Журнал нефтяной и экологической биотехнологии

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Micro Visual Investigation of Enhanced Oil Recovery in Heterogeneous Pore Network of a Micro Model Using Hybrid Nano Fluid

Amir Hosseinzadeh Helaleh, Mostafa Alizadeh, Mohammad Samipoor Giri

Emerging nanotechnologies, such as nanofluids composed of liquid suspensions of nanoparticles, may soon allow for the accelerated recovery of hydrocarbons and stimulation fluids from oil and gas reservoirs. Nanofluids in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) as a tertiary process employs nanoparticles to reduce the residual oil saturation of the reservoir mainly through Interfacial Tension (IFT) reduction and wettability alteration. In spite of its great potential and the mentioned advantages, application of nanofluids in EOR has been limited because of the lack of practical convincing experimental results. In this study, the effects of hybrid nanofluid in EOR process on wettability and IFT changes and the reduction of residual oil saturation have been examined by providing microscopic visualization of two phase flow in transparent glass micromodels TiO₂-Cu nanoparticles were used to investigate its impacts on wettability of the micromodel pore walls by measuring the relative permeabilities before and after treatment. Results indicated that wettability of the pores was altered towards more water wetness which was also supported by visual observation of the oil/water phase saturations in the glass micromodel. Moreover, the oil recovery was increased up to 245% of the Original Oil In Place (OOIP) during the EOR process.