This paper describes a laboratory study of the factors controlling the formation and breakdown of foams in porous media at elevated temperatures. The degradation of a foam when gas injection was discontinued involved the gradual transformation of a foam with a noncondensable gas phase (gas foam) to a foam with steam as the gas phase (steam foam). The ability to prevent release of the noncondensable gas phase was strongly influenced by surfactant type and concentration. The formation of steam foams in the absence of noncondensable gas was a critical function of steam velocity and permeability. Surfactant concentration and chain length, salinity, and the presence of oil were important variables in determining mobility reduction of steam. Increased oil recovery from cores undergoing steam displacement was obtained when surfactant slugs were injected with and without noncondensable gas. The presence of a noncondensable gas led to the formation of a more effective and durable foam.
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