Study of Enhanced Oil Recovery and Adsorption Using Glycerol in Surfactant Solution

Fabiola D S Curbelo,Danilo F Q Leite,Evanice M Paiva,Amanda B Carvalho,Alfredo Ismael C Garnica,Raphael R Silva

doi:10.3390/en13123135

Fabiola D S Curbelo, Danilo F Q Leite + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/en13123135

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Journal: Energies	Publication Date: Jun 17, 2020
Citations: 7	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Universidade Federal da Paraíba

Abstract

Over time, oil production in a reservoir tends to decrease, which makes it difficult to flow through the reservoir to the well, making its production increasingly difficult and costly. Due to their physical properties, such as reducing the water/oil interfacial tension, surfactants have been used in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes, however, their adsorption presents as an undesirable and inevitable factor and can decrease the efficiency of the method. This work’s main objective is to evaluate the effect of glycerol in the adsorption of surfactants in sandstones, as well as in the recovery factor during EOR. Brine solutions containing the nonionic surfactant saponified coconut oil (SCO), with and without glycerol, were used in the adsorption and oil recovery tests in sandstone. Adsorption, recovery, rheological, and thermogravimetric analysis were carried out. Regarding the surfactant/glycerol/brine solution, there was an improvement in the oil mobility, as the glycerol contributed to an increase in the viscosity of the solution, thereby increasing the sweep efficiency. The recovery factor obtained for the surfactant solution with glycerol was satisfactory, being 53% higher than without glycerol, because it simultaneously provided an increase in viscosity and a decrease in interfacial tension, both of which are beneficial for the efficiency of the process.

Highlights

The oil reservoir’s production time is divided in conventional recovery and enhanced recovery.In conventional recovery, it is observed that the formation’s own energy, combined with the pumping of fluids without any chemical reaction with the reservoir’s oil, is applied in extraction
The main objective of this work was to study the effect of glycerol on surfactant adsorption in
(2) the viscosityadsorption of the SCOmodel surfactant/glycerol solution was close to oil, andshowing good mobility ratios adsorption; (2)

Summary

Introduction

The oil reservoir’s production time is divided in conventional recovery and enhanced recovery. It is observed that the formation’s own energy, combined with the pumping of fluids without any chemical reaction with the reservoir’s oil, is applied in extraction. In enhanced oil recovery, particular mechanisms take place, in order to partially maintain the formation’s energy. Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) aims to further increase the recovery factor by injecting displacing fluids to modify the formation’s conditions and displacement mechanism [1,2,3]. In conventional oil recovery processes, water or natural gas is used as the injection fluid. Before being injected, the water must be subjected to a treatment, in order to make it more suitable for the reservoir and the fluids in it [4,5]

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