Salting-out and multivalent cation precipitation of anionic surfactants

Journal Article · Sun Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Pet. Chem., Prepr.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6161081

Walker, Jr, R D; Keppel, R A; Cosper, M B; Funk, J J; Meister, M J

In this surfactant/polymer flooding process, a carefully designed surfactant slug is injected into an oil-bearing formation with a view to reducing the oil/water interfacial tension substantially so as to facilitate mobilization of oil droplets trapped in the less accessible void spaces of the reservoir rock. When the surfactant comes into contact with reservoir brine, oil and rock, several phenomena can occur which result in loss of surfactant from the slug, i.e., salting-out of surfactant by NaCl, precipitation of insoluble soaps by multivalent cations such as calcium, partitioning to oil of both dissolved and precipitated surfactant, and adsorption of surfactant on reservoir rock have been identified as important surfactant loss processes. This study presents some experimental data which illustrate the effects of salt and multivalent cations, identifies the mechanisms which are operative, and develops mathematical relationships which enable one to describe the behavior of surfactant systems when brought into contact with salt, multivalent cations, or both. 26 references.

• OSTI ID: 6161081
• Journal Information: Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Pet. Chem., Prepr.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Pet. Chem., Prepr.; (United States) Vol. 26:1; ISSN ACPCA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ANIONS
CATIONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
EMULSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
IONS
MICROEMULSION FLOODING
MICROEMULSIONS
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
OIL WELLS
PETROLEUM
RECOVERY
RESERVOIR ROCK
SODIUM CHLORIDES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACE TENSION
SURFACTANTS
WELLS
WETTABILITY