MECHANISMS AND EFFECTS OF SILICA NANOPARTICLES INJECTION FOR OIL RECOVERY ON CARBONATE ROCKS

• Main Author: Jumiati, Wiwiek
• Format: Dissertations
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Pertambangan dan operasi berkaitan
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/87814
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Nanotechnology in the oil and gas industry has been applied across exploration, reservoir management, drilling, production, refining, and processing. Furthermore, nanosilica particles are cost-effective, widely available, and environmentally friendly compared to other chemicals. These nanosilica particles exhibit mechanisms such as disjoining pressure, alteration of rock wettability, and reduction of surface/interfacial tension (IFT) due to the adsorption of nanosilica particles on rock surfaces and interactions with petroleum fluids, making them suitable for use in advanced enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes. Numerous studies have investigated the impact of using LHP (lipophobic and hydrophilic polysilicones) and HLP (hydrophobic and lipophilic polysilicones) nanosilica particles on EOR in carbonate rocks with initial water-wet and neutralwet wettability conditions. This study examines the improvement in oil recovery and coreflood injection flow rates from carbonate rocks with initial water-wet and neutral-wet conditions using LHP and HLP nanosilica particles. It focuses on their impact on dynamic adsorption, representing a gap in previous research. This study used Sumatran crude oil from Indonesia, and comprehensive laboratory tests were conducted to achieve the research objectives. These included using nanosilica particles in multiple injection scenarios, varied injection flow rates, and UV-VIS spectrophotometric adsorption analysis. Additional tests were performed to support the study, including measurements of IFT (scanning), Amott wettability index, nanosilica particle fluid stability, SEM (scanning electron microscopy), and TEM (transmission electron microscope). The experimental results demonstrate promising prospects for using nanosilica particles for EOR in carbonate reservoirs. The findings reveal that oil recovery enhancement is influenced by the type of nanosilica used. Specifically, LHP nanosilica particles yielded higher oil recovery in neutral-wet carbonate rocks. In contrast, HLP nanosilica performed better in water-wet carbonate rocks across various injection scenarios. Additionally, a proportional relationship was discovered between the dynamic adsorption of LHP and HLP silica nanoparticles on the rocks and fluids and oil recovery. The effect of flow rate on the injection of silica nanoparticles, ranging from 0.3-1 cc/min, provided optimal results at the lowest flow rate. These results offer crucial insights for selecting the type of silica nanoparticles and the initial wetness properties of carbonate rocks in EOR applications.