Impact of clay type and water composition on low salinity water injection - visualisation approach

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dc.contributor.authorAmirian, T.
dc.contributor.authorHaghighi, M.
dc.date.issued2018
dc.description.abstractLow salinity water (LSW) injection as an enhanced oil recovery method has attracted much attention in the past two decades. Previously, it was found that the presence of clay such as kaolinite and water composition like the nature of cations affect the enhancement of oil recovery under LSW injection. In this study, a pore-scale visualisation approach was developed using a 2D glass micromodel to investigate the impact of clay type and water composition on LSW injection. The glass micromodels were coated by kaolinite and illite. A meniscus moving mechanism was observed and the oil–water interface moved through narrow throats to large bodies, displacing the wetting phase (oil phase). In the presence of kaolinite, the effect of LSW injection was reflected in the change to the wettability with a transition towards water-wetness in the large sections of the pore walls. The advance of the stable water front left behind an oil film on the oil-wet portions of pore walls; however, in water-wet surfaces, the interface moved towards the surface and replaced the oil film. As a result of wettability alteration towards a water-wet state, the capillary forces were not dominant throughout the system and the water–oil menisci displaced oil in large portions of very narrow channels. This LSW effect was not observed in the presence of illite. With regard to the water composition effect, systems containing divalent cations like Ca²⁺ showed the same extent of recovery as those containing only monovalent ions. The observation indicates a significant role of cation exchange in wettability alteration. Fines migration was insignificant in the observations.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityTammy Amirian and Manouchehr Haghighi
dc.identifier.citationAustralian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) Journal, 2018; 58(1):51-59
dc.identifier.doi10.1071/AJ17076
dc.identifier.issn1326-4966
dc.identifier.issn2206-8996
dc.identifier.orcidAmirian, T. [0000-0003-3857-0300]
dc.identifier.orcidHaghighi, M. [0000-0001-9364-2894]
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/118599
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherCSIRO Publishing; Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association
dc.rightsJournal compilation © APPEA 2018
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1071/aj17076
dc.subjectCation exchange; clay minerals; EOR; fines migration; LSW injection; wettability
dc.titleImpact of clay type and water composition on low salinity water injection - visualisation approach
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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