Selection of emulsification system for high temperature and high salt reservoir and evaluation of reservoir adaptability

Abstract

In this study, based on X reservoir conditions from Dagang Oilfield, China (temperature: 104 °C, salinity: 26376 mg/L), from the perspective of reducing interfacial tension and emulsification performance, IAPES (isododecyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sulfonate) with high temperature and high salt resistance was selected and its performance was evaluated. Finally, physical simulation experiments were conducted to form an in situ viscosity-increasing emulsion to enhance oil displacement efficiency. The experimental results show that when the concentration of IAPES is 0.3 wt%, the ability to reduce the interfacial tension of oil and water is significant and it has good antiaging stability. In addition, the lower the shear rate, the higher the water content, and the worse the emulsion stability. Finally, physical simulation experiments show that IAPES can increase the recovery rate by at least 28% in a larger permeability range. Under the experimental research conditions, the injection process parameters-injection speed (0.4 mL min⁻¹) and injection volume (0.3PV) were optimized.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• High temperature and high salt reservoir
• surfactant
• water-in-oil emulsion
• enhanced oil recovery

Funding

We are grateful to National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants No. U19B2010 and 51904255) for financial support for this work.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.