Waterflood injectivity improvement by means of a surfactant injection

Conference · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988 · Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Pet. Chem., Prepr.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6920339

Taggart, D; Russell, G

One of the major factors affecting brine injectivity during a water flood is relative permeability. That is, the permeability of the rock to water at the residual oil saturation compared to the absolute permeability of the rock. In water-wet reservoirs, the relative permeability is low and therefore, the brine injectivity is also low. Removing the oil from the near wellbore environment will increase the relative permeability to water and therefore, injectivity. This paper discusses the laboratory work done to evaluate a surfactant formulation for this process. The evaluation includes phase studies, thermal stability studies, and core tests. A formulation was selected and field tested. This field test was done in the Wilcox Formation and has improved the injectivity of three wells tested by 30, 44, and 62%, as judged by an increase in the injectivity index. A pressure falloff test done before and after the treatment on one of the wells also confirms this improvement. This method of stimulation offers several unqiue advantages over other stimulation techniques.

• Research Organization: Amoco Production Co., P.O. Box 3385, Tulsa, OK (US)
• OSTI ID: 6920339
• Report Number(s): CONF-880659-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Am. Chem. Soc., Div. Pet. Chem., Prepr.; (United States) Journal Volume: 33:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201 -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
BRINES
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FIELD TESTS
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INJECTION WELLS
OIL WELLS
PERMEABILITY
PETROLEUM
PHASE STUDIES
RECOVERY
RESERVOIR ROCK
RESIDUAL PETROLEUM
STIMULATION
SURFACTANTS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
TESTING
WATERFLOODING
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS