Transport of electrolytes in underground porous media

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6227956

Bunge, A L

The increasing difference in petroleum consumption and domestic production in the United States has renewed interest in enhanced oil recovery processes. Some crude oils contain high concentrations of organic acids which react in alkaline environments to produce surface-active salts. These surfactants may reduce interfacial tensions or change rock wettabilities thereby increasing oil production. Rock-solution interactions frequently control flood success because improved recovery results only after the caustic encounters the oil. Chemical reactions with reservoir solids control both chemical propagation rates and concentration. The following questions are addresed: can alkaline pulses propagate completely through a reservoir or do hydroxide ion concentrations diminish to ineffective levels shortly after injection. Laboratory core tests and x-ray analyses identify the various mineral reactions and their rates. For clayey sands a fast, reversible, sodium-hydrogen exchange retards alkali concentration velocities. Fine silica and quartz are suggested as important dissolving minerals. Slower dissolving clays and clay minerals release soluble aluminum which may redeposit with soluble silica as new alumino-silicate minerals. Multivalent ion precipitation may also occur in alkaline waterflooding. A linear chromatographic theory predicts alkaline pulse behavior for hydrogen-sodium ion exchange with simultaneous rock dissolution and for multivalent cation exchange with precipitation.

• OSTI ID: 6227956
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
CAUSTIC FLOODING
DISPLACEMENT FLUIDS
DISSOLUTION
ELECTROLYTES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
LEVELS
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
OIL WELLS
POROUS MATERIALS
RECOVERY
RESERVOIR ROCK
ROCK-FLUID INTERACTIONS
SURFACTANTS
UNDERGROUND
WATERFLOODING
WELLS