Quantitative investigation of nanofluid imbibition in tight oil reservoirs based on NMR technique

Abstract

Nanofluids have been effective chemical additives for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in tight oil reservoirs due to their special properties. However, oil imbibition recoveries vary for different nanofluids. The oil/water distribution in rocks during imbibition using various nanofluids was less discussed in previous studies. In this study, we systematically examined the imbibition efficiencies of various nanofluids at 60 °C. Furthermore, the migration of nanofluids and oil distribution in the rock pores were monitored using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The nanofluids were prepared by dispersing silica nanoparticles and five different types of surfactants (i.e., anionic-nonionic, anionic, nonionic, amphoteric and cationic surfactants in deionized (DI) water. Subsequently, interfacial tension (IFT) and contact angle measurements were conducted to reveal the underlying EOR mechanisms of various nanofluids. The experimental results showed that the EOR potential of the different types of nanofluids was in the order anionic-nonionic > anionic > nonionic > amphoteric > cationic > brine. Anionic-nonionic (sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES)) and anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS)) nanofluids exhibited excellent capability of wettability alteration, and increased oil recovery by 27.96% and 23.08%, respectively, compared to brine. The NMR results also showed that mesopores (0.1–1 μm) were the dominant developed pores in the rocks, and contributed the most to imbibition efficiency. In addition, the imbibition of nanofluids initially took place in mesopores and micropores before moving into macropores. This study provides fundamental information on the selection of nanofluids for EOR in tight oil reservoirs. The study also improved the understanding of oil/water distribution during the imbibition of the proposed nanofluids.