Abstract
Models predicting wettability alteration of mineral-brine-oil interfaces during low-salinity-waterflooding (LSW) should account for the elevated temperatures typically found in oil reservoirs. For the first time, high temperature ζ-potential (zeta potential) data for silica are collected and used to interpret surface chemistries and interactions at reservoir-like conditions to predict temperature's effect on wettability alteration. Mobility data for amorphous silica in varying NaCl(aq) concentrations at 25, 100, and 150 °C and neutral pH were obtained through microelectrophoresis experiments. Calculated ζ-potentials were fit with surface complexation model (SCM) parameters to predict electrical double layer (EDL) parameters based upon the Gouy-Chapman-Stern-Grahame (GCSG) model. ζ-potentials increased with increasing temperature (around 50% increase from 25 to 150 °C) and decreasing NaCl concentrations (10 −1 –10 −4 mol kg −1 ). These trends, along with Derjaguin-Verwey-Landau-Overbeek (DLVO) theory, suggests that overall repulsive forces extend farther from the surface at low salinity and higher temperatures, implying greater wetting thickness/surface wettability in these environments. The resulting surface concentration calculations suggest that LSW is most impactful up to 10 −2 mol kg −1 of salt, and that additional dilution below 10 −3 mol kg −1 will negligibly impact oil recovery, particularly at reservoir temperatures above 100 °C. The analysis provides a framework for treating more complex reservoir systems, such as carbonates in multivalent brines.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 233-243 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects |
| Volume | 570 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 5 2019 |
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Keywords
- Amorphous silica
- Electrical double layer
- High-temperature zeta potential
- Low salinity waterflooding
- Surface complexation model
- Wettability alteration
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surfaces and Interfaces
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
- Colloid and Surface Chemistry
Cite this
Experimentation and modeling of surface chemistry of the silica-water interface for low salinity waterflooding at elevated temperatures. / Duffy, Timothy S.; Raman, Balaji; Hall, Derek M.; Machesky, Michael L; Johns, Russell T.; Lvov, Serguei N.
In: Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, Vol. 570, 05.06.2019, p. 233-243.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Experimentation and modeling of surface chemistry of the silica-water interface for low salinity waterflooding at elevated temperatures
AU - Duffy, Timothy S.
AU - Raman, Balaji
AU - Hall, Derek M.
AU - Machesky, Michael L
AU - Johns, Russell T.
AU - Lvov, Serguei N.
PY - 2019/6/5
Y1 - 2019/6/5
N2 - Models predicting wettability alteration of mineral-brine-oil interfaces during low-salinity-waterflooding (LSW) should account for the elevated temperatures typically found in oil reservoirs. For the first time, high temperature ζ-potential (zeta potential) data for silica are collected and used to interpret surface chemistries and interactions at reservoir-like conditions to predict temperature's effect on wettability alteration. Mobility data for amorphous silica in varying NaCl(aq) concentrations at 25, 100, and 150 °C and neutral pH were obtained through microelectrophoresis experiments. Calculated ζ-potentials were fit with surface complexation model (SCM) parameters to predict electrical double layer (EDL) parameters based upon the Gouy-Chapman-Stern-Grahame (GCSG) model. ζ-potentials increased with increasing temperature (around 50% increase from 25 to 150 °C) and decreasing NaCl concentrations (10 −1 –10 −4 mol kg −1 ). These trends, along with Derjaguin-Verwey-Landau-Overbeek (DLVO) theory, suggests that overall repulsive forces extend farther from the surface at low salinity and higher temperatures, implying greater wetting thickness/surface wettability in these environments. The resulting surface concentration calculations suggest that LSW is most impactful up to 10 −2 mol kg −1 of salt, and that additional dilution below 10 −3 mol kg −1 will negligibly impact oil recovery, particularly at reservoir temperatures above 100 °C. The analysis provides a framework for treating more complex reservoir systems, such as carbonates in multivalent brines.
AB - Models predicting wettability alteration of mineral-brine-oil interfaces during low-salinity-waterflooding (LSW) should account for the elevated temperatures typically found in oil reservoirs. For the first time, high temperature ζ-potential (zeta potential) data for silica are collected and used to interpret surface chemistries and interactions at reservoir-like conditions to predict temperature's effect on wettability alteration. Mobility data for amorphous silica in varying NaCl(aq) concentrations at 25, 100, and 150 °C and neutral pH were obtained through microelectrophoresis experiments. Calculated ζ-potentials were fit with surface complexation model (SCM) parameters to predict electrical double layer (EDL) parameters based upon the Gouy-Chapman-Stern-Grahame (GCSG) model. ζ-potentials increased with increasing temperature (around 50% increase from 25 to 150 °C) and decreasing NaCl concentrations (10 −1 –10 −4 mol kg −1 ). These trends, along with Derjaguin-Verwey-Landau-Overbeek (DLVO) theory, suggests that overall repulsive forces extend farther from the surface at low salinity and higher temperatures, implying greater wetting thickness/surface wettability in these environments. The resulting surface concentration calculations suggest that LSW is most impactful up to 10 −2 mol kg −1 of salt, and that additional dilution below 10 −3 mol kg −1 will negligibly impact oil recovery, particularly at reservoir temperatures above 100 °C. The analysis provides a framework for treating more complex reservoir systems, such as carbonates in multivalent brines.
KW - Amorphous silica
KW - Electrical double layer
KW - High-temperature zeta potential
KW - Low salinity waterflooding
KW - Surface complexation model
KW - Wettability alteration
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85062993280&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85062993280&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2019.03.007
DO - 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2019.03.007
M3 - Article
VL - 570
SP - 233
EP - 243
JO - Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects
JF - Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects
SN - 0927-7757
ER -