Modified cell-to-cell method for slim tube test simulation considering the porous media effect

Modified cell-to-cell method for slim tube test simulation considering the porous media effect | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Modified cell-to-cell method for slim tube test simulation considering the porous media effect Ali Safaei, Masoud Riazi, Mohammad Jafarzadegan, Eidy Naserpour This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6688364/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 12 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 14 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Miscible gas injection into oil reservoirs is one of the most effective methods to enhance oil recovery. In this process, the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP), which is the minimum pressure at which the two phases of oil and gas are completely miscible together, is the key parameter in the gas injection operation. Various laboratory and calculation methods were used to determine the MMP. The slim tube displacement test is the most reliable in the oil industry among the laboratory methods. Among the calculation methods, cell-to-cell simulation is currently the most efficient method for MMP approximation, because of its high calculation speed and simplicity. In this study, laboratory studies and modeling were conducted to estimate the MMP between an injected hydrocarbon gas and a live oil sample. The slim tube displacement test was completed. In addition to laboratory studies, cell-to-cell simulation (CCS) has been used for slim tube simulation. Modifications have been made to the cell-to-cell simulation by applying corrections, including the Peng-Robinson equation of state adjustment for a porous medium, improvement to the critical properties shift equation, the incorporation of capillary pressure effects in the vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) calculations, and changes to the fluid transfer criteria within the cell-to-cell method. The permeability-to-porosity ratio is used to account the effect of the porous medium on phase behavior. The results of investigating the effect of the porous medium on the MMP indicate that a reduction in the permeability-to-porosity ratio leads to a decrease in the MMP. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in tight oil reservoirs with permeability-to-porosity ratios lower than 10, meaning that miscibility can be achieved more easily in these reservoirs compared to conventional ones. Physical sciences/Energy science and technology/Fossil fuels/Crude oil Physical sciences/Engineering/Chemical engineering Cell-to-cell simulation (CCS) Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) Minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) Miscible gas injection Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium (VLE) Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 12 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 29 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 28 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 20 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 17 Sep, 2025 Reviews received at journal 30 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 18 Jun, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 08 Jun, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 08 Jun, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 31 May, 2025 Editor invited by journal 30 May, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 29 May, 2025 First submitted to journal 17 May, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6688364","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":468294214,"identity":"1bd0276e-2e5f-49f5-b876-aafece35f14b","order_by":0,"name":"Ali Safaei","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Tehran","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ali","middleName":"","lastName":"Safaei","suffix":""},{"id":468294215,"identity":"b634af99-5178-4d11-a10a-d4563d22ff77","order_by":1,"name":"Masoud Riazi","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAzUlEQVRIie3OsQrCMBDG8QuBdhLXc/IJhCuCIqh9lQbB2ck5Eoija8GXcHWrBJykzqWT9AV0i+BgddOhrZtD/uNxP/gAXK6/jEkAGgPxj0s9mf9E3hmgxrN6W7O62cU5HPqty+2uoduWXF+ryCAVCpFysVd+HzsagjhhKq4kJyaRKI/IeICBBrYDpiqHlUTZiNKwJNwKDWETojGhhO2M5+FBg2hERpJm4kVGMsVZbGqJX2T2MQ3pfOSZXY4nm/W6qCTfIQCv/3K5XC5XTU+DvkM8R1H/tQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Nazarbayev University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Masoud","middleName":"","lastName":"Riazi","suffix":""},{"id":468294216,"identity":"08bc7114-93d3-41b3-997d-2fff1ec9f3f5","order_by":2,"name":"Mohammad Jafarzadegan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Iranian South Oil Company","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mohammad","middleName":"","lastName":"Jafarzadegan","suffix":""},{"id":468294217,"identity":"7bb78e0d-e3f2-4b2e-aed0-b42e52000b9a","order_by":3,"name":"Eidy Naserpour","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Iranian South Oil Company","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Eidy","middleName":"","lastName":"Naserpour","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-05-17 17:23:13","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6688364/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6688364/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-38525-4","type":"published","date":"2026-02-12T15:59:06+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":102786364,"identity":"98872135-e6d5-48b6-b11f-a108e1e89fd1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-16 16:13:08","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1111203,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6688364/v1_covered_f424f0e6-9fba-4324-a4fe-e273502d418b.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Modified cell-to-cell method for slim tube test simulation considering the porous media effect","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Cell-to-cell simulation (CCS), Enhanced oil recovery (EOR), Minimum miscibility pressure (MMP), Miscible gas injection, Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium (VLE)","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6688364/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6688364/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eMiscible gas injection into oil reservoirs is one of the most effective methods to enhance oil recovery. In this process, the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP), which is the minimum pressure at which the two phases of oil and gas are completely miscible together, is the key parameter in the gas injection operation. Various laboratory and calculation methods were used to determine the MMP. The slim tube displacement test is the most reliable in the oil industry among the laboratory methods. Among the calculation methods, cell-to-cell simulation is currently the most efficient method for MMP approximation, because of its high calculation speed and simplicity. In this study, laboratory studies and modeling were conducted to estimate the MMP between an injected hydrocarbon gas and a live oil sample. The slim tube displacement test was completed. In addition to laboratory studies, cell-to-cell simulation (CCS) has been used for slim tube simulation. 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