A Temperature Operating Window Concept for Application of Nonionic Surfactants for EOR in Unconventional Shale Reservoirs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Wayan Rakananda Saputra ◽  
David S. Schechter
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Nonionic Surfactant ◽  
Cloud Point ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Nonionic Surfactants ◽  
Spontaneous Imbibition ◽  
Reservoir Temperature ◽  
Rock System ◽  
Temperature Operating ◽  
Operating Window

Abstract Surfactant performance is a function of its hydrophobic tail, and hydrophilic head in combination with crude oil composition, brine salinity, rock composition, and reservoir temperature. Specifically, for nonionic surfactants, temperature is a dominant variable due to the nature of the ethylene oxide (EO) groups in the hydrophilic head known as the cloud point temperature. This study aims to highlight the existence of temperature operating window for nonionic surfactants to optimize oil recovery during EOR applications in unconventional reservoirs. Two nonylphenol (NP) ethoxylated nonionic surfactants with different EO head groups were investigated in this study. A medium and light grade crude oil were utilized for this study. Core plugs from a carbonate-rich outcrop and a quartz-rich outcrop were used for imbibition experiments. Interfacial tension and contact angle measurements were performed to investigate the effect of temperature on the surfactant interaction in an oil/brine and oil/brine/rock system respectively. Finally, a series of spontaneous imbibition experiments was performed on three temperatures selected based on the cloud point of each surfactant in order to construct a temperature operating window for each surfactant. Both nonionic surfactants were observed to improve oil recovery from the two oil-wet oil/rock system tested in this study. The improvement was observed on both final recovery and rate of spontaneous imbibition. However, it was observed that each nonionic surfactant has its optimum temperature operating window relative to the cloud point of that surfactant. For both nonionic surfactants tested in this study, this window begins from the cloud point of the surfactant up to 25°F above the cloud point. Below this operating window, the surfactant showed subpar performance in increasing oil recovery. This behavior is caused by the thermodynamic equilibrium of the surfactant at this temperature which drives the molecule to be more soluble in the aqueous-phase as opposed to partitioning at the interface. Above the operating window, surfactant performance was also inferior. Although for this condition, the behavior is caused by the preference of the surfactant molecule to be in the oleic-phase rather than the aqueous-phase. One important conclusion is the surfactant achieved its optimum performance when it positions itself on the oil/water interface, and this configuration is achieved when the temperature of the system is in the operating window mentioned above. Additionally, it was also observed that the 25°F operating window varies based on the characteristic of the crude oil. A surfactant study is generally performed on a single basin, with a single crude oil on a single reservoir temperature or even on a proxy model at room temperature. This study aims to highlight the importance of applying the correct reservoir temperature when investigating nonionic surfactant behavior. Furthermore, this study aims to introduce a temperature operating window concept for nonionic surfactants. This work demonstrates that there is not a "one size fits all" surfactant design.

scholarly journals Effect of ionic strength in low salinity water injection processes

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-26
Author(s):  
Gustavo Maya Toro ◽  
Luisana Cardona Rojas ◽  
Mayra Fernanda Rueda Pelayo ◽  
Farid B. Cortes Correa
Keyword(s):  
Ionic Strength ◽  
Interfacial Tension ◽  
Crude Oil ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Spontaneous Imbibition ◽  
Low Salinity ◽  
Low Salinity Water ◽  
Salinity Water ◽  
Low Salinity Water Injection

Low salinity water injection has been frequently studied as an enhanced oil recovery process (EOR), mainly due to promising experimental results and because operational needs are not very different from those of the conventional water injection. However, there is no agreement on the mechanisms involved in increasing the displacement of crude oil, except for the effects of wettability changes. Water injection is the oil recovery method mostly used, and considering the characteristics of Colombian oil fields, this study analyses the effect of modifying the ionic composition of the waters involved in the process, starting from the concept of ionic strength (IS) in sandstone type rocks. The experimental plan for this research includes the evaluation of spontaneous imbibition (SI), contact angles, and displacement efficiencies in Berea core plugs. Interfacial tension and pH measurements were also carried out. The initial scenario consists in formation water (FW), with a total concentration of 9,800 ppm (TDS) (IS ~ 0.17) and a 27 °API crude oil. Magnesium and Calcium brine were also used in a first approach to assess the effect of the divalent ions. Displacement efficiency tests are performed using IS of 0.17, 0.08, and 0.05, as secondary and tertiary oil recovery and the recovery of oil increases in both scenarios. Spontaneous imbibition curves and contact angle measurements show variations as a function of the ionic strength, validating the displacement efficiencies. Interfacial tension and pH collected data evidence that fluid/fluid interactions occur due to ionic strength modifications. However, as per the conditions of this research, fluid/fluid mechanisms are not as determining as fluid/rock.

scholarly journals Effects of nanocomposite polymer flooding on Egyptian crude oil recovery

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 3937-3945
Author(s):  
M. E. Helmi ◽  
M. Abu El Ela ◽  
S. M. Desouky ◽  
M. H. Sayyouh
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Relative Permeability ◽  
Polymer Matrix ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Polymer Flooding ◽  
Western Desert ◽  
Polymerization Process ◽  
Reservoir Temperature ◽  
Nanocomposite Polymer ◽  
Relative Permeability Curves

Abstract In this work, a laboratory study of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) was carried out using Egyptian crude oil of 37°API extracted from a reservoir in the Western Desert to identify the optimum conditions for the application of locally prepared nanocomposite polymer flooding under harsh reservoir condition. In contrary to the other studies, we tested the ability of nanocomposite polymer where nanoparticles are involved in the polymer matrix during polymerization process. Measurements of viscosity and shear rate of several solutions were taken. Displacement runs were conducted at different conditions of nanocomposite polymer salinities (10,000, 20,000, 30,000, 40,000, 50,000, 60,000 and 65,000 ppm), concentrations (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 and 4 g/L) and slug sizes (0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 PV). A linear sandpack (length of 62.5 cm and diameter of 2″) was prepared and wrapped with thermal jacket to simulate several reservoir temperatures. It was filled by selected sand size to produce linear sandpack model with reasonable porosity (22%) and permeability (129–157 mD) values. The model was used to perform several displacements runs for waterflooding and nanocomposite polymer flooding. The results of the flood runs are analyzed using the water–oil relative permeability curves. The measurements of the solutions properties showed that the critical concentration of the used nanocomposite polymer in the solution is 2 g/L. Also, it was observed that the used nanocomposite polymer solution could withstand a salinity of 60,000 ppm. As a result of the flooding, it was found that the optimum economical slug size of the used nanocomposite polymer is 0.4 PV at reservoir temperature of 40 °C. The results indicated also that the used nanocomposite polymer could withstand a reservoir temperature of 90 °C. The water–oil relative permeability curves showed an enhancement of oil relative permeability and a decrease in the water relative permeability using nanocomposite polymer over waterflooding. The cost of the used nanocomposite polymer with a concentration of 2 g/L and slug size of 0.4 PV is 0.626 $ for each barrel of the incremental oil recovery. Based on the results of this work, it is clear that involving nanoparticles such as silica in the polymer matrix composition improves its properties, thermal and salinity resistivity. Such study is an original contribution to carry out successful nanocomposite polymer EOR projects.

Effect of Temperature on Surfactant Adsorption in Porous Media

1981 ◽  
Vol 21 (02) ◽  
pp. 218-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor M. Ziegler ◽  
Lyman L. Handy
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Nonionic Surfactant ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Steam Injection ◽  
Mineral Dissolution ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Surfactant Adsorption ◽  
Thermal Stabilities

Abstract The effect of temperature on the adsorption of asulfonate surfactant and a nonionic surfactant ontocrushed Berea sandstone was studied by both staticand dynamic techniques. Static experiments were conducted over atemperature range from 25 to 95 degrees C to definetemperature-sensitive rock/surfactant systems and toestablish the shape of the equilibrium isotherm.Dynamic experiments served to reinforce the findingsof the static tests and extended the temperature rangefor sorption to 80 degrees C. This is a typicalsteamflood temperature. A mathematical model thatincorporates the mass transport, thermal degradation, and rate-dependent adsorption of the surfactantrepresented these dynamic results. The model wasused to determine the effect of temperature on the sorption rate constants. Mineral dissolution at elevated temperatures hasbeen found to cause precipitation of the sulfonate.Adsorption of the nonionic surfactant decreased withan increase in temperature at low concentrations, whereas the opposite was true at high concentrations.This has favorable implications for a low-concentration injection scheme. When performingstatic adsorption experiments, care had to be takenbecause of the poor thermal stability of the nonionic surfactant. Introduction Injection of surfactants concurrently with steam intooil-bearing reservoirs has been proposed recentlyto improve the recovery efficiency of the steam-driveprocess. From the behavior of chemical additivespreviously used in steamfloods, it is anticipated thatthe injected surfactant will travel through thatportion of the reservoir being flooded by hot water. Oil recovery can be increased if the surfactanteffectively reduces the residual oil saturation withinthis hot-water zone. For concurrent surfactant/steam injection to be technically attractive, a synergisticeffect between the surfactant and temperature isdesired. In our concept of the process, the surfactant mustmove in the heated portion of the reservoir and beable to function as an effective recovery agent atelevated temperatures for prolonged periods of time.Surfactant screening, therefore, requires thisinformation:surfactant stability under steamfloodconditions,temperature effects on the interfacial tension (IFT) between the reservoir oil and aqueoussurfactant,an evaluation of the effect oftemperature on surfactant flood performance, andthe effect of temperature on surfactant adsorption atthe water/solid interface. Handy et al. reported the thermal stabilities ofseveral classes of surfactants. Hill et al. showed thattemperature can have a dramatic effect in reducingthe IFT between crude oil and an aqueous sulfonatesystem. Handy et al. saw a similar temperatureeffect for a nonionic-surfactant/crude-oil system. Itappears, therefore, that the required synergismbetween temperature and surface activity necessaryfor concurrent surfactant/steam injection exists.Surfactant core floods are required to evaluate theeffect of temperature on oil recovery. Finally, toensure that the surfactant moves in the heatedportion of the reservoir, it is necessary to determinethe effect of temperature on adsorption. SPEJ P. 218^

scholarly journals Chemical-Enhanced Oil Recovery Using N,N-Dimethylcyclohexylamine on a Colombian Crude Oil

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego R. Merchan-Arenas ◽  
Cindy Carolina Villabona-Delgado
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Enhanced Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Tertiary Amine ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Rock System ◽  
Recovery Yield ◽  
Oil Reserves ◽  
Secondary Recovery ◽  
Original Oil In Place

Oil recovery was improved using the tertiary amine, N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine (DMCHA), a powerful and promissory switchable solvent, in simulated conditions similar to the Colombian crude oil reserves. Firstly, the Colombian crude oil (CCO) and the soil were characterized completely. Afterwards, an aged crude-rock system was obtained to use DMCHA that gave an oil crude extraction of 80% in our preliminary studies. Thus, a sand-pack column (soil-kaolin, 95 : 5) frame saturated with CCO was used to simulate the conditions, in which DMCHA could recover the oil. After the secondary recovery process, 15.4–33.8% of original oil in place (OOIP) is obtained. Following the injection of DMCHA, the recovery yield rose to 87–97% of OOIP. Finally, 54–60% of DMCHA was recovered and reinjected without affecting its potential in the simulated conditions.

scholarly journals Design and characterization of oil-in-water nanoemulsion for enhanced oil recovery stabilized by amphiphilic copolymer, nonionic surfactant, and LAPONITE® RD

RSC Advances ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1952-1959
Author(s):  
Yi Zhao ◽  
Fangfang Peng ◽  
Yangchuan Ke
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Nonionic Surfactant ◽  
Enhanced Oil Recovery ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Small Particle ◽  
Amphiphilic Copolymer ◽  
Good Stability ◽  
Small Particle Size ◽  
Oil In Water

Emulsion with small particle size and good stability stabilized by emulsifiers was successfully prepared for EOR application.

scholarly journals Mechanism of active silica nanofluids based on interface-regulated effect during spontaneous imbibition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu-Guang Song ◽  
Ming-Wei Zhao ◽  
Cai-Li Dai ◽  
Xin-Ke Wang ◽  
Wen-Jiao Lv
Keyword(s):  
Contact Angle ◽  
Interfacial Tension ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Dynamic Contact Angle ◽  
Liquid Interface ◽  
Spontaneous Imbibition ◽  
Wettability Alteration ◽  
Low Permeability ◽  
Oil Water ◽  
Solid Liquid

AbstractThe ultra-low permeability reservoir is regarded as an important energy source for oil and gas resource development and is attracting more and more attention. In this work, the active silica nanofluids were prepared by modified active silica nanoparticles and surfactant BSSB-12. The dispersion stability tests showed that the hydraulic radius of nanofluids was 58.59 nm and the zeta potential was − 48.39 mV. The active nanofluids can simultaneously regulate liquid–liquid interface and solid–liquid interface. The nanofluids can reduce the oil/water interfacial tension (IFT) from 23.5 to 6.7 mN/m, and the oil/water/solid contact angle was altered from 42° to 145°. The spontaneous imbibition tests showed that the oil recovery of 0.1 wt% active nanofluids was 20.5% and 8.5% higher than that of 3 wt% NaCl solution and 0.1 wt% BSSB-12 solution. Finally, the effects of nanofluids on dynamic contact angle, dynamic interfacial tension and moduli were studied from the adsorption behavior of nanofluids at solid–liquid and liquid–liquid interface. The oil detaching and transporting are completed by synergistic effect of wettability alteration and interfacial tension reduction. The findings of this study can help in better understanding of active nanofluids for EOR in ultra-low permeability reservoirs.

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