Given the depletion of oil reservoir
energy and the limited discovery of new reservoirs, petroleum researchers have
begun seeking more efficient techniques to improve the use rate of oil; one of
the most promising methods is Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (CEOR), which has
been used over the last three decades.
Enhanced Oil
Recovery is the process of increasing the amount of oil that can be recovered
from an oil reservoir, usually by injecting a substance into an existing oil
well to increase pressure, reduce the viscosity of the oil and change reservoir
wettability. In recent times,
chemicals called Ionic Liquids (ILs) have been used to enhance the oil recovery
factor.
Many studies have
measured the properties of ionic liquids at different concentrations mixed
either with water or other solvents. These investigations discovered that some
ionic liquid types are capable of increasing mixture viscosity. The main
objective of this experimental work was to investigate the efficiency of
introducing various types of Ionic Liquids, 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium
Chloride [EMIM][Cl], 1-Benzyl-3-methylimidazolium Chloride [BenzMIM][Cl],
and Trihexyltetradecylphosphonium Chloride [THTDPh][Cl] on the Recovery Factor
(RF) of medium oil (Weyburn oil, 30.25 API°) at room temperature.
The series of
flooding experiments were carried out by introducing a slug of IL mixtures. Further
investigations have been conducted to examine the effect of ILs concentrations
on the recovery mechanisms by measuring Surface Tension (SFT), pH, and
viscosity of the displacing phases. Finally, the effect of these ILs in
wettability alteration was examined.
The results showed
that ILs proved to be efficient when used to enhance
medium oil recovery. Regarding IL concentration, it was observed that the RF
increased as the concentration of IL in the displacing phase increased.
Moreover, the optimum concentration depended on the type of IL. Also, the
findings indicated that [EMIM][Cl] was the most effective ionic liquid for
enhancing medium oil recovery in comparison with the other three ILs.
Article by Ali
Alarbah, et al, from University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Full access: http://t.cn/E51GeCu
Image by FCAD Group, from Flickr-cc.
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