Linear oil displacement by the emulsion entrapment process
Dilute oil-in-water emulsions of mineral oil, carbon tetrachloride and water are shown to aid in the displacement of viscous oils by decreasing the mobility of the aqueous phase. Lessened water mobility is achieved by small oil droplets irreversibly capturing in the porous medium due to straining and interception, thereby lowering the local permeability to water. This phenomenon is directly analogous to the residual resistance factor of high molecular-weight polyacrylamide polymers, and constitutes the entrapment process. A theoretical treatment is presented for dilute emulsion displacement based on a filtration model of emulsion flow in water saturated porous media. Extension of the original theory to long cores and to two-phase flow is outlined. Emulsion retention is found to be larger in cores containing oil, because the emulsion is forced to flow in the smaller channels. A quantitative calculation of this effect is suggested utilizing relative permeability data. Comparison of the theoretical and experimental emulsion displacements shows good agreement after droplet breakthrough. At earlier times, oil production is underestimated. Drop size segregation, not immobilized water, is postulated as an explanation.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of California, Berkeley
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 6385355
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-810308-(Vol.1)
- 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
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Related Subjects
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
CARBON TETRACHLORIDE
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
COLLOIDS
CONTROL
DISPERSIONS
DROPLETS
EMULSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLOW MODELS
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HALOGENATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MICROEMULSION FLOODING
MINERAL OILS
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
MOBILITY
OILS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PERMEABILITY
PETROLEUM
POROUS MATERIALS
RECOVERY
ROCK-FLUID INTERACTIONS
WATER
WATERFLOODING