Trapping of oil drops in a noncircular pore throat and mobilization upon contact with a surfactant
An experimental apparatus was developed to study trapping and mobilization of oil drops in a capillary of square cross section (100 microns X 100 microns (100 ..mu..m X 100 ..mu..m)) having a constriction also approximately square in shape. Experiments to investigate trapping consisted of injecting a drop of nonwetting phase liquid (''oil'') into a flowing water stream (wetting phase). Pre-equilibrated alcohol/water systems were used to study effects of interfacial tension (IFT). A drop was displaced toward the constriction by the flowing water. The behavior of the drop as it approached and was trapped by the constriction or as it moved through the constriction was observed as a function of flow rate, drop length, and IFT between the water and nonwetting liquid. Mobilization by surfactants was investigated by conducting a series of displacement experiments in the capillary cell. Data from the mobilization experiments allowed two mechanisms to be identified. In Mechanism 1, minute quantities of the surfactant and/or cosurfactant were carried ahead of the main surfactant slug by brine that bypassed the slug. This reduced the IFT between the oil and brine. The oil drop moved further into the constriction and a snap-off process ensued. Mechanism 2 occurred when a sharp interface of the surfactant slug contacted the trailing edge of a nonane drop that was either trapped or in a snap-off process. A series of events that mobilized the drop occurred over a very short time period (< 4.0 seconds). The events included rupture of the drop interface, rolling motions inside the drop with resulting emulsification, and passage of the emulsified drop through the pore constriction without snap-off.
- Research Organization:
- Inst. Politecnico Natl. and Inst. Mexicano del Petroleo
- OSTI ID:
- 5737056
- Journal Information:
- Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States), Vol. 23:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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