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Title: Fluid microstructures and enhanced oil recovery

Conference · · AIChE Symp. Ser.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6688851

Ultralow interfacial tensions between oil and water are caused not by monolayer adsorption but by a film of surfactant-rich third phase-either viscous material derived from liquid crystalline dispersions, or less viscous equilibrium microemulsion. The sometimes transparent dispersions, which had been overlooked before, become ultradispersions of vesicles upon sonication, and can be dissolved by certain alcohols. These and other findings are summarized from a concerted study of a petroleum sulfonate surfactant system representative of surfactant waterflooding, and of pure surfactant systems that mimic it. Reviewed are the relationships between surfactant-rich microstructures and their compositions, recovery of residual oil from short sandstone cores, and surfactant retention in such cores. Vesicular surfactant delivery is examined. 87 references.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis
OSTI ID:
6688851
Report Number(s):
CONF-810417-
Journal Information:
AIChE Symp. Ser.; (United States), Vol. 78:212; Conference: 90. AICHE national meeting, Houston, TX, USA, 5 Apr 1981
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English