A micro-scale rheometer to study foam texture and flow resistance in planar fractures

Nazari, Negar; Kovscek, Anthony R.

doi:10.1039/d2lc00595f

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Consequently, the apparent foam viscosity and mobility reduction factor (MRF) decreased after 60% foam quality, resulting in reduced oil recovery. At a lower quality, the generated foam had a finer texture than those from higher foam qualities. , In other words, the gas bubbles at 60% foam quality were much smaller with thicker lamellae films, leading to reduced gas mobility and an increased pressure drop.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Graphene Quantum Dot-Stabilized Foam for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Aboahmed,

Youssif,

Piri

et al. 2023

Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.

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Surfactant-based foams have often been proposed as mobility control agents in enhanced oil recovery (EOR); however, their lack of stability under reservoir conditions has limited their field applications. This study aims at enhancing the efficiency of foam EOR by using a nanofluid composed of cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine amphoteric surfactant and graphene quantum dot (GQD) nanoparticles extracted from Wyoming coal. Macroscale foam flooding experiments were conducted under challenging reservoir conditions (3500 psi, 115 °C, and 200,000 ppm brine salinity) to represent unconventional oil formations such as Bakken. Foam was generated through the coinjection of nanofluid and methane in strongly oil-wet core samples of different lithology (Berea sandstone, Edward limestone, and Minnesota Northern Cream (MNC) limestone), and the impact of foam quality was investigated in each outcrop. The nanofluid resulted in improved bulk foam stability due to the generation of finely structured foam of a low average bubble size (277.83 μm) and thick lamellae (98.91 μm). The in situ formation of stable foam during the core flooding tests was reflected by an improved apparent viscosity that was greatly influenced by the petrophysical properties of the rocks (i.e., pore size, pore size distribution, permeability, and wettability condition). For instance, the process of bubble generation and collapse was significantly noticed in the Edward core sample as a result of its heterogeneous pore size and nonuniform pore size distribution compared to Berea and MNC core samples. On the other hand, foam texture and the number of generated lamellae films were controlled by the fraction of gas injected (foam quality). At 60% foam quality, the foam had a very fine texture, resulting in an increased pressure gradient across the core, reduced gas mobility, and therefore improved oil sweep efficiency by diverting more gas to inaccessible oil-filled pores. As a result, the incremental oil recovery due to foam flooding was 11.5, 16.2, and 7.3% for the Berea, Edward, and MNC core samples, respectively. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms that contribute to foam EOR in various oil-wet porous media utilizing novel nanofluid formulations.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At a lower quality, the generated foam had a finer texture than those from higher foam qualities. 119,120 In other words, the gas bubbles at 60% foam quality were much smaller with thicker lamellae films, leading to reduced gas mobility and an increased pressure drop.…”

Section: Characterization and Interfacial Behavior Of Gqds And Foam M...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Graphene Quantum Dot-Stabilized Foam for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Aboahmed,

Youssif,

Piri

et al. 2023

Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.

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“…A more precise, pore-scale, delineation of pH distribution aids our physical understanding. Microfluidic devices provide an analog for natural porous media and are a versatile platform for the direct observation of processes through the aid of microscopes and digital sensors [15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. For example, a specially designed microfluidic planar fracture works as a micro-scale rheometer for aqueous foam flow and also measures foam viscosity [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In Situ pH Measurement in Microfluidic Porous Media Indicated by Surfaces Functionalized with Polyaniline (PAni)

Zhang,

Nazari,

Kovscek

2024

Colloids and Interfaces

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Aqueous phase pH is a critical metric with significant importance in understanding reactive transport processes in porous media. At the microscale, however, traditional pH detection methods face challenges in capturing dynamic pH due to limited sample volume and sensing time. To overcome these limitations, we leveraged micro/nanofabrication techniques to create a microfluidic porous medium coated with polyaniline (PAni) on its surface. Using this innovative microfluidic design, we achieved colorimetric delineation of pH spatial distribution with fast response and robustness in porous media. By conducting coinjection tests with hydrochloric acid (pH = 2) and DI water (pH ≈ 5.8, equilibrated with air) at various flow rates and relative flow rate ratios in a sandstone-patterned microfluidic device, we observed dynamic pH changes in porous media and obtained a comprehensive understanding of the acid advection-diffusion dynamics. The results highlighted the capability of PAni to enable microscale pH sensing. This research contributes to the development of advanced porous media microfluidics and applications, particularly in mass transfer limits during reactive transport of carbon dioxide sequestration and geological hydrogen storage.

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