Silica Nanoparticle Assisted Polymer Flooding of Heavy Crude Oil: Emulsification, Rheology, and Wettability Alteration Characteristics

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.8b00540
• Publication Date: 2018-04-20T21:03:55Z
• Authors: Rahul Saha; Ramgopal V. S. Up...; Pankaj Tiwari
• Keywords: Zeta potential; Microemulsion

Polymer flooding based enhanced oil recovery (EOR) has been proven to be effective and successful for heavy crude systems due its ability achieve favorable mobility ratios driven by viscosity alterations. Nanoparticles have the potential intensify as well various other mechanisms responsible EOR. This work addresses interfacial tension (IFT), emulsification, rheological wettability alteration characteristics of silica nanoparticle (SNP) assisted polymer flooding. The stability xanthan gum–SNP system was evaluated a particle size analyzer zeta method. behavior in addition IFT emulsification mechanism at variant temperatures were also investigated. Wettability studies involved contact angle measurements drops with respect saturated rock surface. SNP enabled higher 20.82% 30 °C 18.44% 80 reduction, viscosity, better emulsion stability, alteration.