Investigating the foaming behavior of a soybean derived surfactant for gas well deliquification in a sparger setup

Abstract

Surfactant injection is one of the common gas-well deliquification techniques to enhance gas productivity. However, most traditional chemical-based surfactants are often nonbiodegradable, toxic, and lead to environmental and potential health risks. There is a need to investigate surfactants of natural origins, soybean derived surfactants (SODS) offer promising eco-friendly alternatives. It is crucial to understand the foaming behavior of the biosurfactant and its effectiveness in the deliquification process. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the foaming characteristics of SODS and correlate its dynamic surface tension to the foaming properties of other known surfactant solutions using a sparger setup.The results showed that the SODS can generate stable foams and have the potential to mitigate liquid loading problems in gas wells. The bubble formation at the tip of the sparger is highly dependent on the bubble size and foam drainage, so, the surface tension reduction rate is inversely proportional to the bubble radius for all the surfactants under study. Consequently, the total foam weight and foam density of SODS are determined at the top of the production column of the experimental setup, hence the liquid content of the foam () determines the foam formation for the biosurfactant. Also, the foaming qualities in terms of foamability and foam stability increase with maximum for the all the surfactants used. The sparger configuration agrees with the Ross-Miles test for and with the R2 value of 0.91 The study offers a novel strategy for effective gas well deliquification using surfactants with natural origins, furthering sustainable practices in the oil and gas production sector.