Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of temperature, pressure, salinity, and surfactant concentration on IFT for surfactant flooding optimization

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Arabian Journal of Geosciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this research, effect of temperature, pressure, salinity, surfactant concentration, and surfactant type on interfacial tension (IFT) and critical micelle concentration of Saudi Arabian crude oil and various aqueous phases were investigated. The temperature ranged from ambient condition to 90°C, and the pressures were varied from atmospheric to 4,000 psi (27.58 MPa). Surfactant solutions were prepared using several aqueous phases, i.e., purified water, 10% brine consisting of 100% NaCl, 10% brine consisting of 95% NaCl and 5% CaCl2, and 10% brine consisting of 83% NaCl and 17% CaCl2. Out of 13 commercial surfactants, only three surfactants showed good solubility in pure water and brine. Those are Zonyl FSE Fluorosurfactant®, Triton X-100®, and Triton X-405®. Therefore, they were investigated thoroughly by measuring their efficiency in reducing the crude oil-aqueous phase IFT. Based on this screening process, laboratory surfactant flooding experiments for crude oil recovery were conducted using Triton X-405 and Triton X-100. The chemical flood was made at both original oil in place and at residual oil in place subsequent to conventional water flooding. Based on the obtained results, both surfactants were efficient, and more oil was recovered than that obtained through water flooding. Comparing both surfactant solutions, it was observed that Triton X-405 was more efficient than Triton X-100 at the same surfactant concentration and reservoir conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Figure 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

Brine 1:

10% Brine (100% NaCl)

Brine 2:

10% Brine (95% NaCl + 5% CaCl2)

Brine 3:

10% Brine (83% NaCl + 17% CaCl2)

CMC:

Critical micelle concentration

EOR:

Enhanced oil recovery

HLB:

Hydrophilic lipophilic balance

IFT:

Interfacial tension

OOIP:

Original oil in place

Swirr:

Irreducible water saturation

Sor:

Residual oil saturation

Swc:

Connate water saturation

Ko:

Effective permeability to oil

Kro:

Relative permeability to oil

Kw:

Effective permeability to water

Krw:

Relative permeability to water

Sw:

Water saturation

Kr:

Relative permeability

References

  • Al-Sahhaf T, Elkamel A, Ahmed AS, Khan AR (2005) The influence of temperature, pressure, salinity, and surfactant concentration on the interfacial tension of the N-octane–water system. Chem Eng Commun 192:667–684. doi:10.1080/009864490510644

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aoudia M, Al-Shibli M, Al-Kasimi L, Al-Maamari R, Al-bemani A (2006) Novel surfactants for ultralow interfacial tension in a wide range of surfactant concentration and temperature. J Surfactant Deterg 9(3):287–293. doi:10.1007/s11743-006-5009-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryan J, Kantzas A (2007) Enhanced heavy-oil recovery by alkali-surfactant flooding. SPE Journal SPE 110738 DOI: 10.2118/110738-MS

  • Cai BY et al (1996) Interfacial tension of hydrocarbon+water/brine system under high pressure. J Chem Eng Data 41:493–496. doi:10.1021/je950259a

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carcoana A (1992) Applied enhanced oil recovery. Prentice Hall, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • RL Christiansen (2001) Two-phase flow through porous media: theory, art and reality of relative permeability and capillary pressure. R.L. Christiansen, Golden, CO

  • Curbelo FDS, Santanna VC, Neto ELB, Dutra TV Jr, Dantas TNC, Neto AAD, Garnica AIC (2007) Adsorption of nonionic surfactants in sandstones. Colloids Surf, A Physicochem Eng Asp 293(1–3):1–4. doi:10.1016/j.colsurfa.2006.06.038

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flaaten AK (2008) A Systematic Laboratory Approach to Low-Cost, High-Performance Chemical Flooding. SPE Journal SPE 113469

  • Gogarty WB (1978) Micellar/polymer flooding an overview. J Petrol Tech 7041 30:1089-1101

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmberg K, Jönsson B (2003) Surfactants and polymers in aqueous solution. John Wiley & Sons, England

  • Lake LW (1996) Enhanced oil recovery. 1st edn. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

  • Miquilena A, Coll V, Borges A, Melendez J, Zeppieri S (2010) Influence of drop growth rate and size on the interfacial tension of Triton X-100 solutions as a function of pressure and temperature. Int J Thermophys 31:2416–2424

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Okasha TM, Al-Shiwaish A-JA (2009) Effect of brine salinity on interfacial tension in Arab-D carbonate reservoir. SPE Journal SPE Paper 119600

  • Ruckenstein E, Rao IV (1987) Interfacial tension of oil–brine systems in the presence of surfactant and cosurfactant. J Colloid Interface Sci 117(1):104–119. doi:10.1016/0021-9797(87)90173-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salter SJ (1986) Criteria for surfactant flooding selection in micellar flooding. SPE Journal SPE Paper 14106

  • Santos FKG, Neto ELB, Moura MCPA, Dantas TNC, Neto AAD (2009) Molecular behavior of ionic and nonionic surfactants in saline medium. Colloids Surf, A Physicochem Eng Asp 333(1–3):156–162. doi:10.1016/j.colsurfa.2008.09.040

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tang G-Q, Morrow NR (1999) Influence of brine composition and fines migration on crude oil/brine/rock interactions and oil recovery. J Pet Sci Eng 24(2–4):99–111. doi:10.1016/s0920-4105(99)00034-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang W, Gupta A (1995) Investigation of the effect of temperature and pressure on wettability using modified pendant drop method. SPE Journal SPE Paper 30544

  • Xu W, Ayirala SC, Rao DN (2005) Measurement of surfactant-induced interfacial interactions at reservoir conditions. SPE Journal SPE Paper 96021

  • Ye Z, Zhang F, Han L, Luo P, Yang J, Chen H (2008) The effect of temperature on the interfacial tension between crude oil and gemini surfactant solution. Colloids Surf, A Physicochem Eng Asp 322(1–3):138–141. doi:10.1016/j.colsurfa.2008.02.043

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This research was funded by Sheikh Al Amoudi Research Chair for EOR in King Saud University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, Riyadh, 11421, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Wimpy Karnanda & M. S. Benzagouta

  2. Petroleum and Gas Center, King Abdullah City for Sciences and Technology, P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh, 11442, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Abdulrahman AlQuraishi

  3. Institute of Drilling Technology and Fluid Mining, TU Bergakademie, Freiberg, Germany

    M. M. Amro

Authors
  1. Wimpy Karnanda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. S. Benzagouta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Abdulrahman AlQuraishi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. M. Amro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wimpy Karnanda.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Karnanda, W., Benzagouta, M.S., AlQuraishi, A. et al. Effect of temperature, pressure, salinity, and surfactant concentration on IFT for surfactant flooding optimization. Arab J Geosci 6, 3535–3544 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-012-0605-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-012-0605-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation