Method for Determining the Amount of Crude Oil Desorbed from Silica and Aluminosilica Surfaces upon Exposure to Combined Low-Salinity Water and Surfactant Solutions

Abstract

The desorption of crude oil components from silica and aluminosilicate surfaces upon exposure to low-salinity surfactant solutions was investigated by a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The study aimed at facilitating a better understanding of a hybrid enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process, where low-salinity water is combined with surfactant flooding. The measurements were carried out for various concentrations of two sulfonate surfactants: sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) and sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate (AOT). A procedure for obtaining the oil desorption efficiency (ODE) was developed on the basis of measuring adsorption of surfactants onto the crystals. Generally, the ODE increased when the concentration of surfactants increased. Furthermore, the ODE was lower for aluminosilicate surfaces than for silica surfaces. Contact angle measurements showed wettability alteration toward more water-wet conditions for both crystal surfaces after exposure to lowsalinity surfactant solutions.

Experimental Study of Low Salinity and Optimal Salinity Surfactant Injection

“…Although the debates and studies on the causes of oil mobilization by low salinity water injection is still ongoing, it is well accepted that the method provides favorable conditions for chemical EOR methods like surfactant flooding. At lower ionic strength surfactant retention by adsorption decreases (Friedmann 1986 andNourani et al 2014). This reduces the need for alkaline.…”

Novel hydraulic fracturing fluids with improved proppant carrying capacity and pH-adjustable proppant deposition behavior

“…Furthermore, the formation of polymer residues and fouling during flowback can significantly reduce the well productivity (Gall et al, 1988;Samuel et al, 1999). As an alternative approach, aqueous based viscoelastic surfactant solutions have also attracted attention for enhanced oil recovery (Ahmadi and Shadizadeh, 2013;Ahmadi et al, 2014;Nourani et al, 2014;Sinz et al, 2013) and/or as hydraulic fracturing fluids (Barati and Liang, 2014;Chen et al, 2005;Sun et al, 2014;Tang et al, 2015;Kefi et al, 2004).…”

Molecular dynamics study of oil detachment from an amorphous silica surface in water medium

“…Some experiments on detachment of oil drops from silica substrate were carried out, and the mechanisms of oil detachment from substrate had been analyzed [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Recent papers [4,5] show findings that the detachment process of oil from silica surface involves three stages.…”

“…There are also some experiments where different organic pollution is used to do simulations. These involve the simulations about adsorption and detachment of oil on the solid surface [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. The simulation objects of oil molecules include Pyridine and Alkyl Pyridine [9], dodecane [10], organic methanol [11] and so on.…”