Importance of Fluid/Fluid Interactions in Enhancing Oil Recovery by Optimizing Low-Salinity Waterflooding in Sandstones

Jose Villero-Mandon, Nurzhan Askar, Peyman Pourafshary () and Masoud Riazi
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Jose Villero-Mandon: School of Mining and Geosciences, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
Nurzhan Askar: School of Mining and Geosciences, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
Peyman Pourafshary: School of Mining and Geosciences, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
Masoud Riazi: School of Mining and Geosciences, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-13

Abstract: Low-salinity waterflooding/smart waterflooding (LSWF/SWF) is a technique involving the injection of water with a modified composition to alter the equilibrium between rock and fluids within porous media to enhance oil recovery. This approach offers significant advantages, including environmental friendliness and economic efficiency. Rock/fluid mechanisms such as wettability alteration and fines migration and fluid/fluid mechanisms such as a change in interfacial tension and viscoelasticity are considered active mechanisms during LSWF/SWF. In this study, we evaluated the effect of these mechanisms, by LSWF/SWF, on sandstones. To investigate the dominant mechanisms, coreflooding studies were performed using different injected fluid composition/salinity and wettability states. A comparative analysis of the recovery and mobility reduction factor was performed to clarify the conditions at which fluid/fluid mechanisms are also effective. Our studies showed that wettability alteration is the most dominant mechanism during LSWF/SWF, but, for weak oil-wet cases, optimizing brine compositions may activate fluid/fluid mechanisms. Brine composition significantly influences interface stability and performance, with sulfate content playing a crucial role in enhancing interface properties. This was observed via mobility behavior. A comparative analysis of pressure differentials showed that fines migration may act as a secondary mechanism and not a dominant one. This study highlights the importance of tailored brine compositions in maximizing oil recovery and emphasizes the complex interplay between rock and fluid properties in enhanced oil recovery strategies.

Keywords: fluid/fluid interaction; IFT reduction; low-salinity waterflood; microemulsion; viscoelastic behavior; water-wet sandstones (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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