Surfactant Stabilized Nanoemulsion: Characterization and Application in Enhanced Oil Recovery

Authors: Ajay Mandal, Achinta Bera

Abstract:

Nanoemulsions are a class of emulsions with a droplet size in the range of 50–500 nm and have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years because it is unique characteristics. The physicochemical properties of nanoemulsion suggests that it can be successfully used to recover the residual oil which is trapped in the fine pore of reservoir rock by capillary forces after primary and secondary recovery. Oil-in-water nanoemulsion which can be formed by high-energy emulsification techniques using specific surfactants can reduce oil-water interfacial tension (IFT) by 3-4 orders of magnitude. The present work is aimed on characterization of oil-inwater nanoemulsion in terms of its phase behavior, morphological studies; interfacial energy; ability to reduce the interfacial tension and understanding the mechanisms of mobilization and displacement of entrapped oil blobs by lowering interfacial tension both at the macroscopic and microscopic level. In order to investigate the efficiency of oil-water nanoemulsion in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), experiments were performed to characterize the emulsion in terms of their physicochemical properties and size distribution of the dispersed oil droplet in water phase. Synthetic mineral oil and a series of surfactants were used to prepare oil-in-water emulsions. Characterization of emulsion shows that it follows pseudo-plastic behaviour and drop size of dispersed oil phase follows lognormal distribution. Flooding experiments were also carried out in a sandpack system to evaluate the effectiveness of the nanoemulsion as displacing fluid for enhanced oil recovery. Substantial additional recoveries (more than 25% of original oil in place) over conventional water flooding were obtained in the present investigation.

Keywords: Nanoemulsion, Characterization, Enhanced Oil Recovery, Particle Size Distribution

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1074477

References:

[1] R. Krishnamoorti, Extracting the benefits of Nanotechnology for the Oil Industry. Journal of Petroleum Technology, 58, 24-26. 2006.
[2] Md. Amanullah, A. M. Al-Tahini, Nano-TechnologyÔÇöIts Significance in Smart Fluid Development for Oil and Gas Field Application, SPE 126102-MS, 2009.
[3] P. L. J. Zitha, Smart fluids in the oilfield, Exploration & Production: The Oil & Gas Review, pp. 66-68, 2005.
[4] J. L. Salager, Pharmaceutical Emulsions and Suspensions: cap. 2, Formation Concept for the Emulsion Maker, F. Nielloud, G. Marti- Mestres (Eds), Dekker NY, 2000.
[5] K. Shinoda, B. Lindman, Organized surfactant systems: nanoemulsions, Langmuir, 3, 135-149, 1987.
[6] S. E. Friberg, P. Bothorel, Nanoemulsion: Structures and Dynamics, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1987.
[7] K. Holmberg, Organic and bioorganic reactions in nanoemulsions, Adv. Colloid Interface Sci., 51, 137-174, 1994.
[8] T. Tadros, P. Izquierdo, J. Esquena, C. Solans, Formation and Stability of Nano-emulsions, Adv. Colloid. Interface Sci., 108-109, 303-318, 2004.
[9] D. Morales, J. M. Gutierrez, M.J. Garcia-Celma, Y.C. Solans, A Study of the Relation between Bicontinuous Nanoemulsions and Oil/Water Nano-emulsion Formation, Langmuir, 19, 7196-7200, 2003.
[10] A. Forgiarini J. Esquena, C. González, C. Solans, Formation of Nanoemulsions by Low-Energy Emulsification Methods at Constant Temperature, Langmuir 17, 2076-2083, 2001.
[11] N. Uson, M.J. Garcia, C. Solans, Formation of water-in-oil (W/O) nanoemulsions in a water/mixed non-ionic surfactant/oil systems prepared by a low-energy emulsification method, Colloids Surf. A 250, 415-421, 2004.
[12] E. Hoff, B. Nystrom, B. Lindman, Polymer-surfactant interactions in dilute mixtures of a nonionic cellulose derivative and an anionic surfactant, Langmuir 17, 28-34, 2001.
[13] Y. Wu, P.J. Shuler, M. Blanco, Y. Tang, W.A. Goddard III, An experimental study of wetting behavior and surfactant EOR in carbonates with model components, Paper SPE 99612, Presented at the 2006 SPE/DOE Symposium on improved Oil Recovery, Tulsa, 22-26 April, 2006.
[14] W. C. Griffin, Classification of surface active agents by HLB, Journal of Society of Cosmetics and Chemistry, 1, 311-326, 1949.