Oil Recovery and Surfactant Adsorption During CO2-Foam Flooding

Abstract

Three carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) foam flooding parameters are addressed in this paper: optimum gas fractional flow, surfactant adsorption behavior, and oil recovery versus CO 2 /aqueous phase injection methodologies. Experimental test conditions were selected to simulate some of the reservoirs in west Texas (1540 psig and 110°F). All tests in this study were conducted in fired Berea sandstone cores to minimize core property changes during a series of CO 2 foam flooding tests. CO 2 and aqueous phase were co-injected during the test. The CO 2 foam flow behavior in the absence and presence of oil and the optimum oil recovery methodologies associated with different stages are described in this paper.This study demonstrates that, with similar residual oil in the core, CO 2 foam had higher oil recovery than CO 2 -brine coinjection. Additional oil was recovered with CO 2 foam injection following CO 2 -brine co-injection. However, no additional oil was recovered if CO 2 foam injection was applied first. The surfactant adsorption equilibrium was characterized by the occurrence of foam.

Properties of N2- and CO2-foams as a function of pressure

“…(Bian et al, 2012;Chabert et al, 2014;Chang and Grigg, 1999;Dong, 2001; Kuehne et al, 1992;Moradi-Araghi et al, 1997;Mukherjee et al, 2014;Tsau and Grigg, 1997;Tsau and Heller, 1992;Wellington and Vinegar, 1985). (Bernard et al, 1980;Casteel and Djabbarah, 1988;Chang and Grigg, 1999;Dixit et al, 1994;Enick and Olsen, 2012;Heller, 1994;Holm and Garrison, 1988;Kahlil and Asghari, 2006;Moradi-Araghi et al, 1997;Preditis and Paulett, 1992;Syahputra et al, 2000;Tsau and Heller, 1992;Tsau and Grigg, 1997;Wang, 1984;Yaghoobi and Heller, 1994;Yin et al, 2009). Heller (1984) suggested in an early surfactant screening study that the most promising surfactant for CO 2 -foams appeared to be commercial anionic sulfonate surfactants.…”

“…Some authors observed a significant dependence on oil saturation on foam strength (Jensen and Friedmann, 1987;Schramm, 1994b;Mannhardt and Svorstøl, 1999;Yin et al, 2009).…”

“…Emulsification of oil may be desirable or undesirable but should not be ignored (Aarra et al, 2011;Bian et al, 2012;Bernard et al, 1980;Bhide et al, 2005;Chabert et al, 2012Chabert et al, , 2014Kuhlman, 1990;Mannhardt et al, 2000;Mukherjee et al,. 2014;Vikingstad, 2006;Wassmuth et al, 2000;Yang and Reed, 1989;Yin et al, 2009).…”

Experimental investigation of steam‐CO2‐foam flooding: combination of CO2‐foam flooding and steam injection as an effective enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method in heavy oil reservoirs

“…Recent studies indicate that foam has more stability in the presence of water flood residual oil, and foam injection reduces water flood, CO 2 flood, and water‐alternating‐gas flood residual oil by improving oil displacement efficiency . Formation of oil bank in the first few injected pore volumes, as results of gas mobility reduction and increased capillary number, leads to oil production by foam .…”

Experimental Study on Foamy Viscosity by Analysing CO2 Micro-Bubbles in Hexadecane

“…As an EOR application, foamy oil has been applied successfully in both of laboratory test (Maini, 1996;Bernard et al, 1980;Yin et al, 2009, Yan et al, 2006Kovscek et al, 1995) [4][5][6][7][8] and field studies (Blaker et al, 2002;Stevens and Martin, 1995) [9][10]. It was reported that the primary production of heavy oil from several reservoirs in western Canada is in the form of foamy oil.…”