NameFull: Celis, Cesar
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          Dates:
            – D: 15
              M: 06
              Text: Jun2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 19961073
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              Value: 19
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              Value: 12
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            – TitleFull: Energies (19961073)
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