A Combined Surface-Colloid Chemical and Rock-Fluid Interaction Approach towards more Efficient Enhanced Oil Recovery Strategies

The objective of the project is to provide essential knowledge of how surfactants can improve low salinity water flooding as an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes. The indigenous components of the crude oil have been taken into account when considering the interactions between the low salinity surfactant systems,crude oil and reservoir rocks. The synergetic effects of crude oil components, surfactants and divalent ions in the water on interfacial tension and adsorption/desorption from solid surfaces have been studied in detail. Procedures for imaging fluid distribution in core samples have been developed, and a quartz crystal microbalance approach that can offer a relatively fast way of screening experimental parameters of importance for increased oil recovery processes, prior to performing more time-consuming core flooding tests have been presented. Finally, new surfactant blends have been characterized and tested in core flooding studies.

The objective of the project is to to provide essential knowledge of how surfactants can improve low salinity water flooding as an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes. The novelty in the project is that all the indigenous components of the crude oil wil l be taken into account when considering the interactions between the low salinity surfactant systems, crude oil and reservoir rocks. Detalied analyses at the microscopic level, during fluid-rock interactions and dynamic displacement studies will generate understanding of the significance of the various components and fundamental knowledge of the underlying principles and phenomena will emerge. This will be essential for arriving at optimised flooding methods. The project is a multidiciplinary collaborat ion bettwen Ugelstad Laboratory at Department of Chemical Engineering (NTNU), Department of Petroleum Engineering and Applied Geophysics (NTNU) and SINTEF Petroleum Research. The high level of complimentary expertise within these groups will ensure detali ed and comprehensive mapping of the investigated EOR systems from a molecular level to conditions close to reservoir conditions. The area of rersearch (EOR) has high national prioroty, as implementation of efficient EOR processes must be implemented in m any oil fields at the Norwegian Continental Shelf in the coming years. Four industrial partners will be engaged in the project, which will ensure good dissemination of results among users. Scientific dissemination will be targeted towards both interfacial science and reservoir engineering communities. 2 PhD and 1 post.doc. candidates will be educated in the project. In addition, MSc candidates will be recruited and educated within the project framework.