Modified Brine Salinity and Nanoparticles Size-Dependent Emulsion Formation in Enhanced Oil Recovery

Abstract

Summary The effect of modified brine salinity and varying size of CaCO3 nanoparticles on emulsion formation was investigated for different brine-oil-nanoparticles systems. Emulsion formation experiments were performed by employing a commercially available sonication equipment, Branson Sonifier® SFX250. The brine salinity showed a significant effect on emulsion formation in decane-brine-nanoparticles (50 nm CaCO3) systems i.e., a decrease in brine salinity showed an increase in emulsion formation and correspondingly smaller size of emulsion droplets. Similarly, decane-brine (deionized water) sonicated with different size of CaCO3 nanoparticles (15–40, 50, and 90 nm) showed that emulsion formation is inversely related to the size of nanoparticles i.e., increases with a decrease in size of nanoparticles and correspondingly smaller size of emulsion droplets. Emulsion results will be presented for different model and crude oils sonicated with brines of different salinity (North Sea water, deionised water, and formation water) in the presence of three different sizes of CaCO3 nanoparticles (15–40, 50, and 90 nm). Emulsion characterization of brine-oil-CaCO3 nanoparticles systems presented in this work will help in understating the interaction of CaCO3 nanoparticles with brine-oil in the chalk reservoirs and its potential application in enhanced oil recovery.