Published October 20, 2021 | Version v1
Journal article Open

Enhancement of smart water-based foam characteristics by SiO2 nanoparticles for EOR applications

Authors/Creators

  • 1. National Iranian Drilling Company

Description

 

Here, smart water assisted with synthesized SiO2 nanoparticles have been utilized to prepare the foam solution. Effect of SiO2 nanoparticles on foam stability and oil displacement efficiency in carbonated pattern of glass micromodel have been studied. Obtained results showed that foam solution with smart water assisted with silica nanoparticles has the highest stability in comparison to the distilled water and smart water free of nanoparticles. In the presence of the nanoparticles the stability of the foam solution has significantly increased. However, the highest stability of the smart water based-foam solution has been attained with SiO2 nanoparticles at concentration of 3000 ppm. In the foam solution of smart water without the nanoparticles, the values of R5 and half-life (t1/2) are 91.5 and 2813s, respectively. While, these values in the presence of the dispersed nanoparticles reach to about 99.2 and 3812s, respectively. During the injection experiments with foam solution prepared by the smart water mixed with SiO2 nanoparticles in micromodel, the breakthrough of the foam has been postponed and oil recovery factor has been improved. Due to the presence of the silica nanoparticles in foam solution high-thickness lamellae has been formed and snap-off and lamella division phenomena have occurred in porous network on microscopic scale.

Files

Files (14.6 kB)

Additional details

References

  • J. Buckley Effective wettability of minerals exposed to crude oil Curr. Opin. Colloid Interface Sci. (2001)
  • S. Munirasu et al. Use of membrane technology for oil field and refinery produced water treatment- a review Process Saf. Environ. Prot. (2016)
  • S. Strand et al. Wettability alteration of carbonates—effects of potential determining ions (Ca2+ and SO42−) and temperature Colloids Surf. A Physicochem. Eng. Asp. (2006)
  • T. Austad Water-based EOR in Carbonate and Sandstone: New Chemical Understanding of the EOR- Potential Using ¨Smart Water¨., in Enhanced Oil Recovery Field Case Studies (2013)
  • J. Gilron et al. Experimental analysis of negative salt rejection in nanofiltration membranes J. Membr. Sci. (2001)
  • X. Xu et al. Dye-salt separations by nanofiltration using weak acid polyelectrolyte membranes Desalination (1997)
  • J. Tanninen et al. Effect of salt mixture on fractionation with NF membranes J. Membr. Sci. (2006)
  • H. Liu et al. Application of nanotechnology in petroleum exploration and development Pet. Explor. Dev. (2016)
  • D. Wasan et al. The wetting and spreading of nanofluids on solids: role of the structural disjoining pressure Curr. Opin. Colloid Interface Sci. (2011)
  • S. Al-Anssari et al. Wettability alteration of oil-wet carbonate by silica nanofluid J. Colloid Interface Sci. (2016)
  • M.F. Fakoya et al. Emergence of nanotechnology in the oil and gas industry: emphasis on the application of silica nanoparticles Petroleum (2017)
  • R.C.R. Figueredo et al. Firefighting foam stability: the effect of the drag reducer poly(ethylene) oxide Colloids Surf. A Physicochem. Eng. (2003)
  • S. Mohammadi et al. A pore-level screening study on miscible/immiscible displacements in heterogeneous models J. Pet. Sci. Eng. (2013)
  • Z. Xue et al. Viscosity and stability of ultra-high internal phase CO2-in-water foams stabilized with surfactants and nanoparticles with or without polyelectrolytes J. Colloid Interface Sci. (2016)
  • X. Dong et al. Aqueous foam stabilized by hydrophobically modified cellulose and alkyl polyoxyethyl sulfate complex in the presence and absence of electrolytes Colloids Surf. A Physicochem. Eng. (2009)
  • K. Yang et al. Synergy of hydrophilic nanoparticle and nonionic surfactant on stabilization of carbon dioxide-in-brine foams at elevated temperatures and extreme salinities Fuel (2021)
  • T. Sharma et al. Silica nanofluids in polyacrylamide with and without surfactant: viscosity, surface tension, and interfacial tension with liquid paraffin J. Pet. Sci. Eng. (2017)
  • Z. Hu et al. Microemulsions stabilized by in-situ synthesized nanoparticles for enhanced oil recovery Fuel (2017)
  • C. Negin et al. Application of nanotechnology for enhancing oil recovery – a review Petroleum (2016)
  • J.A. Ali et al. A state-of-the-art review of the application of nanotechnology in the oil and gas industry with a focus on drilling engineering J. Pet. Sci. Eng. (2020)
  • J. Samitier et al. Analysis by FT-IR spectroscopy of SiO2-polycrystalline structures used in micromechanics: stress measurements Sens, Actuator A Phys. (1992)
  • S.A. Farzaneh et al. Experimental investigation of CO2-foam stability improvement by alkaline in the presence of crude oil Chem. Eng. Res. Des. (2015)
  • N. Yekeen et al. Synergistic effects of nanoparticles and surfactants on n-decane-water interfacial tension and bulk foam stability at high temperature J. Pet. Sci. Eng. (2019)
  • F.Q. Tang et al. The effect of SiO2 particlesuponstabilization of foam J. Colloid Interface Sci. (1989)
  • T.N. Hunter et al. Non-ionic surfactant interactions with hydrophobic nanoparticles: impact on foam stability Colloids Surf. A (2009)
  • N. Yekeen et al. Experimental investigation of minimization in surfactant adsorption and improvement in surfactant-foam stability in presence of silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide nanoparticles J. Pet. Sci. Eng. (2017)
  • Enhanced oil recovery, II Processes and Operations
  • T. Austad, A. Rezaeidoust, T. Puntervold, Chemical mechanism of low salinity water flooding in sandstone reservoirs,…
  • Salinity, temperature, oil composition, and oil recovery by waterflooding
  • Energy consumption and water production cost of conventional and renewable - energy - powered desalination processes
  • Enhanced Oil Recovery from Sandstone and Carbonates with ¨ Smart Water¨
  • Improved oil recovery by low-salinity waterflooding
  • G. Tang, N. Morrow, Oil recovery by water flooding and imbibition– invading brine cation valency and salinity, Paper…