Pore-Scale Oil Connectivity and Displacement by Controlled-Ionic-Composition Waterflooding Using Synchrotron X-Ray Microtomography
Abstract
Controlled-ionic-composition waterflooding is an economic and effective method to improve oil recovery in carbonate oil reservoirs. Recent studies show controlling the salinity and ionic composition of injection water can alter the wettability of carbonate mineral surfaces. The pore-scale oil connectivity and displacement by controlled-ionic-composition waterflooding in heterogeneous carbonate reservoirs, especially at the early stage, is still unclear. The goal of this study is to examine the role of ion concentrations and types in the oil displacement efficiency and investigate the impact of the waterflooding on the pore-scale oil displacement using the national synchrotron facility. A carbonate rock sample was flooded with synthetic high-salinity water and other water solutions with different sulfate concentrations. The waterflooding processes were visualized with synchrotron X-ray microtomography to follow the evolution of pore-scale oil/brine interactions at typical field flow rates. Experimental results show that the water with lower sulfate concentration and higher salinity did not change the wettability of the pore surfaces. Higher sulfate ion concentrations in the water, in contrast, altered the wettability of carbonate pore surfaces from oil-wet to neutral-wet within the first few minutes of waterflooding. Finally, novel insight was gained on the ability of water with high-sulfate concentration to displace oil inmore »
- Authors:
-
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center (EXPEC), Dhahran (Saudi Aramco)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1837229
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-06CH11357
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- SPE Journal
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 26; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 1086-055X
- Publisher:
- Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS; enhanced recovery; displacement; oil channel; rock sample; oil phase; pore; tailoredwater 2; upstream oil & gas; porous medium; tailoredwater 1; improved and enhanced recovery; waterflooding
Citation Formats
Qin, Tianzhu, Fenter, Paul, AlOtaibi, Mohammed, Ayirala, Subhash, and AlYousef, Ali. Pore-Scale Oil Connectivity and Displacement by Controlled-Ionic-Composition Waterflooding Using Synchrotron X-Ray Microtomography. United States: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.2118/201618-pa.
Qin, Tianzhu, Fenter, Paul, AlOtaibi, Mohammed, Ayirala, Subhash, & AlYousef, Ali. Pore-Scale Oil Connectivity and Displacement by Controlled-Ionic-Composition Waterflooding Using Synchrotron X-Ray Microtomography. United States. https://doi.org/10.2118/201618-pa
Qin, Tianzhu, Fenter, Paul, AlOtaibi, Mohammed, Ayirala, Subhash, and AlYousef, Ali. Wed .
"Pore-Scale Oil Connectivity and Displacement by Controlled-Ionic-Composition Waterflooding Using Synchrotron X-Ray Microtomography". United States. https://doi.org/10.2118/201618-pa. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1837229.
@article{osti_1837229,
title = {Pore-Scale Oil Connectivity and Displacement by Controlled-Ionic-Composition Waterflooding Using Synchrotron X-Ray Microtomography},
author = {Qin, Tianzhu and Fenter, Paul and AlOtaibi, Mohammed and Ayirala, Subhash and AlYousef, Ali},
abstractNote = {Controlled-ionic-composition waterflooding is an economic and effective method to improve oil recovery in carbonate oil reservoirs. Recent studies show controlling the salinity and ionic composition of injection water can alter the wettability of carbonate mineral surfaces. The pore-scale oil connectivity and displacement by controlled-ionic-composition waterflooding in heterogeneous carbonate reservoirs, especially at the early stage, is still unclear. The goal of this study is to examine the role of ion concentrations and types in the oil displacement efficiency and investigate the impact of the waterflooding on the pore-scale oil displacement using the national synchrotron facility. A carbonate rock sample was flooded with synthetic high-salinity water and other water solutions with different sulfate concentrations. The waterflooding processes were visualized with synchrotron X-ray microtomography to follow the evolution of pore-scale oil/brine interactions at typical field flow rates. Experimental results show that the water with lower sulfate concentration and higher salinity did not change the wettability of the pore surfaces. Higher sulfate ion concentrations in the water, in contrast, altered the wettability of carbonate pore surfaces from oil-wet to neutral-wet within the first few minutes of waterflooding. Finally, novel insight was gained on the ability of water with high-sulfate concentration to displace oil in the small pores and through abundant oil channels, which could consequently lead to higher oil recovery from the carbonate rock.},
doi = {10.2118/201618-pa},
journal = {SPE Journal},
number = 6,
volume = 26,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2021},
month = {Wed Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2021}
}
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
Other availability
Search WorldCat to find libraries that may hold this journal
Save to My Library
You must Sign In or Create an Account in order to save documents to your library.
Works referenced in this record:
Insights into the Impact of Water Salinity on Multiphase Flow at the Pore-Scale in Carbonate Formations
conference, March 2019
- Abu-Al-Saud, Moataz; Esmaeilzadeh, Soheil; Tchelepi, Hamdi
- Day 4 Thu, March 21, 2019
The Role of Individual and Combined Ions in Waterflooding Carbonate Reservoirs: Electrokinetic Study
journal, June 2016
- Alotaibi, M. B.; Yousef, A. A.
- SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, Vol. 20, Issue 01
The Imaging of Dynamic Multiphase Fluid Flow Using Synchrotron-Based X-ray Microtomography at Reservoir Conditions
journal, August 2015
- Andrew, Matthew; Menke, Hannah; Blunt, Martin J.
- Transport in Porous Media, Vol. 110, Issue 1
Critical capillary number: Desaturation studied with fast X-ray computed microtomography: MICROTOMOGRAPHY IMAGED DESATURATION
journal, January 2014
- Armstrong, Ryan T.; Georgiadis, Apostolos; Ott, Holger
- Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 41, Issue 1
Impact of mineralogy and wettability on pore-scale displacement of NAPLs in heterogeneous porous media
journal, March 2020
- Arshadi, Maziar; Gesho, Masakazu; Qin, Tianzhu
- Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, Vol. 230
Conditions for a Low-Salinity Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Effect in Carbonate Oil Reservoirs
journal, December 2011
- Austad, T.; Shariatpanahi, S. F.; Strand, S.
- Energy & Fuels, Vol. 26, Issue 1
An Experimental Investigation into the Impact of Sulfate Ions in Smart Water to Improve Oil Recovery in Carbonate Reservoirs
journal, December 2015
- Awolayo, Adedapo; Sarma, Hemanta; AlSumaiti, Ali
- Transport in Porous Media, Vol. 111, Issue 3
Microscopic scale interactions of water ions at crude oil/water interface and their impact on oil mobilization in advanced water flooding
journal, April 2018
- Ayirala, Subhash C.; Al-Saleh, Salah H.; Al-Yousef, Ali A.
- Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Vol. 163
Effect of Salinity and Water Ions on Electrokinetic Interactions in Carbonate Reservoir Cores at Elevated Temperatures
journal, February 2018
- Ayirala, Subhash C.; Saleh, Salah H.; Enezi, Sultan M.
- SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, Vol. 21, Issue 03
Real-time 3D imaging of Haines jumps in porous media flow
journal, February 2013
- Berg, S.; Ott, H.; Klapp, S. A.
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 110, Issue 10
Water-Based Enhanced Oil Recovery EOR by "Smart Water" in Carbonate Reservoirs
conference, April 2012
- Fathi, S. Jafar; Austad, Tor; Strand, Skule
- SPE EOR Conference at Oil and Gas West Asia, All Days
Molecular-scale origins of wettability at petroleum–brine–carbonate interfaces
journal, November 2020
- Fenter, Paul; Qin, Tianzhu; Lee, Sang Soo
- Scientific Reports, Vol. 10, Issue 1
Interfacial rheological insights of sulfate-enriched smart-water at low and high-salinity in carbonates
journal, November 2017
- Garcia-Olvera, Griselda; Alvarado, Vladimir
- Fuel, Vol. 207
Mechanisms of smart waterflooding in carbonate oil reservoirs - A review
journal, August 2019
- Hao, Jiasheng; Mohammadkhani, Samira; Shahverdi, Hamidreza
- Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Vol. 179
Effect of fluid topology on residual nonwetting phase trapping: Implications for geologic CO2 sequestration
journal, December 2013
- Herring, Anna L.; Harper, Elizabeth J.; Andersson, Linnéa
- Advances in Water Resources, Vol. 62
Waterflooding of Preferential Oil-Wet Carbonates: Oil Recovery Related to Reservoir Temperature and Brine Composition
conference, June 2005
- Høgnesen, E. J.; Strand, S.; Austad, T.
- All Days
Micro-scale displacement of NAPL by surfactant and microemulsion in heterogeneous porous media
journal, July 2017
- Javanbakht, Gina; Arshadi, Maziar; Qin, Tianzhu
- Advances in Water Resources, Vol. 105
In situ characterization of wettability alteration and displacement mechanisms governing recovery enhancement due to low-salinity waterflooding: PHYSICS OF LOW-SALINITY WATERFLOODING
journal, May 2017
- Khishvand, M.; Alizadeh, A. H.; Oraki Kohshour, I.
- Water Resources Research, Vol. 53, Issue 5
Novel Waterflooding Strategy By Manipulation Of Injection Brine Composition.
conference, June 2009
- Ligthelm, Dick Jacob; Gronsveld, Jan; Hofman, Jan
- EUROPEC/EAGE Conference and Exhibition, All Days
Dynamic Pore-scale Imaging of Reactive Transport in Heterogeneous Carbonates at Reservoir Conditions
journal, January 2014
- Menke, Hannah; Bijeljic, Branko; Andrew, Matthew
- Energy Procedia, Vol. 63
Microscale Investigation of Dynamic Wettability Alteration Effect on Oil Displacement by Smart Waterflooding Using Synchrotron-Based Microtomography
conference, November 2020
- Qin, Tianzhu; Fenter, Paul; AlOtaibi, Mohammed
- Day 4 Thu, November 12, 2020
Nanoparticle-stabilized microemulsions for enhanced oil recovery from heterogeneous rocks
journal, August 2020
- Qin, Tianzhu; Goual, Lamia; Piri, Mohammad
- Fuel, Vol. 274
Pore-scale dynamics of nanofluid-enhanced NAPL displacement in carbonate rock
journal, March 2020
- Qin, Tianzhu; Goual, Lamia; Piri, Mohammad
- Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, Vol. 230
Smart Water as Wettability Modifier in Carbonate and Sandstone: A Discussion of Similarities/Differences in the Chemical Mechanisms
journal, September 2009
- RezaeiDoust, A.; Puntervold, T.; Strand, S.
- Energy & Fuels, Vol. 23, Issue 9
The Effect of Mixed Wettability on Pore‐Scale Flow Regimes Based on a Flooding Experiment in Ketton Limestone
journal, March 2019
- Rücker, M.; Bartels, W. ‐B.; Singh, K.
- Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 46, Issue 6
From connected pathway flow to ganglion dynamics
journal, May 2015
- Rücker, M.; Berg, S.; Armstrong, R. T.
- Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 42, Issue 10
Review of Recovery Mechanisms of Ionically Modified Waterflood in Carbonate Reservoirs
journal, December 2015
- Sohal, M. Adeel; Thyne, Geoffrey; Søgaard, Erik G.
- Energy & Fuels, Vol. 30, Issue 3
Evidence of Multi-Component Ion Exchange in Dolomite Formation during Low Salinity Waterflooding
journal, December 2017
- Srisuriyachai, Falan; Meekangwal, Suthida
- IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Vol. 95
Wettability alteration in chalk
journal, November 2000
- Standnes, Dag C.; Austad, Tor
- Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Vol. 28, Issue 3
“Smart Water” for Oil Recovery from Fractured Limestone: A Preliminary Study
journal, September 2008
- Strand, Skule; Austad, Tor; Puntervold, Tina
- Energy & Fuels, Vol. 22, Issue 5
The Effects of Temperature and Potential Determining Ions Present in Seawater on Oil Recovery From Fractured Carbonates
conference, April 2006
- Tweheyo, M. T.; Zhang, P.; Austad, T.
- All Days
Quantitative Analysis of Flow Processes in a Sand Using Synchrotron-Based X-ray Microtomography
journal, February 2005
- Wildenschild, D.; Hopmans, J. W.; Rivers, M. L.
- Vadose Zone Journal, Vol. 4, Issue 1
Wettability of Calcite Surfaces: Impacts of Brine Ionic Composition and Oil Phase Polarity at Elevated Temperature and Pressure Conditions
journal, May 2020
- Xie, Yun; Khishvand, Mahdi; Piri, Mohammad
- Langmuir, Vol. 36, Issue 22
Impact of Connate Brine Chemistry on In Situ Wettability and Oil Recovery: Pore-Scale Experimental Investigation
journal, March 2020
- Xie, Yun; Khishvand, Mahdi; Piri, Mohammad
- Energy & Fuels, Vol. 34, Issue 4
Laboratory Investigation of the Impact of Injection-Water Salinity and Ionic Content on Oil Recovery From Carbonate Reservoirs
journal, October 2011
- Yousef, Ali A.; Al-Saleh, Salah Hamad; Al-Kaabi, Abdulaziz
- SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, Vol. 14, Issue 05
Wettability and oil recovery from carbonates: Effects of temperature and potential determining ions
journal, May 2006
- Zhang, Peimao; Austad, Tor
- Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, Vol. 279, Issue 1-3
Wettability alteration and improved oil recovery by spontaneous imbibition of seawater into chalk: Impact of the potential determining ions Ca2+, Mg2+, and SO42−
journal, July 2007
- Zhang, Peimao; Tweheyo, Medad T.; Austad, Tor
- Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, Vol. 301, Issue 1-3