Comparison of the Impact of NPC and Alumina/Silica Nano Hybrid Emulsion on CEOR

Abstract

This study delves into the potential benefits of utilizing smart waterflooding as a method for improving oil recovery in carbonate reservoirs. Unlike traditional methods that rely on costly or hazardous chemicals, this approach employs the use of nanoporous carbon (NPC) and alumina/silica nanohybrid emulsion (ASNHE) to investigate their impact on interfacial tension (IFT) and wettability alteration on carbonate reservoir rocks from Asmari formation, as well as their combined synergistic effects on oil recovery. The research found that increasing the concentration of sulphate up to four times in the presence of other ions resulted in the most significant alteration of rock wettability towards water-wet. This suggests that smart waterflooding has the potential to be an effective method for improving oil recovery without the need for expensive or hazardous chemicals. Additionally, the study revealed that the use of ASNHE significantly reduced the oil/water IFT, resulting in a notable increase in oil recovery. Specifically, the use of seawater flooding resulted in a 42% increase in oil recovery, while SW4S+NPC and SW4S+ASNHE flooding resulted in an increase of 60% and 51%, respectively. Overall, the findings of this research paper suggest that the use of smart waterflooding, combined with NPC and ASNHE, has the potential to be a promising approach for improving oil recovery in carbonate reservoirs. By reducing the need for costly and hazardous chemicals, this method could provide a more sustainable and economically viable solution for the oil and gas industry