Designed mesoporous silica nanoparticles to mitigate against reservoir fines migration

Wet milling and ultrasonication were utilized as an environmental benign approach to produce mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNP) to trap migrating reservoir fines. Static adsorption was performed at various conditions to ascertain effect of concentration, time, and salinity on MSNP adsorption onto reservoir fines. Adsorption kinetic and isotherms models were utilized to conceptualize the adsorption procedures and the corresponding mechanisms proffered. Microstructural analysis shows a mesoporous structure ranging from 2.88 to 44.8 nm with high specific surface area of 332 m²/g and purity of 94%. Pseudo-second order with regression coefficient (R²) of 0.99 shows that the model best defines the reservoir fines adsorption rate onto MSNP. Equilibrium parameter (R^L) of < 1 signifies a favorable adsorption and strong bonding. Heterogeneity factor value of 1/n < 1 and the n values of 5–11 show sufficient site for adsorption. Langmuir isotherm model with R² of 0.985 best fitted the equilibrium adsorption of kaolinite whereas high R² of 0.98 and lower sum of squared errors of illite for Freundlich model indicates it is better than Langmuir model. Experimental results have shown that the mesopores accelerated the reservoir fines adsorption by MSNP through chemosorption and single-layer coverage.