Abstract
Generating strong and stable foam is necessary to achieve in-depth conformance control in the reservoir. Besides other parameters, the chemistry of injection water can significantly impact foam generation and stabilization. The tailored water chemistry was found to have good potential to improve foam stability. The objective of this study is to extensively evaluate the effect of different aqueous ions in the selected tailored water chemistry formulations on foam stabilization. Bulk and dynamic foam experiments were used to evaluate the impact of different tailored water chemistry aqueous ions on foam generation and stabilization. For bulk foam tests, the stability of foams generated using three surfactants and different aqueous ions was analyzed using bottle tests. For dynamic foam experiments, the tests were conducted using a microfluidic device. The results clearly demonstrated that the ionic content of aqueous solutions can significantly affect foam stabilization. The results revealed that the foam stabilization in bulk is different than that in porous media. Depending on the surfactant type, the divalent ions were found to have stronger influence on foam stabilization when compared to monovalent ions. The bulk foam results pointed out that the aqueous solutions containing calcium chloride salt (CaCl2) showed longer foam life with the anionic surfactant and very weak foam with the nonionic surfactant. The solutions with magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and CaCl2 salts displayed higher impact on foam stability in comparison with sodium chloride (NaCl) with the amphoteric alkyl amine surfactant. Less stable foams were generated with aqueous solutions comprising of both magnesium and calcium ions. In the microfluidic model, the solutions containing MgCl2 showed higher resistance to gas flow and subsequently higher mobility reduction factor for the injection gas when compared to those produced using NaCl and CaCl2 salts. This experimental study focusing about the role of different aqueous ions in the injection water on foam could help in better understanding the foam stabilization process. The new knowledge gained can also enable the selection and optimization of the right injection water chemistry and suitable chemicals for foam field applications.
Highlights
The number of new field discoveries has been declining in recent years, and the remaining oil after the application of common recovery methods is significant in existing fields (Manrique et al 2010)
The objective of this study is to extensively evaluate the effect of different aqueous ions in the selected tailored water chemistry formulations that were previously described and used by AlYousef et al (2020a, b) on foam stabilization and mobility control
The static foam tests were conducted for three surfactants to investigate the effect of different aqueous ions: Na+, Cl−, Mg2+, and C a2+ on foam stability and strength
Summary
The number of new field discoveries has been declining in recent years, and the remaining oil after the application of common recovery methods is significant in existing fields (Manrique et al 2010). To keep up with the rising demand for energy, various technologies that can improve oil recovery need to be investigated. Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) refers to the augmentation of natural energy through the injection of fluids to displace oil toward producing wells (Babadagli 2020). The injected fluids create favorable conditions for oil recovery such as oil swelling, oil viscosity reduction, and wettability alteration (Manrique et al 2010). The ultimate goal of any EOR method is to reduce the residual oil saturation which is controlled by the interactions at the pore scale
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
