Deriving optimal and adaptive nanoparticles-assisted foam solution for enhanced oil recovery applications: an experimental study.

Here, Fe2O3 and SiO2 nanoparticles are synthesized and utilized to investigate their effects on foam stability and flowing behavior in porous media. At first, the effect of main operative parameters including surfactant concentration, formation water composition and dosage, and temperature on foam stability are studied at static condition for preparation of an optimal foam solution. Then, the synthesized nanoparticles are dispersed in optimal foam solution for subsequent main experiments. High pressure-high temperature microscopic injection experiments are employed to assess the oil-flow displacement in heterogeneous porous medium pattern by foam injection in the absence and presence of the nanoparticles. The results show that sodium dodecyl sulfonate surfactant concentration of 0.75 wt% provides the optimal dosage independent of other factors. The foam solution becomes unstable with increasing the salinity. Conversely, the presence of more sulfate ions improves the foam stability and foam textural characteristics. In the presence of the synthesized nanoparticles significant enhancement of foam solution stability is observed. Microscopic analysis of the injection experiments in glass micromodel reveals postponement of the displacing fluid breakthrough time, lessening the severity of the finger phenomenon at displacement front, and higher oil recovery for Fe2O3 and SiO2 nanoparticles-assisted foam solutions. However, the enhancement of the foam textural features and flowing behavior are more manifest in the case of SiO2 nanoparticles compared to the Fe2O3 nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]