The Role of Emulsification and Interfacial Tension Ift For the Enhanced Oil Recovery Eor in Surfactant Flooding

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxiao Li ◽  
Xiang'an Yue ◽  
Jirui Zou ◽  
Lijuan Zhang ◽  
Kang Tang
Keyword(s):  
Interfacial Tension ◽  
Crude Oil ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Surfactant Flooding ◽  
Displacement Efficiency ◽  
Oil Viscosity ◽  
Oil Film ◽  
Oil Flow ◽  
Emulsifying Capacity

Abstract In this study, a visualized physical model of artificial oil film was firstly designed to investigate the oil film displacement mechanisms. Numerous comparative experiments were conducted to explore the detachment mechanisms of oil film and oil recovery performances in different fluid mediums with flow rate. In addition, the of influencing factors of oil film were comprehensively evaluated, which mainly includes: flow rate, surfactant behaviors, and crude oil viscosity. The results show that, (1) regardless of the viscosity of crude oil, flow rate presents a limited contribution to the detachment of oil film and the maximum of ultimate oil film displacement efficiency is only approximately 10%; (2) surfactant flooding has a synergistic effect on the oil film displacement on two aspects of interfacial tension (ITF) reduction and emulsifying capacity. Giving the most outstanding performance for two oil samples in all runs, IFT reduction of ultra-low value is not the only decisive factor affecting oil film displacement efficiency, but the emulsifying capability plays the key role to the detachment of oil film due to effect of emulsifying and dispersing on oil film; (3) the increasing flow rate of surfactant flooding is able to enhance the detachment of oil film but has an objective effect on the final oil film displacement efficiency; (4) flow rate have the much influence on the detachment of oil film, but the most easily controlled factor is the surfactant property. The finding provides basis for oil film detachment and surfactant selection EOR application.

Asphaltene Deposition Induced by Carbon Oxide and its Influence on Displacement Efficiency

2012 ◽  
Vol 594-597 ◽  
pp. 2451-2454
Author(s):  
Feng Lan Zhao ◽  
Ji Rui Hou ◽  
Shi Jun Huang
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Carbon Oxide ◽  
Viscosity Reduction ◽  
Core Flooding ◽  
Displacement Efficiency ◽  
Oil Composition ◽  
Oil Viscosity ◽  
Asphaltene Deposition ◽  
Total Oil

CO2is inclined to dissolve in crude oil in the reservoir condition and accordingly bring the changes in the crude oil composition, which will induce asphaltene deposition and following formation damage. In this paper, core flooding device is applied to study the effect of asphaltene deposition on flooding efficiency. From the flooding results, dissolution of CO2into oil leads to recovery increase because of crude oil viscosity reduction. But precipitated asphaltene particles may plug the pores and throats, which will make the flooding effects worse. Under the same experimental condition and with equivalent crude oil viscosity, the recovery of oil with higher proportion of precipitated asphaltene was relatively lower during the CO2flooding, so the asphltene precipitation would affect CO2displacement efficiSubscript textency and total oil recovery to some extent. Combination of static diffusion and dynamic oil flooding would provide basic parameters for further study of the CO2flooding mechanism and theoretical evidence for design of CO2flooding programs and forecasting of asphaltene deposition.

Characterization of Surfactant Flooding for Light Oil Using Gum Arabic

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 136-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwaseun Taiwo ◽  
Kelani Bello ◽  
Ismaila Mohammed ◽  
Olalekan Olafuyi
Keyword(s):  
Interfacial Tension ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Surfactant Concentration ◽  
Sodium Dodecyl ◽  
Gum Arabic ◽  
Polymer Flooding ◽  
Water Flooding ◽  
Surfactant Flooding ◽  
Acacia Senegal

Surfactant flooding, a chemical IOR technique is one of the viable EOR processes for recovering additional oil after water flooding. This is because it reduces the interfacial tension between the oil and water and allows trapped oil to be released for mobilization by a polymer.In this research, two sets of experiments were performed. First, the optimum surfactant concentration was determined through surfactant polymer flooding using a range of surfactant concentration of 0.1% to 0.6% and 15% of polymer. Secondly, another set of experiments to determine the optimum flow rate for surfactant flooding was carried out using the optimum surfactant concentration obtained. Lauryl Sulphate (Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate, SDS), an anionic surfactant, was used to alter the interfacial tension and reduce capillary pressure while Gum Arabic, an organic adhesive gotten from the hardened sap of the Acacia Senegal and Acacia Seyal trees, having a similar molecular structure and chemical characteristics with Xanthan Gum, was the polymer used to mobilize the oil.The results show that above 0.5%, oil recovery decreases with increase in concentration such that between 0.5 and 0.6%, a decrease of (20% -19%) is recorded. This suggests that it would be uneconomical to exceed surfactant concentration of 0.5%. It is shown in the result of the first set of experiments that a range of oil recovery of 59% to 76% for water flooding and a range of 11.64% to 20.02% additional oil recovery for surfactant Polymer flooding for a range of surfactant flow rate of surfactant concentration of 0.1% to 0.6%. For the second sets of experiments, a range of oil recovery of 64% to 68% for water flooding and a range of 15% to 24% additional oil recovery for surfactant flooding for a range of surfactant flow rate of surfactant flow rate of 1cc/min to 6cc/min. The Optimum surfactant flow rate resulting in the highest oil recovery for the chosen core size is 3cc/min. It's highly encouraged that the critical displacement rate is maintained to prevent the development of slug fingers.In summary, an optimum Surfactant flow rate is required for better performance of a Surfactant flooding.

A Study of Oil Displacement by Microemulsion Systems Mechanisms and Phase Behavior

1980 ◽  
Vol 20 (06) ◽  
pp. 459-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.P. Willhite ◽  
D.W. Green ◽  
D.M. Okoye ◽  
M.D. Looney
Keyword(s):  
Interfacial Tension ◽  
Phase Behavior ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Surfactant Solution ◽  
Residual Oil ◽  
Surfactant Flooding ◽  
Displacement Efficiency ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
The Core ◽  
Oil Displacement

Abstract Microemulsions located in a narrow single-phase region on the phase diagram for the quaternary system consisting of nonane, isopropyl alcohol, Witco TRS 10-80 petroleum sulfonate, and brine were used to investigate the effect of phase behavior on displacement efficiency of the micellar flooding process. Microemulsion floods were conducted at reservoir rates in 4-ft (1.22-m) Berea cores containing brine and residual nonane. Two floods were made using large (1.0-PV) slugs. A third flood used a 0.1-PV slug followed by a mobility buffer of polyacrylamide. Extensive analyses of the core effluents were made for water, nonane, alcohol, and mono- and polysulfonates. An oil bank developed which broke through at 0.08 to 0.1 PV, and 48 to 700/0 of the oil was recovered in this bank which preceeded breakthrough of monosulfonate and alcohol. Coincidental with the arrival of these components of the slug, the effluent became a milky white macroemulsion which partially separated upon standing. Additional oil was recovered with the macroemulsion. Ultimate recoveries were 90 to 100% of the residual oil. Low apparent interfacial tension was observed between the emulsion and nonane. Alcohol arrived in the effluent at the same time as monosulfonate even though there was extensive adsorption of the sulfonate. Further, alcohol appeared in the effluent well after sulfonate production had ceased, indicating retention of the alcohol in the core. A qualitative model describing the displacement process was inferred from the appearance of the produced fluids and the analyses of the effluents. Introduction Surfactant flooding (micellar or microemulsion) is one of the enhanced oil recovery methods being developed to recover residual oil left after waterflooding. Two approaches to surfactant flooding have evolved in practice. In one, relatively large volumes (0.25 PV) of low-concentration surfactant solution are used to create low-tension waterfloods.1,2 Oil is mobilized by reduction of interfacial tension to levels on the order of about 10−3 dyne/ cm (10−3 mN/m). The second approach involves the application of small volumes (0.03 to 0.1 PV) of high-concentration solutions.3,4 These solutions are miscible to some extent with the formation water and/or crude oil. Consequently, miscibility between the surfactant solution and oil and/or low interfacial tensions contribute to the oil displacement efficiency. The relative importance of these mechanisms has been the subject of several papers5,6 and discussions.7,8

The Study of the Oil Unit Connectivity for Microscopic Displacement Efficiency by CT Scan

2012 ◽  
Vol 529 ◽  
pp. 560-563
Author(s):  
Hui Lu ◽  
Sheng Lai Yang ◽  
Yan Bin Zhang ◽  
Li Xie ◽  
Ke Hou Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Viscosity Ratio ◽  
Surfactant Flooding ◽  
Displacement Efficiency ◽  
Reservoir Rocks ◽  
Cylinder Model ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
The Impact

In this paper, the main factors that affect the displacement efficiency were experimental studied by means of the physical cylinder model filled with sand, based on the high efficiency of oil displacing water in the process of hydrocarbon accumulation. After eliminating of some factors that affect displacement efficiency, such as viscosity ratio, wettability and reservoir heterogeneity and so on, the research founds that the crude oil unit connectivity, that is continuity of displaced phase, has a significant impact on the displacement efficiency. The experimental results show that the crude oil unit connectivity is more than wettability, and not less than viscosity, as the factors of the impact of displacement efficiency. If the crude oil unit connectivity is serious damaged, even if the wettability of reservoir rocks was changed by improving the viscosity of injected water, its effect of enhanced oil recovery should not be obvious. In fact, this is main reason that the effect of current the EOR method such as polymer flooding, surfactant flooding and stuff was not obvious. It is expected that the research results will be useful in the displacement efficiency of waterflooding that is controlled by the crude oil unit connectivity.

Analysing for Flow Field of Water Displacing Oil in Microscopic Pore

2013 ◽  
Vol 774-776 ◽  
pp. 267-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Jun Zhao ◽  
Qing Sheng Li ◽  
Xu Sheng Wang
Keyword(s):  
Interfacial Tension ◽  
Pressure Gradient ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Isothermal Condition ◽  
High Water ◽  
Flow Equation ◽  
Displacement Efficiency ◽  
Generalized Newtonian Fluid ◽  
Oil Film ◽  
High Water Cut

At present, most of the oil fields have already got in high water cut period. For the problem of enhancing oil recovery, the impacts of pressure gradient, the width of the runner, the height of the oil film, the interfacial tension between oil and water, and viscosity on velocity distribution and stress distribution are considered. Using the constitutional equation of generalized Newtonian fluid under the isothermal condition, the flow equation of the water is set up which can describe the flow of the water flowing in the microscopic pores. A numerical simulation for the model is carried out by using Polyflow. The results show that the more pressure gradient, the greater of the oil film height, the smaller interfacial tension between oil and water, there is the better displacement efficiency.

scholarly journals Study of Injection Method for Maximizing Oil-Cooling Performance of Electric Vehicle Motor with Hairpin Winding

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 747
Author(s):  
Taewook Ha ◽  
Dong Kyu Kim
Keyword(s):  
Electric Vehicle ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Film Formation ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Cooling Performance ◽  
Oil Film ◽  
Injection Method ◽  
Cooling Method ◽  
Oil Flow ◽  
Oil Injection

The oil injection method was studied to maximize the cooling performance of an electric vehicle motor with a hairpin winding. The cooling performance of the motor using the oil cooling method is proportional to the contact area of the oil and the coil. A numerical analysis was conducted to examine the effect of the spray nozzle type on the oil flow. The dripping nozzle forms the thickest oil film on the coil, making it the most effective for cooling of hairpin-type motors. Subsequently, an experimental study was conducted to optimize the nozzle diameter and number of nozzles. When the inlet diameter and number was 6.35 mm and 6, the oil film formation rate was 53%, yielding the most uniform oil film. Next, an experiment was performed to investigate the effects of the oil temperature and flow rate on the oil flow. The oil film formation rate was the highest (83%) when the oil temperature was 40 °C and the flow rate was 6 LPM.

scholarly journals Role of Shearing Dispersion and Stripping in Wax Deposition in Crude Oil Pipelines

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 4325
Author(s):  
Zhihua Wang ◽  
Yunfei Xu ◽  
Yi Zhao ◽  
Zhimin Li ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crude Oil ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Critical Flow ◽  
Wax Deposition ◽  
Dominant Effect ◽  
Critical Flow Rate ◽  
Oil Pipelines ◽  
Oil Flow ◽  
Shearing Mechanism

Wax deposition during crude oil transmission can cause a series of negative effects and lead to problems associated with pipeline safety. A considerable number of previous works have investigated the wax deposition mechanism, inhibition technology, and remediation methods. However, studies on the shearing mechanism of wax deposition have focused largely on the characterization of this phenomena. The role of the shearing mechanism on wax deposition has not been completely clarified. This mechanism can be divided into the shearing dispersion effect caused by radial migration of wax particles and the shearing stripping effect caused by hydrodynamic scouring. From the perspective of energy analysis, a novel wax deposition model was proposed that considered the flow parameters of waxy crude oil in pipelines instead of its rheological parameters. Considering the two effects of shearing dispersion and shearing stripping coexist, with either one of them being the dominant mechanism, a shearing dispersion flux model and a shearing stripping model were established. Furthermore, a quantitative method to distinguish between the roles of shearing dispersion and shearing stripping in wax deposition was developed. The results indicated that the shearing mechanism can contribute an average of approximately 10% and a maximum of nearly 30% to the wax deposition process. With an increase in the oil flow rate, the effect of the shearing mechanism on wax deposition is enhanced, and its contribution was demonstrated to be negative; shear stripping was observed to be the dominant mechanism. A critical flow rate was observed when the dominant effect changes. When the oil flow rate is lower than the critical flow rate, the shearing dispersion effect is the dominant effect; its contribution rate increases with an increase in the oil flow temperature. When the oil flow rate is higher than the critical flow rate, the shearing stripping effect is the dominant effect; its contribution rate increases with an increase in the oil flow temperature. This understanding can be used to design operational parameters of the actual crude oil pipelines and address the potential flow assurance problems. The results of this study are of great significance for understanding the wax deposition theory of crude oil and accelerating the development of petroleum industry pipelines.

Numerical effects on the simulation of surfactant flooding for enhanced oil recovery

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaitan Akinyele ◽  
Karl D. Stephen
Keyword(s):  
Interfacial Tension ◽  
Cell Size ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Flow In Porous Media ◽  
Numerical Dispersion ◽  
Sharp Change ◽  
Surfactant Flooding ◽  
Fractional Flow ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Scale Models

Abstract Numerical simulation of surfactant flooding using conventional reservoir simulation models can lead to unreliable forecasts and bad decisions due to the appearance of numerical effects. The simulations give approximate solutions to systems of nonlinear partial differential equations describing the physical behavior of surfactant flooding by combining multiphase flow in porous media with surfactant transport. The approximations are made by discretization of time and space which can lead to spurious pulses or deviations in the model outcome. In this work, the black oil model was simulated using the decoupled implicit method for various conditions of reservoir scale models to investigate behaviour in comparison with the analytical solution obtained from fractional flow theory. We investigated changes to cell size and time step as well as the properties of the surfactant and how it affects miscibility and flow. The main aim of this study was to understand pulse like behavior that has been observed in the water bank to identify cause and associated conditions. We report for the first time that the pulses occur in association with the simulated surfactant water flood front and are induced by a sharp change in relative permeability as the interfacial tension changes. Pulses are diminished when the adsorption rate was within the value of 0.0002kg/kg to 0.0005kg/kg. The pulses are absent for high resolution model of 5000 cells in x direction with a typical cell size as used in well-scale models. The growth or damping of these pulses may vary from case to case but in this instance was a result of the combined impact of relative mobility, numerical dispersion, interfacial tension and miscibility. Oil recovery under the numerical problems reduced the performance of the flood, due to large amounts of pulses produced. Thus, it is important to improve existing models and use appropriate guidelines to stop oscillations and remove errors.

Research and Application of Multi-Slug and Equi-Fluidity Oil Displacement Mechanism

2015 ◽  
Vol 733 ◽  
pp. 43-46
Author(s):  
Jiang Min Zhao ◽  
Tian Ge Li
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Gradient ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Oil Recovery ◽  
Recovery Rate ◽  
Actual Situation ◽  
Displacement Efficiency ◽  
Displacement Method ◽  
Oil Displacement ◽  
Oil Displacement Efficiency ◽  
Swept Volume

In this paper, several aspects of the improvement of the oil recovery were analyzed theoretically based on the mechanism that equi-fluidity enhances the pressure gradient. These aspects include the increase of the flow rate and the recovery rate, of the swept volume, and of the oil displacement efficiency. Also, based on the actual situation, the author designed the oil displacement method with gathered energy equi-fluidity, realizing the expectation of enhancing oil recovery with multi-slug and equi-fluidity oil displacement method.

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