Adsorption of Polar Organic Components onto Sandstone Rock Minerals and Its Effect on Wettability and Enhanced Oil Recovery Potential by Smart Water

It is generally accepted that reservoir wettability is one of the most important parameters in oil recovery processes. In the published literature, it is believed that the state of reservoir wettability mainly depends on the adsorption or precipitation of oxygen and nitrogen compounds present in the heavy-end fractions of crude oil. However, the establishment of reservoir wetting is a more complex process that involves chemical interactions between all phases of the reservoir: rock mineral surfaces, formation water, and surface-active components in the crude oil. In this study, dynamic adsorption tests were performed by flooding modified crude oils with a low asphaltene content through outcrop sandstone cores. Adsorption of crude oil components was analyzed by comparing base number (BN) and acid number (AN) of the effluent oil samples with the known initial BN and AN of the crude oil. The experimental results showed that crude oil bases are more active than acids toward the silicate rock mineral surfaces. Within the pore volumes flooded, it was not possible to achieve equilibrium BN values because of the continuous adsorption of basic components. Spontaneous imbibition (SI) tests showed that the core sample behaved slightly water-wet after crude oil flooding. Ion-modified smart water as an imbibition fluid in tertiary mode has previously shown potential for wettability alteration and improved oil recovery. With an increase in the amount of injected crude oil through the core, a decrease in oil recovery and a decrease in smart water-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) potential were observed. SI oil recovery results indicate reduced positive capillary forces and a change in wetting toward a less water-wet state. Thus, the chemical composition of crude oil should be considered as an important parameter for a reliable estimation of the reservoir wettability state and EOR potential by smart water injection.