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Model Study of Enhanced Oil Recovery by Flooding with Aqueous Solutions of Different Surfactants: How the Surface Chemical Properties of the Surfactants Relate to the Amount of Oil Recovered

Fletcher, Paul D. I.; Clarke, Andrew; Savory, Luke D.; Howe, Andrew M.

Authors

Paul D. I. Fletcher

Andrew Clarke

Luke D. Savory

Andrew M. Howe



Abstract

© 2016 American Chemical Society. The main aim of this work is to establish how the fraction of oil recovered from an oil-filled calcite powder packed column by injection of aqueous surfactant solution depends on the phase behavior and surface chemical properties of the surfactant system. We have measured the phase behavior, the adsorption of surfactant to the oil-water, calcite-water, and calcite-oil interfaces, tensions, and contact angles for anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactant/oil/aqueous phase systems. We show how the measured surface chemical properties can be used to approximately predict the fraction of oil recovered as a function of the volume and concentration of the surfactant solutions injected into the column. Measured and calculated plots of %oil recovery versus surfactant concentration show reasonably good agreement for the different surfactant systems. The experimentally validated model for oil recovery provides a sound basis for the rational selection of surfactant type and concentration to achieve maximum oil recovery based on laboratory measurements of the surface chemical properties of candidate surfactants.

Citation

Fletcher, P. D. I., Clarke, A., Savory, L. D., & Howe, A. M. (2016). Model Study of Enhanced Oil Recovery by Flooding with Aqueous Solutions of Different Surfactants: How the Surface Chemical Properties of the Surfactants Relate to the Amount of Oil Recovered. Energy and Fuels, 30(6), 4767-4780. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b00797

Acceptance Date May 15, 2016
Online Publication Date May 16, 2016
Publication Date Jun 16, 2016
Deposit Date May 16, 2016
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Energy & fuels
Print ISSN 0887-0624
Electronic ISSN 1520-5029
Publisher American Chemical Society
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 30
Issue 6
Pages 4767-4780
DOI https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b00797
Keywords Oil recovery, Surfactant solution flooding
Public URL https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/438192
Publisher URL http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b00797
Additional Information This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Energy & fuels, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b00797

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