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Formulation of a Stable Microemulsion Slug for Enhanced Oil Recovery in the Upper Assam Basin
| Content Provider | Scilit |
|---|---|
| Author | Sarmah, Shilpi Gogoi, Subrata Borgohain Xianfeng, Fan |
| Copyright Year | 2020 |
| Description | Book Name: Advances in Petroleum Technology |
| Abstract | A microemulsion is a multiphase system of a transparent solution comprising water, oil, surfactant and alcohol/co-surfactant. The microemulsion-flooding application is an integral part in oilfields of the Upper Assam Basin because the basin faces various issues such as decrement in the oil production rate, depleted oil reservoirs and limitation of primary and secondary recovery methods. It is an important yet challenging aspect in the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process. It is important because of its characteristic property of having ultralow interfacial tensions (IFTs) as well as enhancing viscosity, thereby inhibiting the fingering effect. However, the challenge lies in formulating the Winsor type III microemulsion, where a surfactant-rich middle phase coexists with excess water and oil. The study focuses on formulating a stable microemulsion slug for EOR, where different anionic surfactants such as sodium dodecyl 94sulphate ( SDS ); sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate ( SDBS ); non-ionic surfactants namely Tergitol 15-s-7, Tergitol 15-s-9, Tergitol 15-s-12, Triton X-100 (TX-100) and Triton X-405 (TX-405); and co-surfactant propan-2-ol were studied by determining their surface tension (ST) and IFT. The measurements were carried out by the Du Nouy Ring method to determine the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of surfactants. The phase behaviour study was done by using the Winsor classification method to obtain the optimum salinity and temperature at which water, oil and surfactant coexist. Thereafter, characterisation of the microemulsion was completed by examining its density, viscosity, particle size analysis, microscopic study and wettability. The efficiency of surfactants was examined through a core-flooding experiment. Phase behaviour studies suggest that at an optimum salinity of 6000 ppm, an anionic surfactant (SDBS) of 1.4 mM, a co-surfactant (propan-2-ol) of 0.004% mole fraction and Upper Assam crude oil of density 0.866 g/cc, microemulsion stage III was observed, and this mixture when flooded in the core flooding resulted in a crude oil recovery of 59.92% of residual oil saturation, whereas at an optimum salinity of 4250 ppm a non-ionic surfactant of a mixture of Tergitol 15-S-7 and TX-405 with the same Upper Assam crude oil, microemulsion stage III was observed. The slugs were further flooded in the core flooding to obtain a recovery of 54.47% residual oil saturation. This suggests the efficiency of the above two formulated slugs in EOR application. |
| Related Links | https://content.taylorfrancis.com/books/download?dac=C2020-0-13339-3&isbn=9781003049937&doi=10.1201/9781003049937-5&format=pdf |
| DOI | 10.1201/9781003049937-5 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited |
| Publisher Date | 2020-10-09 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Book Name: Advances in Petroleum Technology Petroleum Engineering Anionic Surfactant Recovery Methods Stable Microemulsion Microemulsion Slug |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Chapter |
