SPONTANEOUS IMBIBITION OIL RECOVERY BY NATURAL SURFACTANT/NANOFLUID: AN EXPERIMENTAL AND THEORETICAL STUDY
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Date
2022
Authors
Khoramian, Reza
Kharrat, Riyaz
Pourafshary, Peyman
Golshokooh, Saeed
Hashemi, Fatemeh
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nanomaterials
Abstract
Organic surfactants have been utilized with different nanoparticles in enhanced oil recovery
(EOR) operations due to the synergic mechanisms of nanofluid stabilization, wettability alteration,
and oil-water interfacial tension reduction. However, investment and environmental issues are the
main concerns to make the operation more practical. The present study introduces a natural and
cost-effective surfactant named Azarboo for modifying the surface traits of silica nanoparticles for
more efficient EOR. Surface-modified nanoparticles were synthesized by conjugating negatively
charged Azarboo surfactant on positively charged amino-treated silica nanoparticles. The effect of the
hybrid application of the natural surfactant and amine-modified silica nanoparticles was investigated
by analysis of wettability alteration. Amine-surfactant-functionalized silica nanoparticles were found
to be more effective than typical nanoparticles. Amott cell experiments showed maximum imbibition
oil recovery after nine days of treatment with amine-surfactant-modified nanoparticles and fifteen
days of treatment with amine-modified nanoparticles. This finding confirmed the superior potential
of amine-surfactant-modified silica nanoparticles compared to amine-modified silica nanoparticles.
Modeling showed that amine surfactant-treated SiO2 could change wettability from strongly oil-wet
to almost strongly water-wet. In the case of amine-treated silica nanoparticles, a strongly water-wet
condition was not achieved. Oil displacement experiments confirmed the better performance of aminesurfactant-
treated SiO2 nanoparticles compared to amine-treated SiO2 by improving oil recovery by 15%.
Overall, a synergistic effect between Azarboo surfactant and amine-modified silica nanoparticles led to
wettability alteration and higher oil recovery.
Description
Keywords
natural surfactant, nanoparticles, spontaneous imbibition, mathematical modeling, enhanced oil recovery
Citation
Khoramian, R., Kharrat, R., Pourafshary, P., Golshokooh, S., & Hashemi, F. (2022). Spontaneous Imbibition Oil Recovery by Natural Surfactant/Nanofluid: An Experimental and Theoretical Study. Nanomaterials, 12(20), 3563. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12203563