Wettability Alteration of Sandstone Cores by Alumina-Based Nanofluids

Wettability alteration can occur at different stages during the producing life of a reservoir. Oil recovery from oil-wet reservoirs can significantly be increased by altering its wettability from an oil-wet to a strongly water-wet condition. Chemical agents such as surfactants are known as wettability modifiers in oil-wet systems. More recently, nanofluids prepared by dispersing nanoparticles in several liquid agents have been considered as potential wettability modifiers. In this work, the effectiveness of alumina-based nanofluids in altering the wettability of sandstone cores with an induced oil-wet wettability was experimentally studied. Eight nanofluids with different nanoparticles concentration, ranging from 100 ppm to 10000 ppm, were prepared by dispersing alumina nanoparticles in an anionic commercial surfactant. The effect of nanofluids on wettability alteration was investigated by contact angle and imbibition tests, and it was shown that designed nanofluids could significantly change the wettability of the sandstone cores from a strongly oil-wet to a strongly water-wet condition. Imbibition tests also allowed identifying the effect of nanoparticles concentration on the suitability of the treatment for enhancing the imbibition process and restoring the original core wettability. Results showed that the effectiveness of the anionic surfactant as wettability modifier could be improved by adding nanoparticles in concentrations lower or equal than 500 ppm. The best performance was achieved when a concentration of 100 ppm was used. Additionally, a core displacement test was carried out by injecting in a sand pack a nanofluid prepared by dispersing alumina nanoparticles in distillated water. The treatment was effective in altering the sand pack wettability from an oil-wet to a strongly water-wet condition as indicated by a significant reduction in the residual water saturation and a displacement to the right of the oil relative permeability curve and the crossover point.