Core-scale modelling and numerical simulation of zwitterionic surfactant flooding: Designing of chemical slug for enhanced oil recovery

Abstract

Surfactant flooding is a proven enhanced oil recovery method for the recovery of trapped crude oil from the pores of the reservoir. In the present study, the applicability of a synthesized zwitterionic surfactant as an efficient EOR agent was tested, in terms of its interfacial tension reduction capability, emulsification behavior, and wettability modification behavior. Core flooding experiments conducted in sandstone core with the injection of 0.3 pore volume of chemical slug after water flooding showed 20% of additional oil recovery. The core flooding experiment was simulated using CMG-STARS simulator and history matching of relative permeability curve and its interpolation parameters were done. The validated model closely represented the experimental core flooding with very low error of 6%. The validated model helps in understanding the movement of crude oil and its interaction with the injected surfactant slug in the porous media. The validated model was further used for optimization of injected chemical slug by varying the parameters such as the surfactant concentration in the injected slug, the volume of injected chemical slug, and the injection rate of chemical slug. Each parameter had different effects on the oil recovery efficiency and cumulative oil recovery of more than 90% OOIP was obtained using model with injection of 1 PV of chemical slug containing 100 ppm of surfactant with the injection rate of 0.3 mL/min. The simulation of core flooding helped in optimization of crude oil production by zwitterionic surfactant and its implementation on field scale production by zwitterionic surfactant flooding.