Effect of oil type on solubilization by amphiphiles

Journal Article · Sun Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Reserv. Eng.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2118/12674-PA· OSTI ID:7062775

Bourrel, M; Verzaro, F; Chambu, C

Systems optimized for micellar flooding are not all equivalent in terms of solubilization, interfacial tensions (IFT's), and oil recovery efficiency. The basic conditions that promote high solubilization into microemulsions, a property correlated to the values of IFT', were established in a previous paper. Changes in oil type, for example, have to be compensated for by adjustment of the lipophile of the surfactant; however, this is not always sufficient to guarantee a high solubilization. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence on solubilization of the relationship between the oil type to be solubilized and the surfactant lipophile. The authors found that this relationship is a determining factor for solubilization at a given temperature and salinity. For example, they observed that for the alkane series, solubilization is not affected by the alkane carbon number (ACN), provided that the compensation be achieved by adjustment of the surfactant lipophile length. For other oils or mixture of oils, like crudes, however, this is not necessarily the case; the solubilization may be found to be more or less different from that of alkanes, depending on the structure of the surfactant lipophile. A particularly interesting case of oil mixtures is mixtures of hydrocarbons and methane (under pressure), because this gas is often dissolved in substantial amounts in live crudes. The incidence of the presence of methane is shown to be a function of the amount of gas dissolved and of the nature of the dissolving hydrocarbon. An interpretation of the results is proposed, based on the oil/lipophile, oil/oil, and lipophile/lipophile interaction energies, which are involved in Winsor's R-theory.

• Research Organization: Soc. Natl. Elf Aquitaine, Lacq
• OSTI ID: 7062775
• Journal Information: SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Reserv. Eng.; (United States), Journal Name: SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Reserv. Eng.; (United States) Vol. 2:1; ISSN SREEE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
023000 -- Petroleum-- Properties & Composition
ALKANES
CARBON
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
EMULSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FLUID INJECTION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HYDROCARBONS
METHANE
MICELLAR SYSTEMS
MICROEMULSION FLOODING
MICROEMULSIONS
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
MIXTURES
NONMETALS
OIL WELLS
OIL YIELDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
RECOVERY
SALINITY
SOLUBILITY
SOLVENT PROPERTIES
STIMULATION
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACE TENSION
SURFACTANTS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
WELL STIMULATION
WELLS
YIELDS