Microscopic displacement mechanisms of micellar solutions

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1967

OSTI ID:6172309

Davis, Jr, J A

The micellar solutions used in the Maraflood oil recovery process displace oil by a miscible mechanism. These same solutions will also displace much of the interstitial water, but by different mechanisms. In a porous matrix that is initially water-wet, the micellar solutions preferentially wet the matrix surface as the flood advances, stripping off the film of water that was initially on the surface. A fraction of the interstitial water is also dispersed by the slug of micellar solution and carried along at or near the leading edge of this slug. The composition of the micellar solution and the salinity of the water being displaced control the amount of water dispersed. The trailing edge of the slug is displaced by an emulsification process. The slug takes up water until it inverts to a water-external fluid which can be infinitely diluted with water and displaced by water. Observations of waterfloods and alcohol floods point out the gross inefficiencies that occur when there is either improper mobility control or lack of complete unit displacement of oil. By using special modeling techniques, visual observations of flooding behavior on a pore-to-pore basis are possible. The displacements are recorded on movie film.

• OSTI ID: 6172309
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
EFFICIENCY
EMULSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MICELLAR SYSTEMS
MICROSCOPY
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
MIXTURES
OIL WELLS
PETROLEUM
RECOVERY
SALINITY
TESTING
WATERFLOODING
WELLS
WETTABILITY