A Study on Designing the Surfactant-Gas Slug for Optimum Foam-Drive Performance

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Abstract/Contents

Abstract: Foam drive has been demonstrated to be a success as an enhanced oil recovery method in laboratory experiements as well as in field tests. Foam drive, as with any other EOR method, may not be suitable for all types of reservoirs nor putting surfactant solution in haphazard mannerdoes ensure success in otherwise suitable reservoirs.Unfortunately, very little research has been published i n t h e areas of selection criteria and slug design, despite its importance. This study attempts to increase the awareness of the importance of proper slug design and highlights some of the important parameters, on a qualitative basis.A homogeneous two-dimensional flow model, 1 ft high by 4 ft long by 1/4-in. thick, filled with unconsolidated Brea sand, having a permeability of 14 darcies and a porosity of 35%, was used for this study. Experiments were evaluated on the basis of visual observations and material balance. The model was saturated with Decane at irreducible water saturation, and this oil was subsequently displaced by a surfactant-gas mixture at a constant gas rate of 1 standard cc per minute. Both qualitative and quantitative results have shown that simultaneous gas and surfactant injection gives almost complete areal sweep and twice as much recovery as obtained by either pre-formed foam injection or slug type injection and suggests t h a t increased recovery can be obtained by proper slug design.

Type of resource	text
Date created	July 1983

Author	Mahmood, Syed M.
Primary advisor	Brigham, William E.
Degree granting institution	Stanford University, Department of Petroleum Engineering

Subject	School of Earth Energy & Environmental Sciences
Genre	Thesis

Location	https://purl.stanford.edu/qs535kk9493

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Preferred Citation: Mahmood, Syed M. (1983). A Study on Designing the Surfactant-Gas Slug for Optimum Foam-Drive Performance. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at: https://purl.stanford.edu/qs535kk9493

Master's Theses, Doerr School of Sustainability

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