Micellar-polymer for enhanced oil recovery for Upper Assam Basin

Abstract

One of the major enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes is chemical flooding especially for the depleted reservoirs. Chemical flooding involves injection of various chemicals like surfactant, alkali, polymer etc. to the aqueous media. Bhogpara and Nahorkatiya are two depleted reservoirs of upper Assam basin where chemical flooding can be done to recover the trapped oil that cannot be recovered by conventional flooding process. Micellar-polymer (MP) flooding involves injection of micelle and polymer to the aqueous phase to reduce interfacial tension and polymer is added to control the mobility of the solution, which helps in increasing both displacement and volumetric sweep efficiency and thereby leads to enhanced oil recovery. This work represents the use of black liquor as micelle or surfactant that is a waste product of Nowgong Paper Mills, Jagiroad, Assam, which is more efficient than the synthetic surfactants. The present study examines the effect of MP flooding through the porous media of two depleted oil fields of upper Assam basin i.e. Bhogpara and Nahorkatiya for MP EOR. This work also compares the present MP flood with the earlier work done on surfactant (S) flooding. It was experimentally determined that the MP flood is more efficient EOR process for Bhogpara and Nahorkatiya reservoirs. The study will pertain to the comprehensive interfacial tension (IFT) study and the displacement mechanism in conventional core samples.