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Updated: Oct 9, 2025
Pore-scale Imaging and Characterization of Hydrocarbon Reservoir Rock Wettability at Subsurface Conditions Using X-ray Microtomography
Published on: October 21, 2018
Characterization of Ultrasonic-Induced Wettability Alteration under Subsurface Conditions
Hengli Wang1, Leng Tian1, Kai Kang2
1College of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, Beijing,102249, People's Republic of China.
Ultrasonic treatment alters mineral wettability from hydrophilic to intermediate. This novel method enhances rock surface roughness and changes surface chemistry, aiding subsurface energy and carbon sequestration applications.
Area of Science:
- Geochemistry and Materials Science
- Surface Science and Engineering
Background:
- Wettability alteration is crucial for subsurface applications like enhanced oil recovery and carbon sequestration.
- Current methods for wettability alteration are limited in scope and application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and characterize a novel method for wettability alteration using ultrasonic pretreatment.
- To elucidate the mechanisms behind ultrasonic-induced wettability changes in low-permeability minerals.
Main Methods:
- Contact angle measurements for quantitative wettability assessment.
- Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to analyze surface roughness and interface characteristics.
- X-ray Diffraction (XRD) to study mineral composition changes.
- Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to determine surface functional group modifications.
Main Results:
- Ultrasonic treatment successfully shifted mineral wettability from strongly hydrophilic to intermediate.
- Increased ultrasonic treatment time enhanced rock surface roughness and oil/rock interface area.
- XRD revealed clay diffusion from rock surfaces, while FTIR indicated changes in specific functional groups.
Conclusions:
- Ultrasonic pretreatment offers a viable method for tunable wettability alteration in subsurface conditions.
- The study provides detailed insights into the surface chemistry mechanisms governing oil-rock wettability.
- Findings support the application of ultrasonic wettability alteration in geo-energy production and carbon sequestration.
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