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Acidic Heavy Oil Recovery Using a New Formulated Surfactant Accompanying Alkali–Polymer in High Salinity Brines

  • Original Article
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Journal of Surfactants and Detergents

Abstract

The strength of a newly formulated surfactant with an alkali and polymer (AS/ASP) to improve an acidic heavy oil recovery was laboratory evaluated by various flooding experiments. The comparative role of the parameters like chemical nature, surface wettability, salinity, temperature and injection scheme were explored at high temperature and pressure on Berea sandstone rocks. According to the results the anionic surfactant is capable of providing proper oil displacement under high salinity conditions around 15 wt%. Continuous monitoring of differential pressure response and effluents’ state clearly represented the formation of an emulsified oil in high saline solutions with both alkali and surfactant. Adding sodium metaborate to the surfactant solution reduced the interfacial tension (IFT) to ultra low values and decreased the surfactant emulsion generation capability at higher salinities. Besides, adding Flopaam AN113SH to the chemical slug increased the residual oil removal owing to lower mobility ratios. So, while high capillary number and an emulsion phase were generated by the A/S slug phases, adding polymer could further enhance the performance of these chemicals. On the other hand, chemical flooding through the oil-wet medium resulted in shorter break through time, lower differential pressure, finer emulsion formation, and lower oil recovery in comparison to the similar water-wet cases.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Iranian Offshore Oil Company (Research and Technology Department) for performing the experiments and the permission to publish the results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Avenue, Sharif University Complex, Tehran, Iran

    Ali Akbar Dehghan, Shahab Ayatollahi & Mohsen Masihi

  2. Department of Petroleum Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sattari Highway, Tehran, Iran

    Adel Jadaly

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  1. Ali Akbar Dehghan
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  2. Adel Jadaly
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  3. Shahab Ayatollahi
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  4. Mohsen Masihi
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Correspondence to Ali Akbar Dehghan.

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Dehghan, A.A., Jadaly, A., Ayatollahi, S. et al. Acidic Heavy Oil Recovery Using a New Formulated Surfactant Accompanying Alkali–Polymer in High Salinity Brines. J Surfact Deterg 20, 725–733 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11743-017-1945-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11743-017-1945-9

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