Interpretation of the change in optimal salinity with overall surfactant concentration
For chemical flooding formulations, optimal salinity changes with overall surfactant concentration when the phase behavior is observed in test tubes. Applying these observations to the mathematical simulator is questionable because chromatographic mechanisms during displacement through porous media result in different compositions. This work sought the mechanism for the observed change so that calculated optimal salinity can be expressed through the appropriate intensive variable rather than overall surfactant concentration. Association of the alcohol has been described by partition coefficients for distribution of the alcohol among brine, oil, and surfactant. The alcohol was isopropanol (IPA), 1-butanol (NBA), or tertiary amyl alcohol (TAA) in the systems in which they were included and was used to represent a disulfonate in the system with Petrostep petroleum sulfonate. Association of sodium and divalent ions with surfactant has been described by the Donnan equilibrium model, which experimental observations show can be applied to microemulsions as well as to micelles. For the seven systems investigated, the change in optimal salinity is a function of (1) the alcohol associated with the surfactant and (2) the divalent ion fraction of the associated counterions.
- OSTI ID:
- 5899066
- Journal Information:
- Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States), Journal Name: Soc. Pet. Eng. AIME, Pap.; (United States) Vol. 22:6; ISSN SEAPA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400301 -- Organic Chemistry-- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties-- (-1987)
ALCOHOLS
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
DONNAN THEORY
EMULSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
ESTERS
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
IONS
MATERIALS
MICROEMULSION FLOODING
MICROEMULSIONS
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PARTITION
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM SULFONATES
PHASE STUDIES
POROUS MATERIALS
RECOVERY
SALINITY
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM IONS
SULFONATES
SULFONIC ACID ESTERS
SURFACTANTS
WELLS