The surfactant structure-performance relationship and application properties in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) for binary mixtures of anionic and cationic surfactants are presented and discussed. A polyoxyethylene ether carboxylate anionic surfactant was blended with a quaternary ammonium chloride cationic surfactant and tested for a high-temperature, low-salinity, and high-hardness condition as found in an oil reservoir. These mixtures were tailored by phase behavior tests to form optimal microemulsions with normal octane (n-C8) and crude oil having an API gravity of 48.05°. The ethoxy number of the polyoxyethylene carboxylate anionic surfactant and the chain length of the cationic surfactant were tuned to find an optimal surfactant blend. Interfacial tensions with n-C8 and with crude oil were measured. Synergism between anionic and cationic surfactants was indicated by surface tension measurement, CMC determination, calculation of surface excess concentrations and area per molecule of individual surfactants and their mixtures. Molecular interactions of anionic and cationic surfactants in mixed monolayers and aggregates were calculated by using regular solution theory to find molecular interaction parameters b r and b M . Morphologies of surfactant solutions were studied by cryogenic TEM. The use of binary mixtures of anionic/cationic surfactants significantly broadens the scope of application for conventional chemical EOR methods.
Test results from mixtures of anionic-cationic surfactants significantly broaden the application scope for conventional chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery methods; these mixtures produced ultra low Critical Micelle Concentrations (CMC) as well as ultra-low interfacial tension (IFT) and high oil solubilization that promote high oil recovery.Mixtures of anionic and cationic surfactants with molar excess of anionic surfactant for EOR applications are described herein. Physical chemistry properties, such as surface tension, CMC, surface excess and area per molecule of individual surfactants and their mixtures were measured by Wilhelmy Plate Method. Morphologies of surfactant solutions, both surfactant-polymer (SP) and alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP), were studied by Cryo TEM. Phase behaviors were recorded by visual inspection including with crossed polarizers at different surfactant concentrations and different temperatures. Interfacial tensions between normal octane, crude oil and surfactant solution were measured by spinning drop tensiometer method. Properties of interfacial tension, viscosity and thermal stability of surfactant, surfactant-polymer, and alkalinesurfactant-polymer solutions, were also tested. Static adsorption on sandstone was measured at reservoir temperature. IFT was measured before and after multiple contact adsorptions to recognize the influence of adsorption on interfacial properties. Forced displacements were conducted by flooding with water, polymer, SP and ASP. The core flooding experiments were conducted with water made of a simulated formation brine having approximately 5000 ppm TDS, and with a crude oil from a Sinopec reservoir.
A novel alkali free binary flooding system of a biobased zwitterionic surfactant and hydrophobically associating polymer with ultralow interfacial tension at a low surfactant dosage was studied in this paper.
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