Investigation of Natural Mucilage for Enhanced Oil Recovery: the Potential of Corchorus Olitorius Hydrocolloid

Abstract

The need for an effective offshore enhanced oil recovery (EOR) solution led to the focus on natural hydrocolloids. Polysaccharide hydrocolloid research is constantly expanding in a variety of petroleum applications such as drilling, flow assurance, and EOR. Corchorus olitorius is being examined in the present study as a potential natural polymer for chemical flooding. This study investigated the rheology and fluid flow characteristics in porous media, focusing on the effects of the concentration, temperature, and salinity of the fluid. Furthermore, core flooding was carried out to evaluate the potential recovery was characterized and found to contain a significant amount of polysaccharides and cellulose. The rheological behavior demonstrated an increase in viscosity with concentration. The relationship between viscosity and temperature is inversely proportional. Additionally, the mucilage viscosity significantly increased in the presence of 35,000 ppm NaCl, varying from 39 to 48 cp. The improvement of oil recovery by a unit PV injection is around 10 and 20% at 0 and 35,000 ppm of NaCl, respectively. In sandstone with a moderate porosity and permeability, the overall oil recovery ranges between 59 and 70%. C. olitorius has complex polysaccharide/cellulose derivatives that improved rheology and produced results that are promising for future offshore applications.