THE EFFECT OF PRECIPITANT INHIBITOR ON THE MICROEMULSION PHASE BEHAVIOUR CRUDE OIL, ALKALI AND SURFACTANT SYSTEM

• Main Author: AZIZ, ABDUL RAHIM
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS 2011
• Subjects: T Technology (General)
• Online Access: http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/10365/1/2011%20-%20The%20effect%20of%20precipitant%20inhabitor%20on%20the%20microemulsion%20phase%20behavior%20crude%20oil%2C%20alkali%20.pdf; http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/10365/
• Institution: Universiti Teknologi Petronas

Chemical flooding combination involving alkali-surfactant-polymer (ASP) has been recognized as a cost-effective chemical flooding process for light and medium oils. The main challenge in using ASP flooding is the use of hard and high saline brine due to precipitation. Precipitations will result in blocked of pore spaces which will eventually reduce the volume of recoverable crude oil. Furthermore, the reaction to form the precipitations will also decrease the pH of the solutions and reduce the surfactant performance and increase surfactant absorption into the rocks. In this project, acrylic acid will be introduced into the formulation to prevent the precipitation from occurring. However, this will results in changes to parameters such as salinity, alkali concentration, surfactant concentration and reduce the aqueous phase solubility. Furthermore, as the mentioned parameters changes, it could lead to the changes of phase behaviour of microemulsion. This will later affect the IFT produced by the ASP flooding formulation and ultimately, the amount of recoverable oil.