Abstract:
Today ASP flooding is one of the leading chemical enhanced oil recovery
technologies used for viscous oil production [1]. General idea of ASP flooding is to reach
synergetic effect [2]. Each chemical component in the mixture plays it role (fig. 1). For example
alkali when reacting with hydrophobic rock decreases surfactant adsorption and changes contact
angle between oil and rock by recharging its surface. Alkali in admixture with organic acids of
the oil form natural surfactants (saponifying process). This leads to decrease of surface tension
on the oil-water contact. Low surfactant concentration increases effect of interfacial tension
reduction between oil and water up to ultra-low values 0,05-0,01 mN/m because hydrophobic
part of the molecule enters oil phase.
At that time when hydrophilic “head” lines up on the oil/water phase interface and
increases oil dispersibility in water. Following injection of high viscous polymer solution
increases sweep efficiency. This method makes it possible to increase displacement efficiency of
unrecovered oil which is trapped in capillary pits after flooding [2].
Description:
Papers presented at the 13th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Portoroz, Slovenia on 17-19 July 2017 .
