Impact of the Naturally Driven Surfactant in EOR Application: Experimental, Microscopic, and Numerical Analyses.

While synthetic, conventional surfactants have a known negative environmental impact, their high cost poses a significant challenge. In contrast, naturally extracted surfactants are cheaper and are readily available. The applicability of natural surfactants depends on the saponin concentration, extraction, and synthesis methods. Certain parameters, such as their efficiency in obtaining the required interfacial tension (IFT) values, salinity tolerance, and stability under reservoir conditions, must be examined. Kazakhstan produces a substantial quantity of flaxseed, and flaxseed oil is a good source of fatty acids that can be converted to natural surfactants. Therefore, the work aims to identify the potential of the natural-flaxseed oil surfactant. The experimental study evaluated the synthesized surfactant, effective concentration, salinity's effect, interfacial tension, rheology, and oil recovery concerns in vugs limestone. A microscopic study was conducted to provide insight into the flow in the vugus matrix. At the same time, the numerical method was also employed to establish a potential recovery understanding. The Fourier spectrometer results proved the distinct presence of the triterpenoid. The critical micelle concentrations are 6 and 2.5 wt % for solution in 0 and seawater salinity, respectively. The IFT was reduced by 40-48% and is more effective in seawater solutions. The oil additional recovery was 39-50% after surfactants. The presence of a fractured vugus did not affect the success of the application. Despite the difficulty in modeling the system, the numerical results agree with the experiments and show only 7% differences in total recovery. The research offers novel natural surfactants that can be applied in offshore Kazakhstan.

Investigation of Natural Mucilage for Enhanced Oil Recovery: the Potential of Corchorus Olitorius Hydrocolloid.

The need for an effective offshore enhanced oil recovery (EOR) solution led to the focus on natural hydrocolloids. Polysaccharide hydrocolloid research is constantly expanding in a variety of petroleum applications such as drilling, flow assurance, and EOR. Corchorus olitorius is being examined in the present study as a potential natural polymer for chemical flooding. This study investigated the rheology and fluid flow characteristics in porous media, focusing on the effects of the concentration, temperature, and salinity of the fluid. Furthermore, core flooding was carried out to evaluate the potential recovery was characterized and found to contain a significant amount of polysaccharides and cellulose. The rheological behavior demonstrated an increase in viscosity with concentration. The relationship between viscosity and temperature is inversely proportional. Additionally, the mucilage viscosity significantly increased in the presence of 35,000 ppm NaCl, varying from 39 to 48 cp. The improvement of oil recovery by a unit PV injection is around 10 and 20% at 0 and 35,000 ppm of NaCl, respectively. In sandstone with a moderate porosity and permeability, the overall oil recovery ranges between 59 and 70%. C. olitorius has complex polysaccharide/cellulose derivatives that improved rheology and produced results that are promising for future offshore applications.