HĐBMCH4085-Seminar - Oil Recovery-2023

SURFACTANT CHEMISTTRY & TECHNOLOGY
Application of surfactants
in enhancing oil recovery
University of Technology
Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City
2023
Structure of the oil field
Structural form: reshaping the rock layer containing hydrocarbons
Form sticky convex - anticlines Form broken fault traps
2
Structure of the oil field
Stratigraphic form: the oil reservoir is sealed by another stratum or by

changes in pore structure or permeability of the oil reservoir itself
3
Stages of oil exploitation
• The goal is to obtain the largest amount of crude oil

• push the oil out of the wellhead and pump it off the surface.
4
Secondary Recovery
• Gas and liquid support + pumping

System
• 15-20% of the oil is removed
• Water Flooding is a commonly used
method
• It takes 6-10 years for this stage
5
Secondary Recovery
• Gas and liquid support + pumping

System
• 15-20% of the oil is removed
• Water Flooding is a commonly used
method
• It takes 6-10 years for this stage
6
Enhanced Oil Recovery – EOR
Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques contain a wide array of physical and chemical methods
to maximize the extraction of crude oil from reservoirs.
7
Stages of oil exploitation Enhanced Oil Recovery – EOR
8
Chemical EOR (CEOR) techniques are a type of non-thermal EOR technique
that utilizes the injection of water-soluble chemical agents such as polymers,
surfactants, alkalis, or a mixture of all of the above and have been used by
EOR wells since the 1980s.
In the case of surfactants, they reduce the interfacial tension (IFT) between the oil and
water solution allowing greater microscopic displacement of oil through the formation
of oil-water emulsions and can be used individually or in combination with other
chemicals depending on the geological and economic factors of the oil well.
The use of CEOR today is limited by high upfront capital and material costs, loss of
surfactant/polymer due to adhesion to reservoir rock beds, and significant concern
over the environmental impact regarding the use of polymers, surfactants, and alkalis
used in CEOR techniques.
9
The mechanisms by which surfactants improve oil recovery are known as IFT reduction
and wettability alteration. The hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tail structure of
surfactants work together to adsorb onto the oil/water interface thereby reducing IFT and
weakening capillary forces trapping the oil within the rock pores. A separate interaction
known as wettability alteration can occur simultaneously that also further improves oil
recovery.
Wettability alteration alters the contact angle of oil on the rocks surface from an “oil-wet”
state where the contact angle 𝜃𝜃 > 90° to a “water-wet” state where 𝜃𝜃 < 90° through
desorption caused by the surfactant. The end result is a similar weakening of the capillary
forces holding the oil in place and a corresponding increase in oil recovery
• Polymers and gels: control the movement of water and oil in the tank. (polymer
flooding)
• Surfactant: oil escaping from the rock surface (surfactant flooding)
10
• The surfactant solution is injected

• The replacement of seawater currents by seawater currents takes place gradually
• Surfactant can be changed by substances in the tank => BW decline
Some criticals:
• Using separatedly surfactants or polymers.
• Low concentration (surfactant concentration from 0.1 to 0.5 wt%, polymer
concentration <500ppm).
• Ability to operate in conditions of high electrolyte concentrationAbility to operate in
multivalent ion conditions (hard water)
• The chemicals are insensitive to polyvalent cations.
• Forming oil-in-water microemulsion.
11
12
13
• Physical phenomena occur:

• Formation of microemulsions in mining
• Combination of ingredients such as oil, water/salt, surfactant/co-
surfactant/alcohol
• Microemulsion system: phase interfacial tension reaches a very small value
=> The process of recovering oil is more thorough.
14
Factors affecting:
• type of stone
• mineral composition of oil fields
• amount of salt used and its composition
• pH
• displacement liquid flow pumping speed
• replacement line component
• type of polymer used and amount used
• oil viscosity
• Composition of oil
• pressure, temperature...
15
• Using a mixture of surfactants=> more effective than each individual
substance
• Polymer combination: creates appropriate viscosity and controls the flow of
the solution
• The polymer must be water soluble and have lower mobility to form highly
viscous systems at low polymer concentrations and high salinities.
The surfactant system includes: brine and surfactants of the acylated

polypeptide type and cosurfactant from alcohol (eg isopentyl alcohol) and
hydrocarbon sulfonates
For example: polyethoxylated fatty alcohols and polyethoxylate alkyl
phenols or Na salts of polyethoxylated sulfated fatty alcohols.
16
Effect of petroleum sulphonate (ptrostep-420) The effect of NaCl concentration and

surfactant concentration and temperature on temperature on the value of interphase
surface tension at a salt concentration of 1.5% surface tension when using the surfactant
petrostep-420
17
Types of Surfactants for Oil Recovery
• Each type of surfactant has its own particular advantages and disadvantages, but in
general, anionic surfactants are the most commonly used surfactant with effective
wettability alteration and IFT reduction.
• The choice of surfactant is dependent on the type of oil reservoir and the charge of the
surrounding rocks, which is of particular importance to anionic and cationic surfactants.
18
Types of Surfactants for Oil Recovery
alkylaryl sulfonate (AAS):

• Use alone or in combination with other co-surfactants
• High oil recovery efficiency
• suitable for light oil exploitation, often ineffective in
heavy oil exploitation
• The concentration used depends on the salt
concentration in the water
19

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SURFACTANT CHEMISTTRY & TECHNOLOGY

Structural form: reshaping the rock layer containing hydrocarbons

Form sticky convex - anticlines Form broken fault traps

Stratigraphic form: the oil reservoir is sealed by another stratum or by

• The goal is to obtain the largest amount of crude oil

• Gas and liquid support + pumping

• Gas and liquid support + pumping

• The surfactant solution is injected

• Physical phenomena occur:

=> The process of recovering oil is more thorough.

The surfactant system includes: brine and surfactants of the acylated

Effect of petroleum sulphonate (ptrostep-420) The effect of NaCl concentration and

alkylaryl sulfonate (AAS):

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