Surfactant Induced Wettability Alteration in Porous Media

Spinler, E.A.; Baldwin, B.A.

doi:10.1017/cbo9780511524844.006

Cited by 33 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…Several works 18,33,34 provide an excellent overview of the mechanisms by which this can occur. In general, surfactant adsorption will be enhanced in reservoirs where the rock and surfactant have opposite charges 18 , however even with similarly charged surfactants and rocks some adsorption and wettability alteration may still occur 34 .…”

Section: Wettability and Heavy Oil Recoverymentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation into the Processes Responsible for Heavy Oil Recovery by Alkali-Surfactant Flooding

Bryan

Thuy

Kantzas

2008

SPE Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery

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This paper describes a suite of alkali-surfactant (AS) floods that were performed in systems containing viscous heavy oil (11,500 mPa⋅s). The study investigates how AS injection can be used to generate oil and water emulsions, which can in turn lead to improved sweep efficiencies and oil recovery. Data is obtained from core flooding, with in-situ saturation measurements made using low field NMR. This work is applicable to the many heavy oil reservoirs in countries like Canada and Venezuela that contain viscous oil that still has some limited mobility under reservoir conditions. In previous studies, improved oil recovery compared to waterflooding was observed. This work provides additional information that can be used to better understand how chemical injection can lead to oil recovery.The core floods in this study indicate that emulsification is most efficient when used to block pre-formed water channels and improve the sweep efficiency of the flood. Both O/W and W/O emulsions may form in the same system, even under controlled salinity conditions. The re-distribution of water from the flooded channels into emulsified droplets in the oil is at least partially responsible for the pressure increase seen in these systems. W/O emulsification is accompanied by wettability alteration, as evidenced by the NMR spectra obtained. After the chemical flood is completed, it may be possible to restore the original water wet condition of the rock, which can provide potential for future non-thermal improved oil recovery.

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Section: Wettability and Heavy Oil Recoverymentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation into the Processes Responsible for Heavy Oil Recovery by Alkali-Surfactant Flooding

Bryan

Thuy

Kantzas

2008

SPE Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery

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“…In addition to the techniques discussed above, there are many other wettability measurement methods used in the oil industry (Anderson, 1986;Dubey and Waxman, 1991;Spinler and Baldwin, 2000). All these techniques have their advantages and limitations.…”

Section: Levitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adsorption of surfactants on minerals for wettability control in improved oil recovery processes

Somasundaran

Zhang

2006

Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering

230

114

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“…The ability of surfactants to reduce oil-water interfacial tension is well known and long practiced in the industry. Surfactants can also alter wettability from water-wet to oil-wet or from oilwet to water-wet depending on the type of surfactant orientation on rock surface (Spinler and Baldwin, 2000). Austad et al (1998) demonstrated using the laboratory experiments of spontaneous imbibition and oil recovery that certain dilute surfactants can alter the wettability of nearly oil-wet chalk to water-wet conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beneficial effects of wettability altering surfactants in oil-wet fractured reservoirs

Ayirala

Vijapurapu

Rao

2006

Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering

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Surfactant Induced Wettability Alteration in Porous Media

Cited by 33 publications

References 0 publications

Investigation into the Processes Responsible for Heavy Oil Recovery by Alkali-Surfactant Flooding

Investigation into the Processes Responsible for Heavy Oil Recovery by Alkali-Surfactant Flooding

Adsorption of surfactants on minerals for wettability control in improved oil recovery processes

Beneficial effects of wettability altering surfactants in oil-wet fractured reservoirs

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