Ultralow Interfacial Tensions

for Enhanced Oil Recovery:

Principles and Application

China University of Petroleum

1. Enhanced Oil Recovery
2. Principles of Ultralow Interfacial
Tension
3. Application of Ultralow Interfacial
Tension
4. Further Work
 1. Enhanced Oil Recovery

1.1 Primary Recovery (Nature Methods)

1.2 Secondary Recovery
1.3 Enhanced Oil Recovery
 1.1 Primary Recovery

Primary Oil Recovery:

Nature Energy (Reservoir Energy)
Dissolved Gas Drive, Gas Cap Drive, Water
Drive, Gravity Drive, etc.
The gas cap drive mechanism
The water drive mechanism
 1.2 Secondary Recovery
Object: residua crude oil after primary
recovery
(1) Supplement the depleted reservoir energy
pressure
(2) Increase the sweep efficiency

Methods: pump or inject materials (water,

gas) into a oil reservoir
Oil recovery using gas or water injection
Examples of residua oil after secondary recovery
 1.3 Enhanced Oil Recovery
Object:
The incremental ultimate oil that can be
economically recovered from a petroleum
reservoir over oil that can be economically
recovered by conventional primary and
secondary methods
 1.3 Enhanced Oil Recovery
General Methods:
(1) Chemical Methods: Polymer flooding,
Surfactant flooding, Alkaline flooding
ASP flooding, etc.
(2) Miscible Methods: Inject a solvent that
completely dissolves the oil. Solvent:
alcohol, a refined hydrocarbon, etc
(3) Thermal Methods: Heavy oil
Oil recovery by the polymer flooding process
Oil recovery by the alkaline flooding process
Oil recovery by the surfactant flooding process
In the chemical flooding process, the oil
recovery is correlated to the sweep
efficiency of the flooding, the wettability of
the oil reservoir, the interfacial tension
between the oil and the flooding phase…

In the lecture, the interfacial tension has

been mainly focused on.
 2 Principles of Ultralow Interfacial
Tension
2.1 Definition of Ultralow Interfacial Tension
2.2 Mechanism of Ultralow Interfacial
Tension
2.3 Principles of Ultralow Interfacial Tension
2.1 Definition of Ultralow Interfacial
Tension
(1) Equilibrium and Dynamic Interfacial
Tension
(2) Interfacial Tension and Oil Recovery
(3) Ultralow Interfacial Tension
 (1) Equilibrium and Dynamic Interfacial
Tension

In oil/water system, the interfacially active

substance will be adsorbed/desorbed at
oil/water interface.
The equilibrium interfacial tension
corresponds to the equilibrium between
adsorption and desorption.
The dynamic interfacial corresponds to the
procedure of adsorption and desorption.
 (1) Equilibrium and Dynamic Interfacial
Tension

Oil Phase

Water Phase
(1) Equilibrium and Dynamic Interfacial
Tension
In chemical flooding process, the equilibrium of adsorption /
desorption is difficult to attain. The dynamic interfacial
tension is always be accepted.

Oil Phase

Water Phase
(2) Interfacial tension and oil recovery
The Lower Interfacial Tension

The Higher Oil Recovery

 Water flooding process: acid components

Oil Phase

Water Phase
 Polymer flooding process: acid components

Oil Phase

Water Phase
 Alkaline flooding process: acid components,
ionized acid components

Oil Phase

OH-
Water Phase OH- OH- OH-

OH-
OH- OH-
OH -

OH-
Surfactant flooding process: acid components and
surfactant

Oil Phase

Water Phase
ASP flooding process: acid components, ionized
acid components, surfactants

Oil Phase

OH- OH- OH-

Water Phase OH -

OH- OH- OH-

OH-
OH-
OH -

OH- OH-
In water flooding process, polymer flooding
process, the interfacial tension is normal.
In alkaline flooding process, surfactant
flooding process or ASP flooding process
the lower interfacial tension (10-10-1
mN/m), sometimes the ultralow
interfacial tension (< 10-1 mN/m ) has
been observed.
 (3) Ultralow Interfacial Tension

Ultralow interfacial tension (< 10-1 mN/m ) is

a result when the some requirements have
been satisfied in oil/water systems.
Ultralow interfacial tension is expected to
appear in suitable time, suitable place and
last more time in enhanced oil recovery.
Spinning Drop Interfacial Tensiometer
 2.2 Mechanism of Ultralow Interfacial
Tension

• The highest adsorption of interfacially

active components and charges in the
interfacial layer.
 2.2 Mechanism of Ultralow Interfacial
Tension

Oil Phase

Interfacial
OH- OH- Layer
OH -
OH-
Water Phase
OH- OH- OH-
OH-
OH-
OH -

OH- OH-
2.3 Principles of Ultralow Interfacial
Tension

Acid Components (HA)

Alkalines Polymers

surfactants
 The role of the acid components (HA)

Oil phase HAo HAw Water phase

HAw + H2O =Aw- +H3O+

The HAo, Haw, Aw- and H3O+ will be adsorbed at

oil/water interfacial layer and reduce the interfacial
tension.
 The role of alkaline

Oil phase HAo HAw Water phase

Alkaline: Na2CO3

HAw + H2O = Aw- +H3O+

Na++Aw- = NaAw
The role of alkaline
 The role of the surfactants

Oil phase HAo HAw Water phase

Sur.o Sur.w
Surfactants:
Some structures and concentrations of
surfactants results in the highest
adsorption of HA and Sur. at oil/water
interfacial layer.
The role of the surfactants
 The role of the polymers

The polymer solutions have higher viscosity. It

means longer time adsorption and longer time
desorption of interfacially active components.
Then the ultralow interfacial tension need more
time to attain to and will last more time.

The interfacial activity of the polymers would also

be considered.
The role of the polymers
 Other effect factors

Oil phase: the length of the hydrocarbon

chain, the aromaticity (e.g.
Toluene/Heptane), etc.

Aqueous phase: the salts dissolved (ions )

Chromatography adsorption in the flooding

process
3 Application of Ultralow Interfacial
Tension

3.1 Daqing Oil Field

3.2 ShengLi Oil Field
3.3 Northsea Oil Field
 3.1 Daqing Oil Field

Daqing oil field have been explored over 30

years. It is the most important oil field in
China. The EOR (ASP) technology have
adopted to keep the higher oil production.
As the higher content of waxes in Daqing
crude oil, the polymer and the surfactants
have been considered at first.
 3.2 Shenglli Oil field
Shengli oil field is the second oil field in the
east of China.
The Shengli oil has higher content of acid
components.
In ASP flooding, the role of alkaline is
always be considered.
3.3 North Sea Oil Field
 4 Further works

4.1 The problems we faced

4.2 The further works
 4.1 The problems we faced

1. Higher cost: Chromatography adsorption

in the flooding process
2. Harm in the oil reservoirs and
environment pollution
 4.2 The further works
1. The role of nature interfacially actives in
crude oil
2. The new structure of surfactants/polymers
3. The new ASP flooding
4. Simulation in flooding process,
considering the chromatography
adsorption
….
 Acknowledgements

Lanekassen and the Centre for Integrated

Petroleum Research (CIPR) are
acknowledged for the financial support.
Thanks for your patience!