A model for interfacial activity of acidic crude oil/caustic systems for alkaline flooding

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · SPEJ, Soc. Pet. Eng. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2118/10716-PA· OSTI ID:5522782

Ramakrishnan, T S; Wasan, D T

The interaction of the alkali in floodwater and the acids in reservoir crude results in the in-situ formation of surfactants, which are responsible for the lowering of interfacial tension (IFT) in caustic flooding. The extent to which IFT is lowered depends on the specific properties of the crude oil and the injection water. Therefore, it is important to establish the relationship between IFT and the essential chemical properties of the acidic oil and the floodwater. This paper presents such a relationship. In this discussion, the adsorption and the desorption of the active species at the interface are modeled as ionic processes using the Gouy-Chapman theory of the diffuse double layer. The interfacial potentials calculated using this model show a fair agreement with the experimentally measured trend of electrophoretic mobility. Also, the model rationalizes the experimentally observed effects of alkali concentration, salinity, and the oleic- to aqueous phase ratio on IFT. The authors conclude that the acid number of the crude oil may not correlate directly with interfacial activity. Even in cases of low-acid-number crudes, significant interfacial activity could be obtained because of highly hydrophobic active species in the crude.

• Research Organization: Illinois Inst. of Technology
• DOE Contract Number: AC19-79BC10069
• OSTI ID: 5522782
• Journal Information: SPEJ, Soc. Pet. Eng. J.; (United States), Journal Name: SPEJ, Soc. Pet. Eng. J.; (United States) Vol. 23:4; ISSN SSPJD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
CAUSTIC FLOODING
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENGINEERING
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OIL WELLS
PETROLEUM
RESERVOIR ENGINEERING
RESERVOIR ROCK
ROCK-FLUID INTERACTIONS
STIMULATION
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACE TENSION
SURFACTANTS
WATERFLOODING
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS