Oil mobilization and solubilization in porous media by in situ emulsification

For a wide range of subsurface engineering processes, such as geological carbon sequestration and enhanced oil recovery, it is critical to understand multiphase flow at a fundamental level. To this end, geomaterial microfluidic devices provide visual data that can be quantified to explain the physics of multiphase flow at the length scale of individual pores in realistic rock structures. For surfactant enhanced oil recovery, it is the underlying geometrical states of the capillary trapped oil that dictates the recovery process and the degree to which oil is recovered through either mobilization or solubilization during in situ emulsification.

A novel geomaterial microfluidic device is fabricated and its integrity is checked using light microscopy and X-ray micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) imaging. Subsequently, alkaline surfactant (AS) flooding of an oil saturated device is studied for enhanced recovery. The recovery process is analyzed by collecting 2D radiographic projections of the device during water flooding and in situ emulsification. 3D μ-CT images are also collected to quantify the geometrical states of the fluids after each flooding sequence.

Our study reveals the processes of oil cluster mobilization and solubilization in porous media. After water flooding there are numerous oil clusters that are relatively large, extending over multiple pores, forming various loop-like structures. These clusters are mobile under AS flooding accounting for 75% of the recovered oil. The less mobile smaller clusters, isolated to single pores, forming no loop-like structures are immobile. These clusters are solubilized during AS flooding accounting for 25% of the recovered oil. The mobilized clusters coalesce forming an oil bank prior to total solubilization. The remaining oil clusters after AS flooding are highly non-wetting, as indicated by contact angle measurements and would only be recoverable after further solubilization.