Unraveling the Impact of Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid Chelating Agents on the Oil Recovery Processes: An Insight into Its Role in Fluid–Fluid and Rock–Fluid Interactions

Abstract

In recent years, chelating agents have garnered increasing attention due to their unique capabilities in addressing challenges associated with chemically enhanced oil recovery materials. Most previous studies have primarily focused on examining the influence of chelating agents on rock–fluid interactions. However, their effects on fluid–fluid interactions, specifically on interfacial tension (IFT) characteristics under various conditions, remain relatively unknown. This study investigates the effect of crucial reservoir parameters on the performance of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) chelating agents in the IFT between crude oil and brine. Furthermore, the study evaluated the impact of varying concentrations of this agent on rock wettability alteration, zeta potential, and spontaneous imbibition. The results illustrated that introducing EDTA at high concentration into seawater (SW) solution reduced the IFT by 85%. Additionally, while higher pH levels contributed to IFT reduction due to increased hydroxyl ions, excessive salinity levels resulted in elevated IFT. Raising the temperature from 30 to 75 °C further decreased the IFT, changing the IFT for optimal EDTA concentration from 20.43 to 2.56 mN/m (∼88% reduction). The changes in zeta potential and contact angle measurements indicated that solutions of 5 and 7 wt % EDTA shifted rock wettability from oil-wet to strongly water-wet, resulting in the wettability alteration index of 1.01 and 1.02, respectively. Inductively coupled plasma analysis, on the other hand, revealed substantial chelation of metal ions from both the solution and rock when EDTA was added to the rock/SW system. This resulted in a significant increase in Ca2+ ions and a decrease in Mg2+ ions, attributed to the multi-ion exchange phenomenon.