Laboratory evaluation of a crude-oil-sulfonate/nonionic-cosurfactant micellar fluid
Phase behavior, interfacial tension (IFT) measurements, fractionation studies, and core tests have been used in the formulation of a crude-oil-sulfonate (CROS)/ethoxylated-alcohol micellar fluid for application in a changing ionic environment that attains a relatively high hardness concentration as a result of ion exchange. By varying the hydrophile/lipophile balance (HLB) of the nonionic cosurfactant, phase behavior can be shifted from lower to upper phase and the optimum can be found. It is shown that the solubilization of oil and brine and the value of the optimum can be controlled further by blending different nonionic surfactants with CROS samples whose properties were altered by controlling variables in the manufacture. Effects of such system variables as surfactant and hardness concentration and the ratio of CROS/nonionics have a significant effect on phase behavior. The IFT vs. solubilization parameter correlation was in reasonable agreement with that of Huh and is shown to hold over a wide range of surfactant and hardness concentrations, but the intercept is different for each CROS/nonnionic pair. IFT's and phase behavior from core-test effluents are shown to agree with the phase-behavior studies. Fractionation phase-behavior studies indicate that chromatographic separation will affect the process significantly only if oil is inefficiently displaced; this is supported by core tests. Excellent oil recovery was attained in Berea over a wide range of concentrations and HLB's, and with small slugs. Oil recovery in field core tests was poor because of stringent capillary desaturation requirements.
- Research Organization:
- Amoco Production Co. (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 6638378
- Journal Information:
- SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Reserv. Eng.; (United States), Vol. 3:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
PETROLEUM
ENHANCED RECOVERY
SURFACTANTS
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
BRINES
DISPLACEMENT FLUIDS
DRILL CORES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FIELD TESTS
ION EXCHANGE CHROMATOGRAPHY
PETROLEUM SULFONATES
PHASE STUDIES
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DATA
ENERGY SOURCES
ESTERS
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INFORMATION
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
RECOVERY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SULFONATES
SULFONIC ACID ESTERS
TESTING
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production
400202 - Isotope Effects
Isotope Exchange
& Isotope Separation
400201 - Chemical & Physicochemical Properties