Dynamic behaviors and mechanisms of fluid-fluid interaction in low salinity waterflooding of carbonate reservoirs

Chai, Rukuan; Liu, Yuetian; He, Yuting; Liu, Qianjun; Xue, Liang

doi:10.1016/j.petrol.2021.109256

Cited by 18 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Nevertheless, recent studies in regard to wettability s.l. emphasized the role of fluid−fluid interaction 39 and the role of droplets within a porous material, 40 which is suspected to have a higher impact on EOR than proposed earlier.…”

Section: ■ Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

4D Surface Reconstruction of Micron-Sized Organic Calcite for the Characterization of Chemical Heterogeneity of Chalk Surfaces

et al. 2023

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Seawater injection into chalk reservoirs is a method for improved oil recovery (IOR) at the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). During the injection of fluids for IOR, complex physicochemical interactions between the injected fluid and the reactive rock surface will take place, such as compaction and alterations of rock properties (e.g., porosity, permeability, wettability). The distribution of noncarbonate mineral phases in the reservoir and on the surface of the chalk will dictate wettability properties. Yet, the identification and quantification of nanometer-sized mineral phases on calcite surfaces have been challenging due to insufficient spatial resolution and sensitivity of the analytical methods used. On-shore chalk was used in this study. Helium ion microscopy (HIM) combined with in situ secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) was used to produce secondary electron images for mapping surface morphology and topography correlated with chemical maps from SIMS. First, a 3D surface model was created from a series of secondary electron images acquired from different perspectives around the coccolith. A chemical image obtained by SIMS was developed on the same region of interest and projected onto the 3D surface model to create a 4D surface reconstruction (3D+1 concept). This includes surface chemistry information on sub-micron-sized noncarbonate phases on calcite grains. The surface distribution of noncarbonate phases added up to a minimum of 6.3%, where no 40 Ca had been detected. Moreover, 39.8% of the entire area is characterized by 40 Ca and 27 Al plus 28 Si. Compared with 5 wt % noncarbonate phases identified by whole-rock geochemistry, we identify at least 200−300% higher noncarbonate phase abundance than expected based on bulk geochemistry. This has a significant implication for the modeling of mineral surface charges, the major criteria for wettability calculations. Therefore, HIM-SIMS studies allow nanoscale mapping and mineral phase identification, which will enhance the knowledge of fluid−rock interactions for purposes related to IOR, carbon capture, and storage as well as for hydrogen storage.

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Section: ■ Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

4D Surface Reconstruction of Micron-Sized Organic Calcite for the Characterization of Chemical Heterogeneity of Chalk Surfaces

et al. 2023

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“…With the rising global energy demand, the sustainable development of low-permeability and ultralow-permeability reservoirs is of great importance. − In recent decades, low-permeability and extra-low-permeability sandstone reservoirs in the Ordos Basin have been mainly developed by water injection, with generally low recovery rates . As one of the lowest cost technologies to improve recovery, low-salinity water flooding has been verified by a large number of experiments. − It has been gradually developed into a new technology for enhanced recovery by adjusting the ionic composition of injected water according to the mineral and fluid characteristics of the reservoir. , Numerous studies have demonstrated that low-salinity water flooding can enhance recovery and have provided a variety of understanding of the recovery enhancement mechanism. − …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 5 − 8 It has been gradually developed into a new technology for enhanced recovery by adjusting the ionic composition of injected water according to the mineral and fluid characteristics of the reservoir. 9 , 10 Numerous studies have demonstrated that low-salinity water flooding can enhance recovery and have provided a variety of understanding of the recovery enhancement mechanism. 11 − 17 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Study on the Mechanism and Law of Low-Salinity Water Flooding for Enhanced Oil Recovery in Tight Sandstone Reservoirs

Fan,

Liu,

et al. 2024

ACS Omega

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Currently, research surrounding low-salinity water flooding predominantly focuses on medium-to high-permeability sandstone reservoirs. Nevertheless, further investigation is necessary to implement this technique with regard to tight sandstone reservoirs. The present study comprises a series of experiments conducted on the crude oil and core of the Ordos Chang 6 reservoir to investigate the influence of ionic composition on low-salinity water flooding in tight oil reservoirs. The change in wettability on the rock surface was analyzed by using the contact angle experiment. The change in recovery rate was analyzed using a core displacement experiment. The reaction between rock fluids was analyzed using an ion chromatography experiment. Additionally, a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiment was used to analyze the mobilization law of crude oil and the change in wettability on the scale of the rock core. This led to a comprehensive discussion of the law and mechanism of enhancing the recovery rate via low-salinity water flooding from various perspectives. Experiments show that low-salinity water flooding is an effective technique for enhancing recovery in tight sandstone reservoirs. Altering the ionic composition of injected water can improve the water wettability of the rock surface and enhance recovery. Decreasing the mass concentration of Ca 2+ or increasing the mass concentration of SO 4 2− can prompt the ion-exchange reaction on the rock surface and detachment of polar components from the surface. Consequently, the wettability of the rock surface strengthens, augmenting the recovery process. Nuclear magnetic resonance experiments evidence that low-salinity water injection, with ion adjustment, significantly alters the interactions between the rock and fluid in tight sandstone reservoirs. As a result, the T 2 signal amplitude decreases significantly, residual oil saturation reduces considerably, and the hydrophilic nature of the rock surface increases.

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“…They concluded that an appropriate oil–brine interface viscoelasticity response decreased oil trapping during LSWF and increased oil recovery consequently. This viscoelastic interface also can stabilize water-in-oil emulsions. − …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Direct Insight into the Cause and Time Evaluation of Spontaneous Emulsification of Water in Crude Oil during Low Salinity Waterflooding Using Microfluidic Model

Beyranvand

Rostami

2022

Energy Fuels

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In prior research, the formation of emulsions has been proposed as an effective mechanism to enhance the recovery during the injection of low salinity water (LSW) from different points of view, such as improving the mobility ratio, changing the wettability, and swelling the oil layer adhered to the rock surface. The spontaneous emulsification process and its causes are still an unclear area of LSW studies. To study the formation of the emulsion as an active mechanism in the LSW injection, it is necessary to pay attention to the time required to form these emulsions spontaneously and places prone to their formation. In addition to the visual investigation of the spontaneous formation of emulsions, the current study also aimed at evaluating the time required for their spontaneous formation and identifying the main drive force to form these microsized dispersions. To this end, water-in-oil emulsions were prepared naturally without the use of surfactants to simulate spontaneous emulsification. Also, stability analysis by droplet size measurement was used as an observational criterion to evaluate different brines’ tendencies to form expected in situ emulsions in a porous medium. However, for visual investigation of emulsification in porous media, glass micromodels were used. The stability analysis results showed that the increase in the emulsions’ instability occurred with the increase of the ionic strength of the aqueous phase. In the micromodel experiments, the spontaneous emulsification was confirmed when low salinity water was injected. Moreover, the micromodel experiments revealed that the emulsions did not start to form immediately but formed within a week and reached a maximum approximately after 10 days. It can be concluded that the oil layer can act as a semipermeable layer and water inverse micelles enter the oil layer by diffusion. The rate of emulsion formation is controlled by diffusion induced by the osmosis imbalance condition in LSW injection.

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Dynamic behaviors and mechanisms of fluid-fluid interaction in low salinity waterflooding of carbonate reservoirs

Cited by 18 publications

References 50 publications

4D Surface Reconstruction of Micron-Sized Organic Calcite for the Characterization of Chemical Heterogeneity of Chalk Surfaces

4D Surface Reconstruction of Micron-Sized Organic Calcite for the Characterization of Chemical Heterogeneity of Chalk Surfaces

Experimental Study on the Mechanism and Law of Low-Salinity Water Flooding for Enhanced Oil Recovery in Tight Sandstone Reservoirs

Direct Insight into the Cause and Time Evaluation of Spontaneous Emulsification of Water in Crude Oil during Low Salinity Waterflooding Using Microfluidic Model

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