Influence of Emulsification Characteristics on the Pressure Dynamics during Chemical Flooding for Oil Recovery

Liu, Jianbin; Liu, Shun; Zhang, Wei; Zhong, Liguo; Yi, Hao; Zhang, Yanjun; Cai, Wenbin; Du, Hengyi

doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.2c04010

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…The stability of the formed oil/water microemulsion, characterized by a relatively small droplet size and low viscosity, minimizes the Jamin effect. The Jamin effect, known for contributing to additional resistance to flow in porous media, is thereby diminished. − Consequently, the primary factor influencing the pressure drop is the flow of oil and water, and any further pressure drop arising from the formed oil–water microemulsion can be disregarded.…”

Section: Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Injection Rate on Chemically Enhanced Oil Recovery Using a Gemini Surfactant under Harsh Conditions

Al-Azani,

Abu-Khamsin,

Kamal

et al. 2024

Energy Fuels

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Introducing surfactants into a hydrocarbon reservoir is considered one of the most effective methods for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), mainly due to their ability to reduce interfacial tension and modify rock wettability. However, experimental parameters play a significant role in surfactant flooding. As an important design parameter, this work specifically investigates how the injection rate influences the oil recovery performance of a locally synthesized Gemini surfactant. Four core flooding experiments on carbonate core samples were conducted, each at a specific injection rate (0.10, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 cc/min) under simulated reservoir conditions. The conditions include a temperature of 100 °C, pressures exceeding 3000 psi, and formation water and seawater salinities of 213,768 and 57,745 ppm, respectively. Each experiment involved initial continuous seawater flooding followed by continuous flooding with a 2500 ppm surfactant solution. The results revealed an increasing trend in the recovery factor with injection rates caused by seawater flooding. Recovery factors at 0.10, 0.25, and 0.50 cc/min rates were 43.7, 46.6, and 49.1% of the oil initially in place (OOIP), respectively. However, at 1.00 cc/min, the factor decreased to 48.1% OOIP after seawater flooding, possibly due to poor conformance control. In contrast, the recovery factor at the end of surfactant flooding was higher at lower injection rates (i.e., 0.10 and 0.25 cc/min), reflecting sufficient time for the surfactant to alter rock wettability and mobilize oil with 0.25 cc/min as the optimum tested rate. However, effluent analysis revealed that slower injection rates correlated with higher dynamic retention (e.g., 0.383 mg/g of rock at 0.10 cc/min) compared to higher injection rates (e.g., 0.295 mg/g of rock at 1.00 cc/ min). This implies a trade-off in choosing the injection rate when using the Gemini surfactant: balancing high oil recovery against minimizing dynamic retention. Consequently, this study emphasizes the need to carefully consider injection rates in surfactant flooding for optimal EOR outcomes.

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Section: Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Injection Rate on Chemically Enhanced Oil Recovery Using a Gemini Surfactant under Harsh Conditions

Al-Azani,

Abu-Khamsin,

Kamal

et al. 2024

Energy Fuels

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It is noticed that there was no increase in the pressure drop during the surfactant injection. Since the formed O/W has low viscosity, the Jamin effect responsible for the additional flow resistance in the porous media is a minimum. − Therefore, the pressure drop is assumed to be caused by the flow of oil and water only, and any additional pressure drop due to the formed O/W microemulsion can be neglected. On the other hand, the Δ P during the SF flood (Exp.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced Oil Recovery in Carbonate Reservoirs Using Single Component Synthesized Surfactants under Harsh Reservoir Conditions

et al. 2023

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Surfactants are commonly used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications in carbonate hydrocarbon reservoirs due to their ability to reduce oil/water interfacial tension (IFT) and/or alter rock wettability toward more water-wet conditions. They are usually used as formulations consisting of more than two surfactants to achieve optimum performance. Although this approach may result in extra recovery in coreflooding experiments, there is a risk of chromatographic separation and potential phase separation when these surfactants are injected into the reservoir. The current study, however, focuses on injecting a single component ethoxylated quaternary ammonium cationic Gemini surfactant (GS) or a betaine-type zwitterionic surfactant (ZIS), both synthesized in-house, to mitigate these potential issues. Several coreflooding experiments were conducted using Indiana limestone samples at 100 °C, pressures greater than 3000 psi, and seawater and formation water salinities of 57,745 ppm and 213,768, respectively. Continuous injection of either surfactant solution (at 2500 ppm in seawater) after seawater flooding recovered almost 11−12% of the initial oil in the core (OOIP). The results demonstrate that the GS or the ZIS alone can achieve this relatively high oil recovery without the need for additional cosolvent(s) or cosurfactant(s), unlike most of the previously developed surfactant formulations. Injecting a one-pore-volume slug of a standard acrylamide copolymer at 2000 ppm between the seawater and the surfactant floods increased the oil recovery by either surfactant to around 16−17% OOIP. This improvement in oil recovery was mainly due to wettability alteration from oil-wet to intermediate-wet conditions, as revealed by the contact angle and oil/water IFT measurements. Effluent analysis of the produced aqueous phase showed surfactant dynamic retention values of 0.44 and 0.61 mg/g-rock of both the GS and the ZIS, respectively. Such high oil recovery and low dynamic retention reflect the high efficiency of the GS and the ZIS for EOR applications in carbonate reservoirs.

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“…The flow resistance of an emulsion in porous media is a state of dynamic change and random fluctuation. Liu et al 90 analyzed the effect of dynamic pressure in the oil displacement process and clarified the mechanism of chemical flooding in different stages. The chemical flooding dynamics is mainly divided into three stages: pressure increase (emulsification ability), pressure decrease (fluidity of formed O/W emulsion), and pressure stabilization (flooding efficiency).…”

Section: Emulsion Percolationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Emulsion Percolationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review and Perspective on the Mechanisms and Application of In Situ Emulsification for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Liu,

Gao

et al. 2023

Energy Fuels

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In the chemical enhanced oil recovery (CEOR) process, the in situ emulsification between the oil displacement agent and crude oil plays an important role in the swept volume enlargement and displacement efficiency improvement. However, as a result of the complex geologic structure of the reservoir and varied remaining oil types, the occurrence of in situ emulsification in the reservoir and its role in enhancing oil recovery (EOR) are still unclear. We summarized and discussed the current understanding and existed problems in the in situ emulsion formation mechanism, its characterization method, and EOR capacity based on the current research results. The field application results were collected to clarify its potential in EOR. It was found that the in situ emulsification had been verified as an important role in oil recovery in both laboratory and pilot tests. However, the preparation and evaluation methods of in situ emulsification exist as a big difference with real conditions, which may cause people to misunderstand its EOR mechanism. The requirement for the in situ emulsification is quite different between the high-and low-permeability reservoirs. We expected that this review and perspective could help people understand the problems in this area. The proposed solution method could also draw some attention, which will promote the application of the in situ emulsification technique.

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Influence of Emulsification Characteristics on the Pressure Dynamics during Chemical Flooding for Oil Recovery

Cited by 9 publications

References 53 publications

Role of Injection Rate on Chemically Enhanced Oil Recovery Using a Gemini Surfactant under Harsh Conditions

Role of Injection Rate on Chemically Enhanced Oil Recovery Using a Gemini Surfactant under Harsh Conditions

Enhanced Oil Recovery in Carbonate Reservoirs Using Single Component Synthesized Surfactants under Harsh Reservoir Conditions

Review and Perspective on the Mechanisms and Application of In Situ Emulsification for Enhanced Oil Recovery

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