Displacement mechanism of polymeric surfactant in chemical cold flooding for heavy oil based on microscopic visualization experiments

Abstract

In order to study the microscopic oil displacement mechanism of polymeric surfactant in chemical cold flooding for heavy oil, the indoor microscopic visualization displacement experiments were carried out. The flooding experiment of heavy oil was conducted by using water, osmotic modified oil displacing agent (a kind of polymeric surfactant) and water-in-oil emulsion (obtained by mixing polymeric surfactant and heavy oil) as displacing phases to study the mechanism of polymeric surfactant to enhance oil recovery in heavy oil reservoir. The experimental results show that the polymeric surfactant can increase the viscosity of the water phase, reduce the water-oil mobility ratio, expand the swept area, and there is no obvious fingering phenomenon which occurs during water flooding. The polymeric surfactant has the surfactant characteristics which can reduce the interfacial tension between oil and water to promote the formation of oil droplets with smaller droplet diameter. And the interfacial film composed of polymeric surfactant molecules will be formed on the surface of oil droplets to prevent the coalescence of oil droplets and improve the flow ability of oil phase. The water-in-oil emulsion can be miscible with the oil in heavy oil displacement process, and thus sweeps the areas such as the dead pores which cannot be swept by water and polymeric surfactant flooding, which increases the sweep efficiency to a certain extent.

Cited as: Xu, F., Chen, Q., Ma, M., Wang, Y., Yu, F., Li, J. Displacement mechanism of polymeric surfactant in chemical cold flooding for heavy oil based on microscopic visualization experiments. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2020, 4(1): 77-85, doi: 10.26804/ager.2020.01.07

References

Alvarado, V., Manrique, E. Enhanced oil recovery: An update review. Energies 2010, 3(9): 1529-1575.

Cao, Y., Li, H. Interfacial activity of a novel family of polymeric surfactants. Eur. Polym. J. 2002, 38(7): 1457-1463.

Deng, S., Lü, W., Liu, Q., et al. Research on oil displacement mechanism in conglomerate using CT scanning method. Pet. Explor. Dev. 2014, 41(3): 365-370.

Dranchuk, P.M., Scott, J.D., Flock, D.L. Effect of the addition of certain chemicals on oil recovery during water flooding. J. Can. Pet. Technol. 1974, 13(3): 27-36.

Farouq Ali, S.M., Figueroa, J.M., Azuaje, E.A., et al. Recovery of Lloydminster and Morichal crudes by caustic, acid and emulsion floods. J. Can. Pet. Technol. 1979, 18(1): 53-59.

Gbadamosi, A.O., Junin, R., Manan, M.A., et al. An overview of chemical enhanced oil recovery: Recent advances and prospects. Int. Nano Lett. 2019, 9(3): 171-202.

Jamshidi, T., Zeng, F., Tontiwachwuthikul, P. Viability of carbonated water injection (CWI) as a means of secondary oil recovery in heavy oil systems in presence and absence of wormholes: Microfluidic experiments. Fuel 2019, 249: 286-293.

J., Babadagli, T. Comprehensive methodology for chemicals and nano materials screening for heavy oil recovery using microemulsion characterization. J. Pet. Sci. Eng. 2018, 171: 1099-1112.

Li, L. Performance evaluation of polymer surfactant solution and study on oil displacement effect. Journal of Yangtze University (Natural Science Edition) 2012, 9(8): 74-75.

(in Chinese) Li, J., Jiang, H., Wang, C., et al. Pore-scale investigation of microscopic remaining oil variation characteristics in water-wet sandstone using CT scanning. J. Nat. Gas Sci. Eng. 2017, 48: 36-35.

Li, J., Liu, Y., Gao, Y., et al. Effects of microscopic pore structure heterogeneity on the distribution and morphology of remaining oil. Pet. Explor. Dev. 2018, 45(6): 1112-1122.

Li, J., Su, H., Jiang, H., et al. Application of microfluidic models in the oil and gas field development. Petroleum Science Bulletin 2018, 3(3): 284-301. (in Chinese)

Lifton, V.A. Microfluidics: An enabling screening technology for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Lab Chip 2016, 16(10): 1777-1796.

Mohammadzadeh, O., Sedaghat, M.H., Kord, S., et al. Pore-level visual analysis of heavy oil recovery using chemical-assisted waterflooding process–Use of a new chemical agent. Fuel 2019, 239: 202-218.

Raffa, P., Broekhuis, A.A., Picchioni, F. Polymeric surfactants for enhanced oil recovery: A review. J. Pet. Sci. Eng. 2016, 145: 723-733.

Shang, X., Bai, Y., Sun, J., et al. Performance and displacement mechanism of a surfactant/compound alkaline flooding system for enhanced oil recovery. Colloid Surf. A 2019, 580: 123679.

Sun, J., Xu, X., Wang, J., et al. Synthesis and emulsification properties of an amphiphilic polymer for enhanced oil recovery. J. Disper. Sci. Technol. 2010, 31(7): 931-935.

Wang, C., Wang, X., Zheng, J., et al. Microscopic visual experiment study of heavy oil gravity drainage. Oilfield Chemistry 2014, 31(1): 79-81. (in Chinese)

Wang, J., Zhu, L., Zhang, F., et al. Microfluidic tools for lipid production and modification: A review. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 2019, 26(35): 35482-35496.

Wu, X., Zhong, C., Lian, X., et al. Solution properties and aggregating structures for a fluorine-containing polymeric surfactant with a poly (ethylene oxide) macro-monomer. Roy. Soc. Open Sci. 2018, 5(8): 180610.

Yan, L. Analysis of characteristics and oil displacement mechanism of new oil displacement agent-polymer surfactant. Journal of Yangtze University (Natural Science Edition) 2014, 11(26): 110-112. (in Chinese)

Yu, F., Jiang, H., Xu, F., et al. A multi-scale experimental study of hydrophobically-modified polyacrylamide flood and surfactant-polymer flood on enhanced heavy oil recovery. J. Pet. Sci. Eng. 2019, 182: 106258.

Zhang, Z., Li, J., Zhou, J. Microscopic roles of “viscoelasticity” in HPMA polymer flooding for EOR. Trans. Porous Media 2011, 86(1): 199-214.