Experimental Investigation of Meso-Deformation and Seepage Flow Mechanism of Oil Sands Based on Digital Image Correlation Method

ABSTRACT: Nowadays, thermal recovery is the most commonly used method for ultra-heavy oil recovery. It is necessary to clarify the deformation and seepage flow mechanism of oil sands during thermal recovery and reservoir stimulation. To investigate the skeleton deformation and fluid flow characteristics of oil sands during the injection process, the visual liquid injection physical simulation device is designed to monitor the flow rate and sample surface image. The digital image correlation method is used to calculate the full displacement field and strain field of oil sands samples during the injection process. The results of this study show that: under the action of liquid injection, the displacement field (U) appears as a wavy distribution; as the injection temperature increases, the displacement (U) of oil sands is significantly increased; the different injection directions show the different seepage performances; excessive injection pressure will cause local shearing of the oil sands samples, which is not conducive to the improvement of the seepage capacity of the whole sample. This study could help scholars to understand the meso-deformation and seepage flow mechanism of oil sands during liquid injection under varying temperatures and pressures. It has a certain guiding significance for the development of ultra-heavy oil reservoirs.