Adsorption of the Xanthan Gum Polymer and Sodium Dodecylbenzenesulfonate Surfactant in Sandstone Reservoirs: Experimental and Density Function Theory Studies

Chemical flooding using a polymer and/or surfactant has been widely applied in oilfields worldwide for enhanced oil recovery. Chemical adsorption in reservoirs has a significant effect on the rock permeability and wettability and hence can affect the overall oil production. In this work, two chemicals, namely, the xanthan gum (XG) biopolymer and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS) anionic surfactant, were used individually as displacement fluids. The amount of chemical adsorption on the rock surface and the residual resistance factor (permeability reduction) were calculated throughout the flooding experiments using an unconsolidated sandstone (SS) pack model. The effects of the injected chemicals' concentration and reservoir salinity on adsorption capacity have been examined. Additionally, the effect of the addition of nanosilica particles (NSPs) to the injected fluid on the rock adsorption was also investigated. The results showed that the amount of XG and SDBS adsorption on the rock surface increased, albeit to a different extent, by increasing the chemical concentration at the applied salinities (0, 3.5, 5, and 10%) of the displacement fluids. Also, the permeability reduction increased with the increase in XG and SDBS concentrations; however, permeability reduction due to SDBS flooding was lower than that of XG in SS. The use of NSPs as a coinjectant to the XG and SDBS displacement fluids increased the adsorption on the SS rock. A plausible mechanism for the adsorption of the XG/NSP and SDBS/NSP blends on the SS surface was proposed. A density function theory calculation was employed to establish a relation between the adsorptivity of NSPs on SDBS and XG and the total energy and dipole moment of the molecules.

Automated summary

Chemical flooding using polymer and surfactant is commonly used in oilfields for enhanced oil recovery. This study investigates the adsorption of xanthan gum and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate on rock surfaces and the influence of concentration and reservoir salinity on adsorption capacity. The addition of nanosilica particles to the displacement fluids is also explored. Results show that increasing chemical concentration leads to increased adsorption on the rock surface, and permeability reduction is affected by both concentration and type of chemical used. The addition of nanosilica particles enhances adsorption on the rock surface.