Effects of Fluid Aging and Reservoir Temperature on Waterflooding in 2.5D Glass Micromodels

Le-Anh, Duy; Rao, Ashit; Schlautmann, Stefan; Stetten, Amy Z.; Ayirala, Subhash C.; Alotaibi, Mohammed B.; Duits, Michael H.G.; Gardeniers, Han; Yousef, Ali; Mugele, Friedrich Gunther

doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.1c03670

Cited by 8 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 92 publications

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“…While the inorganic constituents of formation water such as sulfate ions are known to impact the initial wetting of carbonate rocks by complex oils, we further reveal that the initial attachment of water-soluble oil components modulates organo–mineral interactions on oil contact. The preconditioning of mineral surfaces in FW could be crucial even in oil displacement, with previous observations showing decreased recovery in imbibition tests of CROs with high contents of water-soluble acids and higher residual oil saturation values in microfluidic models on initial aging with both FW and CRO rather than the oil alone …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…The preconditioning of mineral surfaces in FW could be crucial even in oil displacement, with previous observations showing decreased recovery in imbibition tests of CROs with high contents of water-soluble acids 45 and higher residual oil saturation values in microfluidic models on initial aging with both FW and CRO rather than the oil alone. 67 Note that the deposition of PAHs on calcite surfaces is heterogeneous, indicated by the wide distributions of Raman intensities (I max ) (Figure 2d). We attribute this chemical heterogeneity to surface features, such as pits, steps, and terraces, inherent to the (even freshly cleaved) Iceland spar.…”

Section: ■ Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Formation and Stability of Heterogeneous Organo–Ionic Surface Layers on Geological Carbonates

et al. 2022

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Many geological processes from oil recovery to underground CO2 storage are affected by natural molecules adsorbed on rock surfaces. Yet, geochemical models tend to overlook their formation and stability, let alone existence. With a suite of analytical techniques, we address this “missing-link” and describe fundamental mechanisms for (i) the deposition of surface-active molecules in complex brines and oils on underground minerals and (ii) the desorption of heterogeneous sorbents and its dependence on aqueous composition. First, we show that organic and inorganic constituents of both formation water and crude oil form an organo–ionic surface layer on calcite. Primary modifiers are revealed as aqueous and nonaqueous polyaromatic molecules with polar and metal-binding functional groups and solubility characteristics of asphaltenes. Formed via π-stacking and ionic and hydrogen bonding interactions, the heterogeneous organo–ionic layer establishes a physical barrier between the mineral and ambient atmosphere/fluid, impacting the dissolution and wettability of rocks. Second, we investigate desorption of the organo–ionic layer in various brines under flow and static conditions. With chromatographic and spectroscopic methods (including Raman and sum-frequency generation), we show that the release of adsorbed material from carbonate surfaces encompasses key coupled reactions: (i) dissolution of “brine-soluble” asphaltenes, leading to relative interfacial enrichment of bulky “brine-insoluble” asphaltenes, (ii) nanoscale orientational changes of surface asphaltene assemblies, carbonate ions, and water molecules at the brine–rock interface, and (iii) dissolution and surface reconstruction of the carbonate mineral. Through these reactions, the “low-salinity effect” is uncovered as a two-stage desorption process: the initial release or selective extraction of “water-soluble” sorbents and subsequent delamination of residual “water-insoluble” asphaltenes from the dissolving mineral surface. Illuminating the surface reactions of geological minerals, we conclude that surface passivation by heterogeneous organo–ionic matter is not only ubiquitous in nature but also a key regulator of the interfacial chemistry, reactivity and wettability of underground rocks.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 76%

Section: ■ Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Formation and Stability of Heterogeneous Organo–Ionic Surface Layers on Geological Carbonates

et al. 2022

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“…The used oil is a “dead” crude oil (CRO) sample obtained from a carbonate reservoir. The physicochemical characterization of CRO was performed by a certified laboratory at Saybolt Nederland B.V., and viscosity was measured with a Haake RS600 controlled stress rheometer using a Couette geometry and reported in our previous works. ,,, The results of the CRO compositional analysis are shown in the Supporting Information, Table S1. The CRO was stored in airtight containers and agitated before use to promote the homogeneous distribution of components.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microscopic Characterization of Mineral Dissolution and Precipitation at Variable Salinity for Improved Oil Recovery in Carbonate Reservoirs

Megens,

Alghamdi,

Stetten

et al. 2024

Energy Fuels

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Aging of carbonate mineral surfaces in brines of variable salinity and crude oil leads to massive transformations of surface topography and chemical composition including the formation of mixed organic−inorganic interfacial layers. The response of these interfacial layers to variations in brine composition is responsible for local (chemical) wettability alteration and therefore becomes the main microscopic driver for improved oil recovery in low-salinity water flooding or SmartWater flooding. In this study, a new method was developed to directly visualize local nanoscale dissolution and (re)precipitation around the three-phase contact line on model calcite surfaces in the presence of crude oil and ambient brine upon aging. The sessile microscopic oil drops on calcite surfaces were exposed to brines of variable composition at room temperature (22 °C) and at elevated temperatures (95 °C) for up to 2 weeks. Brines ranged from hypersaline formation water to diluted high-salinity water, in part enriched with Mg 2+ or SO 4 2− ions. In situ optical and ex situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging of the calcite surfaces was performed prior to and after aging, complemented by confocal Raman imaging. Optical images show that crude oil drops remained attached to the mineral surfaces throughout all aging procedures studied and displayed only occasional minor relaxations of their shape at elevated temperatures. Ex situ AFM images after calcite cleaning and drying displayed strong marks of the original droplet positions that appeared either as holes or as protruding mesas with respect to the surrounding surface level, with height differences up to several hundred nanometers. The sessile oil drops are thus found to protect the underlying calcite surface from both precipitation and dissolution, in overall agreement with the macroscopic calcite saturation of the brines. The qualitative trends are consistent for all conditions investigated, notwithstanding a higher degree of variability at elevated temperatures and upon preaging in oil-equilibrated formation water. In contrast to the calcite−brine interface that undergoes these massive transformations, the oil−calcite interface remains overall remarkably inert. Only at 95 °C does the occasional appearance of roundish rims accompanied by hillocks suggest the growth of water drops during aging, possibly via exchange across thin aqueous layers.

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“…Step 7 : To analyze the distribution of oil-brine, the microscopic images were further processed to obtain the sweep efficiency. Based on the recognition of various fluids and rock-occupied regions by Python Opencv2, the horizontal sweep efficiency can be accurately converted to a pixel value for calculation as shown in eq : , E sh = P X ( o ) P X ( o ) + P X ( w ) × 100 % where E sh is the horizontal sweep efficiency, PX (o) is the oil phase pixel, and PX (w) is the water phase pixel. Step 8 : The images from the microfluidic model were utilized to examine the horizontal sweep efficiency of various injection velocities.…”

Section: Experimental Setup and Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Microvisual Investigation on Steam-Assisted Heavy Oil Extraction Behavior in Heterogeneous Porous Media

Wang

Loh

et al. 2023

Energy Fuels

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The heterogeneity of pores, an inevitable and intractable challenge during steam flooding, directly induces channeling phenomenon and seriously suppresses oil recovery. Additionally, prolonged exposure of steam exacerbates the diversion capacity of pores with different sizes, thereby exerting further influence on the shape and amount of remaining oil. Considering the microscopic aspect, the variation coefficient of pore size is remarked to characterize the heterogeneity of porous media. In this work, cores with microcomputerized tomography (micro-CT) and microfluidic models with image recognition are employed to research the oil−water distribution and occurrence of remaining oil affected by temperature and velocity in porous media. The results from core displacement experiments show that high temperature and strong heterogeneity conjointly increase the proportion of membranous oil and decrease the proportion of aggregated remaining oil, indicating that the sweep efficiency is increasing. Specially, when the temperature increases from 100 to 150 °C, the sweep efficiency exhibits a notable increase of more than 15%. In contrast, when the temperature rises from 200 to 250 °C, the corresponding increment is less than 2%. From the results of the microfluidic model, the great injection velocity and weak heterogeneity synergistically expand the horizontal sweep region. Through the examination of the macroscopic distribution and microscopic occurrence of remaining oil during steam flooding with varying injection parameters, the impact of steam flooding on heavy oil in heterogeneous reservoirs can be effectively and comprehensively demonstrated. The findings of this work offer promising application prospects in terms of optimizing the sweep efficiency through the adjustment of steam injection temperature and velocity, which can have positive impacts.

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Effects of Fluid Aging and Reservoir Temperature on Waterflooding in 2.5D Glass Micromodels

Cited by 8 publications

References 92 publications

Formation and Stability of Heterogeneous Organo–Ionic Surface Layers on Geological Carbonates

Formation and Stability of Heterogeneous Organo–Ionic Surface Layers on Geological Carbonates

Microscopic Characterization of Mineral Dissolution and Precipitation at Variable Salinity for Improved Oil Recovery in Carbonate Reservoirs

Microvisual Investigation on Steam-Assisted Heavy Oil Extraction Behavior in Heterogeneous Porous Media

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