Experimental Microemulsion Flooding Study to Increase Low Viscosity Oil Recovery Using Glass Micromodel

The growing demand for clean energy can be met by improving the recovery of current resources. One of the effective methods in recovering the unswept reserves is chemical flooding. Microemulsion flooding is an alternative for surfactant flooding in a chemical-enhanced oil recovery method and can entirely sweep the remaining oil in porous media. The efficiency of microemulsion flooding is guaranteed through phase behavior analysis and customization regarding the actual field conditions. Reviewing the literature, there is a lack of experience that compared the macroscopic and microscopic efficiency of microemulsion flooding, especially in low viscous oil reservoirs. In the current study, one-quarter five-spot glass micromodel was implemented for investigating the effect of different parameters on microemulsion efficiency, including surfactant types, injection rate, and micromodel pattern. Image analysis techniques were applied to represent the phase saturations throughout the microemulsion flooding tests. The results confirm the appropriate efficiency of microemulsion flooding in improving the ultimate recovery. LABS microemulsion has the highest efficiency, and the increment of the injection rate has an adverse effect on oil recovery. According to the pore structure's tests, it seems that permeability has little impact on recovery. The results of this study can be used in enhanced oil recovery designs in low-viscosity oil fields. It shows the impact of crucial parameters in microemulsion flooding.

Automated summary

The study highlights the efficiency of microemulsion flooding in enhancing oil recovery, with LABS microemulsion showing the highest efficiency. It also suggests that a higher injection rate may have a negative impact on oil recovery, and permeability has little effect on recovery in this context. These findings can be valuable for enhanced oil recovery designs in low-viscosity oil fields.