New Insights into the Application of a Magnetic Field to Enhance Oil Recovery from Oil-Wet Carbonate Reservoirs

Abstract

Given recent moves towards cleaner energy production, the application of environmentally friendly methods for EOR is considered to be an important research strategy in increasing oil production from existing hydrocarbon reservoirs. Therefore, in this paper, the application of a magnetic field is introduced for the first time as a novel and eco-friendly EOR technique for oil-wet carbonate reservoirs.The magnetic field is generated using three different magnet strengths of 3000, 4100 and 6000 Gauss (G). The impact of incremental increases in magnetic field on oil production from Austin chalk is investigated through measurements of contact angle, rock compaction and the spontaneous imbibition of water and the monitoring of rock surface streaming potential.Dynamic contact angle measurements on oil-wet chalk surfaces in the presence of a magnetic field show that the value of contact angle is reduced faster than when a magnetic field is absent, indicating a significant increase in water imbibition into rock pores. The results of spontaneous imbibition tests reveal significantly greater oil production during the imbibition process in the presence of a magnetic field at about 8.5 times that from oil-wet chalk.Monitoring of the streaming potential of the oil-wet rock surface in the presence and absence of a magnetic field indicates that a change in surface potential charge is responsible for the change in wettability of the surface from oil-wet to water-wet, hence improving water imbibition into carbonate rock which, in turn, can improve the oil displacement from pores.

Unlocking Efficiency in Radio-Frequency Heating: Eigenfrequency Analysis for Resonance Identification and Propagation Enhancement in Nigerian Tar Sands

“…Research exploring MF contributions in both water-wet and oil-wet samples has shown increased recoveries in both cases. 55 Regarding EF, resulting flows manifest as electro-osmotic flows due to the polarization of the polar pore matrix and the presence of an electrically conductive fluid forming an electrical double layer (EDL). 56 These detailed observations shed light on the intricate interplay among EM resonance, porous media properties, and fluid dynamics, providing valuable insights for the optimization of EOR techniques.…”

A review of development methods and EOR technologies for carbonate reservoirs

“…Reprint permission obtained from Ali et al (2019) can cause changes in the surface adsorption of the rock, and changes in their surface forces can affect the flow of fluid in the pores. By adding a magnetic field to the carbonate formation, the formation wettability transitions from oil wet to water wet, so the compatibility of the water and rock surface is improved, and the spontaneous imbibition speed of injected water is accelerated to replace more crude oil in the fractures and ultimately improve the oil recovery (Amrouche et al 2019).…”

Effect of Surface Charge Characteristics of Ferroelectric LiNbO3 on Wettability of Ionic Liquids

“…Electrowetting refers to adjusting the wettability of ILs by applying an external electric field to change the charge distribution at the solid-liquid interface. [14][15][16][17][18]. Li et al [16] placed a conductive polymer with properties similar to ILs on a low surface energy-treated SiO 2 /Si substrate and adjusted the interaction between solid-liquid interface charges to reduce the saturation contact angle by changing the polarity and magnitude of the applied voltage.…”