Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology

Abstract

Impact of Multi-ion Interactions on Oil Mobilization by Smart Waterflooding in Carbonate Reservoirs

Awolayo AN* and Hemanta K Sharma

The injected brine composition has been observed to have intense effect on efficiency of waterflooding in carbonate reservoirs. This process is known as smart waterflooding and has proved to be an effective process in improving oil recovery. Different approaches have been tested in carbonate reservoirs due to the complexity of the process. Based on these approaches, different mechanisms have been proposed with some level of uncertainties. This has led to several arguments on the chemical mechanisms responsible for such feat achieved. One of the approaches is discussed in this paper, however with much interpretation considering all factors influencing the oil-brine-rock interactions. Therefore, this paper presents the influence of multi-ion interactions during smart water flood on carbonates. Sequential flooding of formation brine and smart brines and the effluent ion analysis were conducted to confirm the multi-ion interactions leading to improved recovery. In addition, zeta potential measurement was conducted to examine the alteration process and correlated with the core flood results. The results from zeta potential measurement showed that multi-ion interaction alters the rock surface charge, which led to more water-wetness. Significant improvement in oil displacement efficiency was observed beyond the secondary waterflood and effluent ionic analysis demonstrated that these multi-ionic interactions led to the observed alteration.