1887
  1. Home
  2. Conferences
  3. Conference Proceedings
  4. IOR 2017 - 19th European Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery
  5. Conference paper

Abstract

Summary

SmartWater flooding through tailoring of injection water salinity and ionic composition is becoming an attractive proposition for improved oil recovery in carbonate reservoirs. Most of the recent studies suggest that surface charge change induced by lower salinity and certain water ions on carbonate surfaces is the main mechanism responsible for favorable wettability alteration, and consequently, higher oil recovery in SmartWater flooding. Unfortunately, these studies determined surface charges based on the electrophoretic mobility (EPM) measurement technique using powdered crushed core samples, which may not reflect the natural conditions existing in the subsurface reservoirs. In this study we used a state-of-the-art experimental technique based on streaming potential measurements to determine surface charge in intact Arab-D reservoir core samples saturated with different brine salinities and individual ion compositions. We also believe that this is the first time such a measurement technique has been used to measure surface charges in reservoir cores at elevated temperatures.

The results indicated a favorable effect of sulfate ions in Arab-D rocks to alter the surface charge to more negative and the reactivity of these ions increased significantly by almost one order of magnitude at higher temperatures. Such a surface charge alteration to an extreme negative obtained upon exposure to injection waters containing sulfates would release the oil droplets from the carbonate surface. Among the positive ions, calcium showed the highest reactivity to shift the surface charge to slightly positive. Both magnesium and sodium ions showed almost similar behavior to change the surface charge toward less negative. In addition, only minor to moderate changes in surface charge were observed with the positive ions when the temperature is increased. The dynamic time-dependent effects on surface charge measured during the displacement of seawater by SmartWater (10 times diluted seawater) in reservoir cores showed an immediate shift in the surface charge from positive to negative. This instantaneous change observed in the surface charge confirms the beneficial effect of SmartWater on wettability alteration. All of these novel findings from this study will provide several major fundamental insights to better understand the dynamic role of surface charge alteration mechanism on oil recovery in SmartWater flooding.

© EAGE Publications BV
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.201700265
2017-04-24
2024-04-20

  • From This Site

    /content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.201700265
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Alameri, W., Teklu, T.W., Graves, R.M., Kazemi, H. and AlSumaiti, A.M.
    [2014]. Wettability alteration during low-salinity water flooding in carbonate reservoir cores. Paper SPE-171529.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. AlOtaibi, M.B., Nasr-El-Din, H.A. and Fletcher, J.J.
    [2011]. Electrokinetics of limestone and dolomite rock particles. SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, 1–10.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. AlOtaibi, M.B. and Yousef, A.A.
    [2016]. The role of individual and combined ions in waterflooding carbonate reservoirs: electrokinetic study. SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, Article in Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Austad, T., Shariatpanahi, S., Strand, S., Black, J. and Webb, K.
    [2012] Conditions for a low-salinity enhanced oil recovery (EOR) effect in carbonate oil reservoirs. Energy & Fuels, 26 (1), 569–575.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Fathi, S.J., Austad, T. and Strand, S.
    [2011]. Water-based enhanced oil recovery (EOR) by smart water: optimal ionic composition for EOR in carbonates. Energy & Fuels, 25 (11), 5173–5179.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Gupta, R., Smith, P.G., Hu, L., Willingham, T., Lo Cascio, M., Shyeh, J.J. and Harris, C.R.
    [2011]. Enhanced waterflood for carbonate reservoirs – impact of injection water composition, Paper SPE-142668.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Hiorth, A., Cathles, L. and Madland, M.
    [2010]. The impact of pore water chemistry on carbonate surface charge and oil wettability, Transport in Porous Media, 85 (1), 1–21.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Madsen, L.
    [2006]. Calcite: Surface Charge. In Encyclopedia of Surface and Colloid Science, ed. Hubbard, A.T.New York: Taylor and Francis. 1084–1096.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Mahani, H., Keya, A., Berg, S., Bartels, W.B., Nasralla, R. and Rossen, W.R.
    [2015]. Insights into the mechanism of wettability alteration by low salinity water flooding (LSF) in carbonates. Energy & Fuels, 29 (3), 1352–1367.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Mahani, H., Keya, A.L., Berg, S. and Nasralla, R.
    [2016] Electrokinetics of carbonate/brine interface in low-salinity waterflooding: effect of brine salinity, composition, rock type, and pH on Zeta potential and surface-complexation model, SPE Journal. Article in Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Romanuka, J., Hofman, J., Ligthelm, D.J., Suijkerbuijk, B., Marcelis, F., Oedai, S., Brussee, N., van der Linde, H., Aksulu, H. and Austad, T.
    [2012]. Low salinity EOR in carbonates, Paper SPE-153869.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Strand, S., Hognesen, E.J. and Austad, T.
    [2006]. Wettability alteration of carbonates- effects of potential determining ions (Ca2+ and SO4   2−) and temperature. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochem. Eng. Aspects, 276 (1–3), 1–10.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Strand, S. and Austad, T.
    [2008]. Effect of temperature on enhanced oil recovery from mixed-wet chalk cores by spontaneous imbibition and forced displacement using seawater. Energy & Fuels, 22 (5), 3222–3225.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Yousef, A.A., Al-Saleh, S.H., Al-Kaabi, A. and Al-Jawfi, M.S.
    [2011a] Laboratory investigation of the impact of injection-water salinity and ionic content on oil recovery from carbonate reservoirs. SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, 578–593.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Yousef, A.A., Al-Saleh, S.H. and Al-Jawfi, M.S.
    [2011b]. New recovery method for carbonate reservoirs through tuning the injection water salinity: SmartWater flooding. SPE EUROPEC/EAGE Conference and Exhibition. Paper SPE-143550.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. [2011c] SmartWater flooding for carbonate reservoirs: salinity and role of ions. SPE Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Conference. Paper SPE-141082.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. [2012a] The impact of injection water chemistry on oil recovery from carbonate reservoirs. SPE EOR Conference at Oil and Gas West Asia. Paper SPE-154077.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. [2012b] Improved/Enhanced oil recovery from carbonate reservoirs by tuning injection water salinity and ionic content. 18th SPE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium. Paper SPE-154076.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Zhang, P. and Austad, T.
    2006. Wettability and oil recovery from carbonates: effects of temperature and potential determining ions. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochem. Eng. Aspects, 279, 179–187.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Zhang, P., Tweheyo, M.T. and Austad, T.
    [2007]. Wettability alteration and improved oil recovery by spontaneous imbibition of seawater in chalk: impact of potential determining ions Ca2+, Mg2+ and SO4   2−. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochem. Eng. Aspects, 301 (1–3), 199–208.
     [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.201700265
Loading
Impact of Salinity and Water Ions on Surface Charge Alteration in Arab D Reservoir Cores at Elevated Temperatures
Conference Proceedings 2017, 1 (2017); https://doi.org/10.3997/2214-4609.201700265
/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.201700265
/content/papers/10.3997/2214-4609.201700265
Loading

Data & Media loading...

Most Cited This Month Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error