Experimental study on nonionic surfactants for minimizing surface adsorption as an Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) process

Abstract

Adsorption of surfactants onto the surfaces during chemical flooding is a major problem in EOR and IOR process. This happens due to blockage of capillary pores and opposite charge on the surface. The objective of this paper is to reduce adsorption of anionic surfactants by application of no nonionic surfactants as an IOR process. The methodology for Selection of surfactants for core flooding has been done based on conductivity and emulsion tests. Nonionic surfactants Ethoxylated Alcohol (EO) of 1000ppm from emulsion test has been chosen to reduce adsorption of anionic surfactants Sodium Dodecyle Sulphate (SDS) of 750ppm determined from conductivity test. Core flooding experiment with anionic surfactants has been conducted with nonionic surfactants and without the influence of nonionic surfactants. Reduction in adsorption of anionic surfactants SDS up to 1.2 pore volume has been observed in the on core flooding experiment.