Surfactant Transport Through Porous Media in Steam-Foam Processes

Abstract

Summary Experimental and theoretical studies show that the transport of steam-foam surfactants through reservoir sands can be substantially retarded as a result of cation exchange between the surfactant solution and the formation clays. Results, however, show that a high injected salinity favors surfactant propagation by displacing divalent cations faster and by reducing partitioning when divalent cations are present.