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Application of Gamma-Alumina Nanoparticles to Enhance Spontaneous Imbibition in Low Permeable, Oil-Wet Carbonate Rocks
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, 80th EAGE Conference and Exhibition 2018, Jun 2018, Volume 2018, p.1 - 5
Abstract
Due to the oil-wet nature of carbonate rocks spontaneous imbibition of water in these reservoirs is weak. One of the possible solutions to promote water spontaneous imbibitions is to use nanoparticles (NPs) for wettability alteration purposes. In this study, spontaneous imbibition of gamma-alumina NPs in different concentrations was investigated in a low permeable, oil-wet carbonate rock. Results showed that gamma-alumina NPs increased oil recovery as much as 11% of the originally oil in place while no oil was obtained by water imbibition in the native rock. Results also revealed that increase of NPs concentration from 0.01 to 0.3wt% has a positive impact on oil recovery, while further increasing of concentration to 0.5wt% led to less incremental oil. Oil recovery results were consistent with contact angle measurements in which gamma-alumina NPs successfully altered rock wettability from strongly oil-wet to more water-wet condition. Also, SEM- EDX analyses verified that gamma-alumina NPs were adsorbed on the oil-wet carbonate rock. It was found that gamma-alumina NPs led to a slight reduction of IFT from 19 to 11 mN/m which could not be the dominant mechanism for incremental oil. Results of this study support the EOR potential of gamma-alumina NPs in oil-wet carbonate rocks.