Alpha-sulfonated fatty acid esters for surfactant flooding at high salinity
Surfactants primarily used for micellar flooding are aromatic sulfonates. These chemicals are well suited for low salinity brines, but they are reported to display poor interfacial efficiency when salinity increases. Therefore, other structures of surfactant have been suggested for implementing the process under the medium-to-high salinity conditions encountered in most oil fields: namely nonionics, alkyl ethoxylated sulfates and sulfonates, alpha-olefin sulfonates and alpha-sulfonated fatty acid esters. These last compounds, dealt with in this paper, constitute an original family of surfactants through their properties and possibilities of applications and are of great interest as the result of improvements in the sulfonation process. Their unexpected resistance to hydrolysis, when used as detergents, as well as the diversity of their molecular structure (fatty acids, alcohols for esterification, mono and diesters, etc.) make them attractive for possible use in enhanced oil recovery. The main properties to be taken into consideration in the process are investigated here, i.e., interfacial efficiency, chemical stability and adsorption behavior.
- Research Organization:
- Institut Francais du Petrole, B.P. 311, 92506 Rueil-Malmaison (FR)
- OSTI ID:
- 6719829
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-880659-
- Journal Information:
- Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Pet. Chem., Prepr.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Pet. Chem., Prepr.; (United States) Vol. 33:1; ISSN ACPCA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201 -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
ALKENES
BRINES
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
EFFICIENCY
ENHANCED RECOVERY
ESTERS
FLUID INJECTION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HYDROCARBONS
MICROEMULSION FLOODING
MINERAL RESOURCES
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
OIL FIELDS
OIL WELLS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RECOVERY
RESOURCES
SALINITY
SULFONATES
SURFACTANTS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
WELLS