The ester and alcohol production profiles and the oil cut data are then simulated, and a best-fit model determined. The key unknown parameters in the simulation model are residual oil saturation, connate water saturation, and the exponents and pre-factors in the Corey oil and water relative permeability functions. (See technical Bulletin on reservoir characterization available from this web page).
The fits to the various tracer alcohol and ester production profiles and the oil breakthrough plot are quite sensitive to the pre-factors and exponents in the Corey functions. Relative permeability is then deduced from the best-fit model Corey parameters.