A systematic rheological study of alkyl amine surfactants for fluid mobility control in hydrocarbon reservoirs

Abstract

The basis of this study is to identify the versatility of N,N,N 0 -trimethyl-N 0 -tallow-1,3-diaminopropane (DTTM) surfactant in high saline environments. The surfactant was examined with sodium chloride, NaCl, to understand how triggers such as salt, pH, temperature, and surfactant concentration influences the viscoelastic response of the surfactant solution. The DTTM surfactant and salt (NaCl) concentrations used in steady-state shear viscosity analysis range from 0.2 wt% to 2 wt% and 5 wt% to 25 wt%, respectively. Along with DTTM results, three similar chemical structures are investigated to understand how viscosity changes with alterations in tail and head group composition. It was found that DTTM surfactant has the capability of transitioning from a foam-bearing to viscoelastic state at low surfactant concentrations under moderate to high saline conditions. A longer tail length promotes viscoelasticity and shear-thinning behavior. Terminals consisting of hydroxides or ethoxylates have a lower viscosity than that of methyl terminals. A head group consisting of two nitrogen atoms has a higher viscosity than those containing one nitrogen atom. The rheological characterization of DTTM presented in this paper is part of a larger study in determining the capability of this surfactant to foam CO 2 for improving mobility control in CO 2 enhanced oil recovery in high saline oil formations.

Evaluating the potential of surface-modified silica nanoparticles using internal olefin sulfonate for enhanced oil recovery

“…In EOR applications, mobility ratio is one of the most important parameters and can be defined as the ratio between the mobility of the displacing fluid to the mobility of the displaced fluid (Liebum et al 2018). In flooding cases, the displacing fluid is then injected (nanofluid) and the displaced one is the residual oil present inside the core.…”

“…The residual oil after water flooding is indispensable Edited by Yan-Hua Sun and cannot be ignored particularly in the present situation of high energy demand. Further increase in oil recovery can be done after water flooding by utilizing various enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques (Maugeri 2009;Liebum et al 2018). The decline in primary production of oil using conventional recovery approaches led to several developed techniques for EOR before the reservoir is abandoned.…”

Interfacial properties and foam performance of alpha olefin sulfonate and CO2 switchable aminopropyl methyl siloxane surfactant mixtures

“…APSi is a nonionic surfactant, it converted to cationic once it protonated (Liebum et al, 2018). Therefore, we suspect that APSi molecules may interact through the electrostatic force since the nitrogen atoms were protonated.…”

Seawater-Based Fracturing Fluid: A Review

“…Switchable amine-based surfactants (e.g., Duomeen TTM, Ethoduomeen T13, and Ethomeen C12) have recently received a lot of attention, as they exhibit both nonionic and cationic characteristics, depending on the pH of the solution . In seawater, Armovis (a VES) has been shown to be soluble and exhibit viscoelastic wormlike micelles .…”

“…Switchable amine-based surfactants (e.g., Duomeen TTM, Ethoduomeen T13, and Ethomeen C12) have recently received a lot of attention, as they exhibit both nonionic and cationic characteristics, depending on the pH of the solution. 55 In seawater, Armovis (a VES) has been shown to be soluble and exhibit viscoelastic wormlike micelles. 56 Duomeen TTM is thermally and chemically stable at high salinity (22% total dissolved solids), high temperature (248 °F), and low pH (4) conditions for up to 30 days.…”