Flow of emulsions in porous media, and potential for enhanced oil recovery
- Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton (CA)
Oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions offer considerable promise as oil recovery agents. They can provide mobility control in certain situations, and may even serve as blocking agents. This paper examines selected aspects of emulsion characteristics, and flow in porous media, in the context of laboratory experiments. Oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions were prepared using surfactants, acid, an basic solutions. The emulsions were characterized by rheology, quality, and drop size distributions. These properties were measured before and after passage through a porous medium of known pore size distribution. The results show that the drop size retained - hence mobility control - is rate-dependent and related to pore size distribution. A number of emulsions were used in oil recovery experiments, and the results were compared with similar floods using caustic solutions. It is concluded that emulsions can be effective oil recovery agents.
- OSTI ID:
- 5697157
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-880348--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Foam and emulsion effects on gas driven oil recovery
Mechanism of oil bank formation, coalescence in porous media and emulsion stability. Annual report, June 1979-May 1980
Related Subjects
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
DISPLACEMENT FLUIDS
EMULSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID FLOW
FLUID INJECTION
FLUID MECHANICS
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDRODYNAMICS
LIQUID FLOW
MECHANICS
MICROEMULSION FLOODING
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
OIL WELLS
PETROLEUM
RECOVERY
RESERVOIR ROCK
STIMULATION
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS