Surfactant flooding displacement mechanisms

A fundamental chemical process is surfactant flooding in which the key mechanism is to reduce interfacial tension (IFT) between oil and the displacing fluid. The mechanism, because of the reduced IFT, is associated with the increased capillary number, which is a dimensionless ratio of viscous-to-local capillary forces. Experimental data show that as the capillary number increases, the residual oil saturation decreases (Lake, 1989). Therefore, as IFT is reduced through the addition of surfactants, the ultimate oil recovery is increased. In alkaline flooding, the surfactant required to reduce IFT is generated in situ by the chemical reaction between injected alkali and naphthenic acids in the... 

Ultra-low tension In the alkaline flooding of acidic acids, some reduction in interfacial tension (from 30 to approximately 10 1 dynes/cm) is necessary for the emulsification and subsequent mobilization of waterflooded residual oil by the previously discussed phase alteration mechanisms. The residual oil may also be mobilized and produced by a low-tension displacement process which is similar to surfactant flooding if the interfacial tension can be further reduced to ultra-low values (10 to 10 dynes/cm). 

It is interesting to note that the shape of the cumulative oil recovery curves in the unconsolidated sandpack is similar to that in the consolidated Berea core (Figures 1 and 9), except that oil is produced at a much faster rate for the sandpacks. Therefore, the oil displacement mechanism is presumably the same in these two porous media for the continuous dilute surfactant solution flooding process. Chou and Shah (22) have shown that 1 or 4 ft sandpacks give identical results for oil recovery and the fluid production... 

The proceedings cover six major areas of research related to chemical flooding processes for enhanced oil recovery, namely, 1) Fundamental aspects of the oil displacement process, 2) Microstructure of surfactant systems, 3) Emulsion rheology and oil displacement mechanisms, 4) Wettability and oil displacement mechanisms, 5) Adsorption, clays and chemical loss mechanisms, and 6) Polymer rheology and surfactant-polymer interactions. This book also includes two invited review papers, namely, "Research on Enhanced Oil Recovery Past, Present and Future," and "Formation and Properties of Micelles and Microemulsions" by Professor J. J. Taber and Professor H. F. Eicke respectively. 

Studies on mechanisms are described by Balzer [192]. In the case of anionics the residual oil in the injection zone is removed via displacement into the adjacent reservoirs ether carboxylates show their good adaptation to differences in temperature and salinity. Further it was found from interfacial tension measurements, adsorption and retention studies, and flooding tests that use of surfactant blends based on ether carboxylates and alkylbenzensulfonates resulted... 

Many research laboratories are actively involved in investigating the use of surfactants in light and heavy oil recovery. Surfactant and foam flooding may become more widely acc ted as more is learned about the mechanism of oil displacement and as these processes are improved and tested in the fi. The contact of surfactants with residual oil. 

Recently, Wellington and Richardson [J5] presented an interesting paper discussing the mechanism of low surfactant concentration enhanced water flood. The surfactant system consisted of alkyl-PO-EO glyceryl sulfonate with small amounts of an ethoxylated cationic surfactant to control phase behavior, interfacial activity, and surfactant loss. The surfactant systems had the ability to reduce their cloud point and interfacial tension when diluted, which was regarded as very useful for an effective flood performance. A surfactant concentration of about 0.4% removed essentially all the residual oil from sand packs in just over f PV with a surfactant loss of less than O.f PV. Mobility control by polymer was strongly required for good displacement and sweep efficiency and to reduce surfactant loss. 

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