Lowering viscosity improves oil recovery
Low interfacial viscosity has been demonstrated to be just as important as low interfacial tension in using surfactant flooding in tertiary oil recovery. Oil yields can be maximized by formulating surfactant mixtures that result in low interfacial viscosity. Ideally, a surfactant reduces the interfacial tension between trapped oil and flooding fluids, insuring displacement of the oil from the rock. However, it also can result in emulsification of the oil in the water, producing emulsions that are quite stable, hard to pump because of high viscosity, and difficult and costly to separate. Evidently, surfactant formulations that insure low interfacial viscosity decrease emulsion stability and promote coalescene of oil droplets, thus enhancing the formation of a continuous oil bank that is pushed ahead by the flooding solutions. Optimum surfactant formulation varies, depending on the nature of the crude oil and the formation in which it is found. Good results have been obtained using Salem (Illinois) crude with a slug containing 3% Petrostep 420 surfactant and a 1.5% salt, with 0.58% n-hexanol as a cosurfactant.
- OSTI ID:
- 5879538
- Journal Information:
- Chem. Eng. News; (United States), Journal Name: Chem. Eng. News; (United States) Vol. 57:16; ISSN CENEA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Mechanism of oil bank formation, coalescence in porous media and emulsion stability. Annual report, June 1979-May 1980
Mechanism of oil bank formation, coalescence in porous media and emulsion stability. Annual report, June 1978-May 1979
Related Subjects
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ALCOHOLS
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
EMULSIFICATION
EMULSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HEXANOLS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
RECOVERY
STABILITY
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACE TENSION
SURFACTANTS
VISCOSITY
WATERFLOODING
WELLS