Investigation on surfactant desorption isotherm to enhance oil spontaneous recovery in a low permeability core. (30th September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ngo, Ichhuy; Nguele, Ronald; Sugai, Yuichi; Sasaki, Kyuro
• Is Part Of: International journal of oil, gas and coal technology. Volume 28:Number 4(2021)
• Page Start: 421
• Page End: 441
• Publication Date: 2021-09-30
• Subjects: surfactant adsorption -- surfactant desorption -- enhanced oil recovery -- EOR -- spontaneous imbibition -- Langmuir isotherm -- sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate -- SDBS -- low permeability -- Berea sandstone -- surfactant precipitation -- pore blockage; Petroleum as fuel -- Periodicals; Gas as fuel -- Periodicals; Coal -- Periodicals; Biomass energy -- Periodicals; Hydrogen as fuel -- Periodicals; 662.6
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1753-3309

Abstract

Surfactant enhanced oil recovery depends on the interfacial tension (IFT) reduction and wettability alteration in the rock/oil/brine system. An adequate amount of surfactant within the system is vital during the application. The aforementioned problem becomes more sensitive in a low permeability formation when the adsorption is much higher than the desorption. This study, therefore, investigated the surfactant desorption isotherm using sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) as a surfactant and tight Berea sandstone as adsorbent. The desorption of SDBS was found to follow a Langmuir type isotherm. Owing to the Langmuir characteristics, the desorption increased up to four folds by reducing the salinity of the process water from 3 wt.% to 1 wt.%. The study was extended in a spontaneous imbibition tests for oil recovery. The desorbed SDBS enables an increase in total oil recovery by 2%. The results were subsequent to a more favourable IFT and a mitigation in the narrow-pore blockage. [Received: March 21, 2020; Accepted: October 12, 2020]