Pore-scale Recovery of Crude Oil from Porous Media During Surfactant-induced Remediation
Abstract
A pore-scale study was conducted to understand interfacial processes contributing to the removal of crude oils from a homogeneous porous medium during surfactant-induced remediation. Synchrotron X-ray microtomography (SXM) was used to obtain high-resolution images of the two-fluid-phase oil/water system, and quantify temporal changes in oil blob distribution, blob morphology, and blob surface area before and after sequential surfactant flooding events. The reduction of interfacial tension in conjunction with the sufficient increase in viscous forces as a result of surfactant flushing was most likely responsible for mobilization and recovery of the two lighter oil fractions. However, corresponding increases in viscous forces as a result of a reduction of interfacial tension were insufficient to initiate and maintain the displacement (recovery) of the heavy crude oil fraction during surfactant flushing. The results of an additional set of heavy-oil recovery experiments within various heterogeneous sediment types indicate that wettability may also be responsible for controlling trapping and mobilization in these systems.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AGUFM.H34E..05T
- Keywords:
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- 1832 HYDROLOGY Groundwater transport;
- 1829 HYDROLOGY Groundwater hydrology;
- 1831 HYDROLOGY Groundwater quality