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Fines Migration in Aquifers and Oilfields: Laboratory and Mathematical Modelling Read chapter Read first chapter

2018 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

New Insight into Immiscible Foam for Enhancing Oil Recovery

Authors : Mohammad Simjoo, Pacelli L. J. Zitha

Published in: Flow and Transport in Subsurface Environment

Publisher: Springer Singapore

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Abstract

Gas flooding is a widely applied enhanced oil recovery method. But, the full potential of this method is not realized in the reservoir conditions due to poor vertical and areal sweep efficiency of the injected gas. Foaming of the injected gas can potentially improve gas flooding performance by reducing the mobility of gas phase and thereby increasing volumetric sweep efficiency during gas flooding into oil reservoirs. In this study, the behavior of immiscible form generated by nitrogen and C14-16 alpha olefin sulfonate in natural sandstone porous media was investigated. Effect of surfactant concentration on the foam strength and foam propagation was examined. X-ray CT scans were obtained to visualize the foam displacement process and to determine fluid saturations at different times. The results revealed that stable foam could be obtained in the presence of water-flood residual oil. CT scan images, fluid saturation, and mobility reduction factor profiles demonstrated that foam exhibited a good mobility control in the presence of water-flood residual oil. The results also proved that immiscible foam displaced additional oil from water-flooded sandstone cores, supporting the idea that foam is potentially an effective EOR method.

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Metadata
Title
New Insight into Immiscible Foam for Enhancing Oil Recovery
Authors
Mohammad Simjoo
Pacelli L. J. Zitha
Copyright Year
2018
Publisher
Springer Singapore
Book
Flow and Transport in Subsurface Environment

Print ISBN: 978-981-10-8772-1

Electronic ISBN: 978-981-10-8773-8

Copyright Year: 2018

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8773-8_3

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