Evaluation of a Nonionic Surfactant Foam for CO2 Mobility Control in a Heterogeneous Carbonate Reservoir

Abstract

Summary In this paper, we describe a laboratory investigation of a nonionic surfactant for carbon dioxide-(CO2-) foam mobility control in the East Seminole field, a heterogeneous carbonate reservoir in the Permian Basin of west Texas. A method of high-performance liquid chromatography-evaporativelight-scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD) was followed for characterizing the surfactant stability. The foam transport process was studied in the absence and the presence of East Seminole crude oil, with test results showing that strong CO2-foam forms in either a bulk-foam test or foam-flow test. An oxygen scavenger, carbohydrazide, was found effective for controlling the stability of the surfactant up to 80°C and total dissolved solid of ∼34,000 ppm. Moreover, a phosphonate scale inhibitor was investigated and found to be compatible with the oxygen scavenger to accommodate a surfactant solution in a gypsum-oversaturated reservoir brine. During the oil-fractional flow test, an emulsion appears to form, causing a noticeable pressure increase; however, emulsion generation failed to cause a significant phase plugging in the test. Also, a STARS™ (Computer Modelling Group Ltd., Calgary, Alberta, Canada) foam model was applied to obtain the foam parameters from the foam-flow experiments at steady-state conditions. The insights from laboratory experiments better enable translation of the foam technology to the field.