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Updated: Jan 12, 2026

Microfluidic Devices for Characterizing Pore-scale Event Processes in Porous Media for Oil Recovery Applications
Published on: January 16, 2018
Bubble formation and interface dynamics in oil-water systems: From gas-liquid-liquid interactions to CO2-assisted
Jiatong Jiang1, Zhaojie Song2, Yanglin Hu2
1School of Petroleum, China University of Petroleum-Beijing at Karamay, China; State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Engineering, China University of Petroleum (Beijing), China.
Abstract:
CO2-assisted oil recovery and related separation processes rely fundamentally on the generation, transport, and interfacial interactions of gas bubbles in complex liquid systems. In oil-water-CO2 environments, bubble dynamics govern mobility control, sweep efficiency, and consequently residual oil recovery, with implications for carbon storage. This review develops a bubble lifecycle framework that links these microscale processes to the performance of CO2-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) strategies such as carbonated water injection (CWI), water-alternating-gas (WAG), and foam flooding. Unlike prior reviews that emphasize largely materials-focused or centered on fundamental colloid science of bubble dynamics, this work highlights a multiscale perspective that bridges bubble physics with CO2-EOR. Geological carbon storage is discussed as a relevant co-benefit, but the primary focus remains on CO2-EOR. By consolidating dispersed findings and identifying unresolved challenges, this review establishes bubble dynamics as a mechanistic bridge between interfacial science and reservoir engineering, providing guidance for future research and application.
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