New method to quantitatively characterize the emulsification capability of chemical flooding agents

In enhanced oil recovery, the characterization of the emulsification capability of a chemical flooding agent is an important concern that is hitherto still unanswered. Aiming at this concern, this paper introduces a novel characterization method for the emulsification of a surfactant-oil system induced by ultrasonic vibration. This method quantitatively evaluates the emulsification capability of chemical flooding agents using a parameter called emulsification index (EI), which fully characteristics the emulsification speed and amount. This method was applied to a set of oil displacement experiments and the results support the notion that emulsification index is a reasonable parameter for characterization of the emulsification capability of chemical flooding agents.