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Malakoutikhah M, Siavashi J, Fahimpour J, Sharifi M. Pore-scale investigation of low-salinity water flooding in a heterogeneous-wet porous medium. Heliyon 2024; 10:e33303. [PMID: 39027528 PMCID: PMC11255677 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Low-Salinity Water Flooding (LSWF) is a technique aimed at modifying the interactions between rock and fluids particularly altering wettability and reducing interfacial tension (IFT). However, there remains limited understanding of how heterogeneous wettability and the presence of Initial Water Saturation (Swi) can impact the effectiveness of LSWF. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of LSWF mechanisms in the context of heterogeneous wettability, while also considering Swi. The simulations were conducted using OpenFOAM, employing a non-reactive quasi-three-phase flow solver that accounts for wettability alteration and IFT reduction during the mixing of Low-Salinity (LSW) and High-Salinity Water (HSW). A heterogeneous pore geometry is designed, and four distinct scenarios are simulated, encompassing both heterogeneous and homogeneous wettability conditions while considering the presence of Swi. These scenarios included secondary High-Salinity Water Flooding (HSWF), tertiary and secondary LSWF. Notably, the simulations reveal that secondary LSWF consistently yields the highest oil recovery across all scenarios, achieving recovery rates of up to 96.98 %. Furthermore, the presence of Swi significantly influences the performance of LSWF in terms of oil recovery, particularly in heterogeneous wettability conditions where it boosts recovery by up to 3.5 %, but in homogeneous wettability, it decreases recovery by nearly 26 %. These simulations also underscore the pivotal role played by the distribution of oil and HSW phases in profoundly affecting the outcomes of LSWF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdi Malakoutikhah
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Javad Siavashi
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jalal Fahimpour
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Sharifi
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
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2
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Davletshin A, Song W. Operando scanning electron microscopy platform for in situ imaging of fluid evolution in nanoporous shale. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:2920-2926. [PMID: 38660746 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc01066j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Fluid-solid interactions in nanoporous materials underlie processes fundamental to natural and engineered processes, including the thermochemical transformation of argillaceous materials during high-level nuclear waste disposal. Operando fluid-solid resolution at the nanoscale, however, is still not possible with existing optical and electron microscopy approaches that are constrained by the diffraction limit of light and by vacuum-fluid incompatibility, respectively. In this work, we develop an operando scanning electron microscopy (SEM) platform that enables the first direct in situ imaging of dynamic fluid-solid interactions in nanoporous materials with spatio-temporal-chemical resolutions of ∼2.5 nm per pixel and 10 fps, along with elemental distributions. Using this platform, we reveal necessary conditions for thermochemical pore and fracture generation in shales and measure their surface wetting characteristics that constrain the feasibility of high-level nuclear waste containment. Notably, we show that low heating-rate conditions typical of radioactive decay produce hydrocarbon liquids that wet fracture and pore surfaces in a self-sealing manner to impede aqueous radionuclide advection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artur Davletshin
- Center for Subsurface Energy and the Environment, University of Texas at Austin, USA.
| | - Wen Song
- Center for Subsurface Energy and the Environment, University of Texas at Austin, USA.
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3
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Abdi A, Ranjbar B, Kazemzadeh Y, Aram F, Riazi M. Investigating the mechanism of interfacial tension reduction through the combination of low-salinity water and bacteria. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11408. [PMID: 38762671 PMCID: PMC11102508 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62255-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024] Open
Abstract
In the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process, interfacial tension (IFT) has become a crucial factor because of its impact on the recovery of residual oil. The use of surfactants and biosurfactants can reduce IFT and enhance oil recovery by decreasing it. Asphaltene in crude oil has the structural ability to act as a surface-active material. In microbial-enhanced oil recovery (MEOR), biosurfactant production, even in small amounts, is a significant mechanism that reduces IFT. This study aimed to investigate fluid/fluid interaction by combining low biosurfactant values and low-salinity water using NaCl, MgCl2, and CaCl2 salts at concentrations of 0, 1000, and 5000 ppm, along with Geobacillus stearothermophilus. By evaluating the IFT, this study investigated different percentages of 0, 1, and 5 wt.% of varying asphaltene with aqueous bulk containing low-salinity water and its combination with bacteria. The results indicated G. Stearothermophilus led to the formation of biosurfactants, resulting in a reduction in IFT for both acidic and basic asphaltene. Moreover, the interaction between asphaltene and G. Stearothermophilus with higher asphaltene percentages showed a decrease in IFT under both acidic and basic conditions. Additionally, the study found that the interaction between acidic asphaltene and G. stearothermophilus, in the presence of CaCl2, NaCl, and MgCl2 salts, resulted in a higher formation of biosurfactants and intrinsic surfactants at the interface of the two phases, in contrast to the interaction involving basic asphaltene. These findings emphasize the dependence of the interactions between asphaltene and G. Stearothermophilus, salt, and bacteria on the specific type and concentration of asphaltene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arastoo Abdi
- IOR/EOR Research Institute, Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Research Center, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Behnam Ranjbar
- IOR/EOR Research Institute, Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Research Center, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Yousef Kazemzadeh
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Petroleum, Gas, and Petrochemical Engineering, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran.
| | - Farzaneh Aram
- Biotechnology Institute, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Masoud Riazi
- IOR/EOR Research Institute, Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Research Center, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
- School of Mining and Geosciences, Nazarbayev University, Kabanbay Batyr 53, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan.
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Ahmadi-Falavarjani A, Mahani H, Ayatollahi S. Pore-scale simulation of low-salinity waterflooding in mixed-wet systems: effect of corner flow, surface heterogeneity and kinetics of wettability alteration. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6563. [PMID: 38503821 PMCID: PMC10950873 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56846-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The initial wettability state of the candidate oil reservoirs for low-salinity waterflooding (LSWF) is commonly characterized as mixed-wet. In mixed-wet systems, both the two-phase flow dynamics and the salt transport are significantly influenced by the corner flow of the wetting phase. Thus this study aims at comprehensive evaluation of LSWF efficiency by capturing the effect of corner flow and non-uniform wettability distribution. In this regard, direct numerical simulations under capillary-dominated flow regime were performed using the OpenFOAM Computational Fluid Dynamics toolbox. The results indicate that corner flow results in the transport of low-salinity water ahead of the primary fluid front and triggers a transition in the flow regime from a piston-like to multi-directional displacement. This then makes a substantial difference of 22% in the ultimate oil recovery factors between the 2D and quasi-3D models. Furthermore, the interplay of solute transport through corners and wettability alteration kinetics can lead to a new oil trapping mechanism, not reported in the literature, that diminishes LSWF efficiency. While the findings of this study elucidate that LSWF does exhibit improved oil recovery compared to high-salinity waterflooding, the complicating phenomena in mixed-wet systems can significantly affect the efficiency of this method and make it less successful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Ahmadi-Falavarjani
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hassan Mahani
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Shahab Ayatollahi
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
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5
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Wang Y, Li J, Feng F, Qu C, Tang C, Wang Q, Zhang W, Yan X, Lin Z. Unveiling the role of pore characteristics in sludge dewatering: Visualization by Nano-CT and micromodel study. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 252:121191. [PMID: 38309065 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
The solid-liquid separation is an indispensable and primary link in the process of sludge treatment and disposal. The past research was focused primarily on the technique explorations of sludge dewatering and always disregarded the internal pore structure and water migration behavior in sludge. In this work, the real three-dimensional pore structure of sludge was obtained by Nano-CT. Based on this, a pore-scale heterogeneous sludge micromodel was firstly presented, and the water flooding experiment was carried out to visualize the water migration behavior. The results showed that the sludge structure transformed from sheet-like floc to microsphere particles, and then agglomerated into large globular granules during anaerobic ammonia oxidation. And the equivalent pore size increases from 342 μm to 617 μm, improving the sludge dewaterability characterized by capillary suction time (CST). The most significant implication of this work was revealing the critical role of invalid connected pore in sludge dewatering. Such pore was not contributed to fluid flow but the circulating vortex in it even induced energy dissipation, thus deteriorated the sludge dewaterability. This work may be helpful to understand the critical role of pore characteristic in water migration and shed light on the new dewatering techniques from the perspective of regulating sludge structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Jiawei Li
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Fan Feng
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Caiyan Qu
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Chongjian Tang
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China; Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, Changsha 410083, China; Water Pollution Control Technology Key Lab of Hunan Province, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Qingwei Wang
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China; Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, Changsha 410083, China
| | - Wenchao Zhang
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China; Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, Changsha 410083, China.
| | - Xu Yan
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China; Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, Changsha 410083, China; Water Pollution Control Technology Key Lab of Hunan Province, Changsha 410004, China.
| | - Zhang Lin
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China; Chinese National Engineering Research Center for Control & Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, Changsha 410083, China
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6
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Lei W, Lu X, Wang M. Multiphase displacement manipulated by micro/nanoparticle suspensions in porous media via microfluidic experiments: From interface science to multiphase flow patterns. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 311:102826. [PMID: 36528919 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2022.102826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Multiphase displacement in porous media can be adjusted by micro/nanoparticle suspensions, which is widespread in many scientific and industrial contexts. Direct visualization of suspension flow dynamics and corresponding multiphase patterns is crucial to understanding displacement mechanisms and eventually optimizing these processes in geological, biological, chemical, and other engineering systems. However, suspension flow inside the opaque realistic porous media makes direct observation challenging. The advances in microfluidic experiments have provided us with alternative methods to observe suspension influence on the interface and multiphase flow behaviors at high temporal and spatial resolutions. Macroscale processes are controlled by microscale interfacial behaviors, which are affected by multiple physical factors, such as particle adsorption, capillarity, and hydrodynamics. These properties exerted on the suspension flow in porous media may lead to interesting interfacial phenomena and new displacement consequences. As an underpinning science, understanding and controlling the suspension transport process from interface to flow patterns in porous media is critical for a lower operating cost to improve resource production while reducing harmful emissions and other environmental impacts. This review summarizes the basic properties of different micro/nanoparticle suspensions and the state-of-the-art microfluidic techniques for displacement research activities in porous media. Various suspension transport behaviors and displacement mechanisms explored by microfluidic experiments are comprehensively reviewed. This review is expected to boost both experimental and theoretical understanding of suspension transport and interfacial interaction processes in porous media. It also brings forward the challenges and opportunities for future research in controlling complex fluid flow in porous media for diverse applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhai Lei
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xukang Lu
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Moran Wang
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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7
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Yang J, Saadat M, Azizov I, Dudek M, Øye G, Tsai PA. Wettability effect on oil recovery using rock-structured microfluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:4974-4983. [PMID: 36422062 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc01115d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Surface wettability has a crucial impact on drop splashing, emulsion dynamics, slip flow for drag reduction, fluid-fluid displacement, and various microfluidic applications. Targeting enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications, we experimentally investigate the effect of matrix wettability on the invasion morphology and sweep efficiency of viscous oil displaced by different aqueous floods using microfluidics, whose porous network mimics a sandstone structure. For comparison, systematic experiments of the same oil-flood pair are done in both hydrophilic and hydrophobic microfluidic chips. The results show that the hydrophilic microfluidic rock has a remarkable increase in oil recovery by a factor of ≈1.44, compared to the hydrophobic case. In addition, we observe a more pronounced lateral growth of the displacing pattern of aqueous flood for the hydrophilic surface. Finally, we quantitatively explain the increasing factor in the recovery rate and finger width for the hydrophilic vs. hydrophobic rock-liked porous networks by incorporating the contact angle into a scaling analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyi Yang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G8, Canada.
| | - Marzieh Saadat
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G8, Canada.
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway
| | - Ilgar Azizov
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway
| | - Marcin Dudek
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway
| | - Gisle Øye
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway
| | - Peichun Amy Tsai
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G8, Canada.
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8
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Du Y, Xu K, Mejia L, Balhoff M. Surface-Active Compounds Induced Time-Dependent and Non-Monotonic Fluid-Fluid Displacement during Low-Salinity Water Flooding. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 631:245-259. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Xu J, Balhoff MT. Dissolution-After-Precipitation (DAP): a simple microfluidic approach for studying carbonate rock dissolution and multiphase reactive transport mechanisms. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:4205-4223. [PMID: 36172900 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00426g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We propose a simple microfluidic approach: Dissolution-After-Precipitation (DAP), to investigate regimes of carbonate rock dissolution and multiphase reactive transport. In this method, a carbonate porous medium is created in a glass microchannel via calcium carbonate precipitation, after which an acid is injected into the channel to dissolve the precipitated porous medium. Utilizing the DAP method, for the first time we realized all five classical single-phase carbonate rock dissolution regimes (uniform, compact, conical, wormhole, ramified wormholes) in a microfluidic chip. The results are validated against the established theoretical dissolution diagram, which shows good agreement. Detailed analysis of these single-phase dissolutions suggests that the heterogeneity of the porous medium may significantly impact how the dissolution patterns evolve over time. Furthermore, DAP is utilized to investigate multiphase dissolution. As examples we tested the cases of an oleic phase (tetradecane) and a gaseous phase (CO2). Results show that the presence of a nonaqueous phase in pore spaces induces the formation of wormholes despite weak advection, and these wormholes ultimately become pathways for nonaqueous phase transport. However, the transport of tetradecane in the wormhole is very slow, causing acid breakthrough into neighboring regions. This mechanism enhances lateral connectivity between wormholes and may lead to a wormhole network. In contrast, CO2 moves rapidly and continuously seeks to enter a widening wormhole from a narrower wormhole or the porous regions, generating phenomena such as ganglia redistribution and counterflow (flow of gas opposite to acid flow). Extensive independent experiments are conducted to verify the reproducibility of the observed phenomena/mechanisms and further analyze them. Real-time monitoring of fluid pressure drop during dissolution is implemented to complement microscopy image analysis. Our method can be implemented repeatedly on the same chip, which offers a convenient and inexpensive option to study pore-scale reactive transport mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianping Xu
- Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
- Center for Subsurface Energy and the Environment, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Matthew T Balhoff
- Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
- Center for Subsurface Energy and the Environment, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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10
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Le-Anh D, Rao A, Stetten AZ, Ayirala SC, Alotaibi MB, Duits MHG, Gardeniers H, AlYousef AA, Mugele F. Oil Displacement in Calcite-Coated Microfluidic Chips via Waterflooding at Elevated Temperatures and Long Times. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:1316. [PMID: 36014237 PMCID: PMC9415086 DOI: 10.3390/mi13081316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In microfluidic studies of improved oil recovery, mostly pore networks with uniform depth and surface chemistry are used. To better mimic the multiple porosity length scales and surface heterogeneity of carbonate reservoirs, we coated a 2.5D glass microchannel with calcite particles. After aging with formation water and crude oil (CRO), high-salinity Water (HSW) was flooded at varying temperatures and durations. Time-resolved microscopy revealed the CRO displacements. Precise quantification of residual oil presented some challenges due to calcite-induced optical heterogeneity and brine-oil coexistence at (sub)micron length scales. Both issues were addressed using pixel-wise intensity calibration. During waterflooding, most of the ultimately produced oil gets liberated within the first pore volume (similar to glass micromodels). Increasing temperature from 22 °C to 60 °C and 90 °C produced some more oil. Waterflooding initiated directly at 90 °C produced significantly more oil than at 22 °C. Continuing HSW exposure at 90 °C for 8 days does not release additional oil; although, a spectacular growth of aqueous droplets is observed. The effect of calcite particles on CRO retention is weak on flat surfaces, where the coverage is ~20%. The calcite-rich pore edges retain significantly more oil suggesting that, in our micromodel wall roughness is a stronger determinant for oil retention than surface chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duy Le-Anh
- Physics of Complex Fluids, MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Ashit Rao
- Physics of Complex Fluids, MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Amy Z. Stetten
- Physics of Complex Fluids, MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Subhash C. Ayirala
- The Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center-Advanced Research Center (EXPEC ARC), Saudi Aramco, Dhahran 34465, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed B. Alotaibi
- The Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center-Advanced Research Center (EXPEC ARC), Saudi Aramco, Dhahran 34465, Saudi Arabia
| | - Michel H. G. Duits
- Physics of Complex Fluids, MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Han Gardeniers
- Mesoscale Chemical Systems Groups, MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Ali A. AlYousef
- The Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center-Advanced Research Center (EXPEC ARC), Saudi Aramco, Dhahran 34465, Saudi Arabia
| | - Frieder Mugele
- Physics of Complex Fluids, MESA+ Institute, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
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Babakhani Dehkordi P, Razavirad F, Shahrabadi A. Pore-Scale Displacement of Heavy Crude Oil During Low Salinity Water Flooding. Transp Porous Media 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11242-022-01825-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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12
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Effect of interparticle forces on the stability and droplet diameter of Pickering emulsions stabilized by PEG-coated silica nanoparticles. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 626:824-835. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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13
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Pagán Pagán NM, Zhang Z, Nguyen TV, Marciel AB, Biswal SL. Physicochemical Characterization of Asphaltenes Using Microfluidic Analysis. Chem Rev 2022; 122:7205-7235. [PMID: 35196011 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Crude oils are complex mixtures of organic molecules, of which asphaltenes are the heaviest component. Asphaltene precipitation and deposition have been recognized to be a significant problem in oil production, transmission, and processing facilities. These macromolecular aromatics are challenging to characterize due to their heterogeneity and complex molecular structure. Microfluidic devices are able to capture key characteristics of reservoir rocks and provide new insights into the transport, reactions, and chemical interactions governing fluids used in the oil and gas industry. Understanding the microscale phenomena has led to better design of macroscale processes used by the industry. One area that has seen significant growth is in the area of chemical analysis under flowing conditions. Microfluidics and microscale analysis have advanced the understanding of complex mixtures by providing in situ imaging that can be combined with other chemical characterization methods to give details of how oil, water, and added chemicals interface with pore-scale detail. This review article aims to showcase how microfluidic devices offer new physical, chemical, and dynamic information on the behavior of asphaltenes. Specifically, asphaltene deposition and related flow assurance problems, interfacial properties and rheology, and evaluation of remediation strategies studied in microchannels and microfluidic porous media are presented. Examples of successful applications that address key asphaltene-related problems highlight the advances of microscale systems as a tool for advancing the physicochemical characterization of complex fluids for the oil and gas industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataira M Pagán Pagán
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Zhuqing Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Thao Vy Nguyen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Amanda B Marciel
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Sibani Lisa Biswal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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14
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Examining the role of salinity on the dynamic stability of Pickering emulsions. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 608:2321-2329. [PMID: 34809989 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.10.154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS The effect of salinity on Pickering emulsion stability to coalescence under dynamic forces present during flow in porous media for applications including enhanced oil recovery is poorly understood. Recent work suggests the absence of significant electrostatic repulsion in brine prompts unattached particles to assemble into inter-droplet networks that increase emulsion stability. We hypothesize that emulsions stabilized by nanoparticles coated with (3-glycidyloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GLYMO) will generate particle networks in brine and exhibit greater stability to coalescence than in deionized water (DI). EXPERIMENTS We stabilized decane-in-water emulsions with GLYMO-coated silica nanoparticles at various particle concentrations using brine and DI as the aqueous phase. We imaged the emulsions to calculate droplet diameters, then centrifuged the emulsions and weighed the volume of decane released to determine the extent of coalescence. We compared these measurements to evaluate the effect of salinity on emulsion stability. FINDINGS Emulsions demonstrate greater dynamic stability and smaller droplet diameters with increasing nanoparticle concentration and salinity. Controlling for differences in droplet size, we observe that brine reduces the emulsion coalescence rate by a factor of 78 ± 23 relative to DI. This difference supports and quantifies past work suggesting that unattached nanoparticles aggregate in brine and increase overall emulsion stability, whereas nanoparticles in DI remain separated.
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15
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Biomimetic functional hydrogel particles with enhanced adhesion characteristics for applications in fracture conformance control. J IND ENG CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jiec.2021.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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16
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The Migration and Deposition Behaviors of Montmorillonite and Kaolinite Particles in a Two-Dimensional Micromodel. MATERIALS 2022; 15:ma15030855. [PMID: 35160803 PMCID: PMC8838163 DOI: 10.3390/ma15030855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The pick-up, migration, deposition, and clogging behaviors of fine particles are ubiquitous in many engineering applications, including contaminant remediation. Deposition and clogging are detrimental to the efficiency of environmental remediation, and their mechanisms are yet to be elucidated. Two-dimensional microfluidic models were developed to simulate the pore structure of porous media with unified particle sizes in this study. Kaolin and bentonite suspensions were introduced to microfluidic chips to observe their particle deposition and clogging behaviors. Interactions between interparticle forces and particle velocity profiles were investigated via computational fluid dynamics and discrete element method simulations. The results showed that (1) only the velocity vector toward the micropillars and drag forces in the reverse direction were prone to deposition; (2) due to the negligible weight of particles, the Stokes number implied that inertia was not the controlling factor causing deposition; and (3) the salinity of the carrying fluid increased the bentonite deposition because of the shrinkage of the diffused electrical double layer and an increase in aggregation force, whereas it had little effect on kaolin deposition.
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Jahanbakhsh A, Shahrokhi O, Maroto-Valer MM. Understanding the role of wettability distribution on pore-filling and displacement patterns in a homogeneous structure via quasi 3D pore-scale modelling. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17847. [PMID: 34497276 PMCID: PMC8426499 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97169-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Most numerical simulation studies have focused on the effect of homogenous wettability on fluid flow dynamics; however, most rocks display spatially heterogeneous wettability. Therefore, we have used direct numerical simulations (DNS) to investigate wettability heterogeneity at pore-scale. We have built a quasi-3D pore-scale model and simulated two-phase flow in a homogenous porous media with homogenous and heterogeneous wettability distributions. Five different heterogeneous wettability patterns were used in this study. We observed that heterogenous wettability significantly affects the evolution of fluid interface, trapped saturation, and displacement patterns. Wettability heterogeneity results in fingering and specific trapping patterns which do not follow the flow behaviour characteristic of a porous medium with homogenous wettability. This flow behaviour indicates a different flow regime that cannot be estimated using homogenous wettability distributions represented by an average contact angle. Moreover, our simulation results show that certain spatial configurations of wettability heterogeneity at the microscale, e.g. being perpendicular to the flow direction, may assist the stability of the displacement and delay the breakthrough time. In contrast, other configurations such as being parallel to the flow direction promote flow instability for the same pore-scale geometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Jahanbakhsh
- grid.9531.e0000000106567444Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS), School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Omid Shahrokhi
- grid.9531.e0000000106567444Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS), School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - M. Mercedes Maroto-Valer
- grid.9531.e0000000106567444Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS), School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
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Maghsoudian A, Tamsilian Y, Kord S, Soltani Soulgani B, Esfandiarian A, Shajirat M. Styrene intermolecular associating incorporated-polyacrylamide flooding of crude oil in carbonate coated micromodel system at high temperature, high salinity condition: Rheology, wettability alteration, recovery mechanisms. J Mol Liq 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2021.116206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Li S, Liu Y, Xue L, Yang L, Yuan Z. Experimental Investigation on the Pore-Scale Mechanism of Improved Sweep Efficiency by Low-Salinity Water Flooding Using a Reservoir-on-a-Chip. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:20984-20991. [PMID: 34423206 PMCID: PMC8375086 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c02511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Low-salinity water flooding, known as an environmentally friendly and efficient oil recovery technology, has attracted the attention of several researchers all over the world. However, its field application is suffering restrictions because of the ambiguous mechanisms of the oil recovery by controlling the salinity. In this study, a water flooding microfluidic experiment was conducted to investigate the pore-scale mechanism of enhanced sweep efficiency by low-salinity water flooding. This experiment used a reservoir-on-a-chip that preserved the real rock properties and morphological features. Crude oil-water-rock contact angle experiments by altering water salinity were conducted to investigate the mechanism of the improvement of sweep efficiency by low-salinity water flooding. The experiment results show that unlike high-salinity water flooding, low-salinity water flooding improves its sweep efficiency from wettability alteration. Specifically, in the microfluidic model, it clearly shows that the pore-scale sweep efficiency is improved by reducing the salinity of injected water. Low-salinity water can invade the pores that cannot be reached by high-salinity water and displace the remaining oil after high-salinity water flooding. In the altering water salinity contact angle experiments, the contact angles decrease from 91.05° (neutral-wet) to 64.41° (water-wet) as the water salinity decreases from 46.58 to 2.31 g/L. The wettability of the rock surface changes from oil or neutral-wet to water-wet and induces the imbibition process, during which the hydrophilic pores absorb the low-salinity water into the smaller pores where the high-salinity water cannot invade. This investigation provides a further in situ and pore-scale evidence of improved sweep efficiency and wettability alteration by low-salinity water flooding and a possible reference to solve the difficulty in upscaling fluid flow behavior from microfluidics to reservoir rocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songqi Li
- State
Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
| | - Yuetian Liu
- State
Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
| | - Liang Xue
- State
Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Prospecting, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
| | - Li Yang
- CNOOC
Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 100028, China
| | - Zhiwang Yuan
- CNOOC
Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 100028, China
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Nair S, Gao J, Otto C, Duits MHG, Mugele F. In-situ observation of reactive wettability alteration using algorithm-improved confocal Raman microscopy. J Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 584:551-560. [PMID: 33129164 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS The wettability of complex fluids on surfaces usually depends on the adsorption of solutes to any of the constituting interfaces. Controlling such interfacial processes by varying the composition of a phase enables the design of smart responsive systems. Our goal is to demonstrate that 3D Confocal Raman Microscopy (CRM) can reveal the mechanistic details of such processes by allowing to simultaneously monitor the contact angle variation and redistribution of the chemical species involved. EXPERIMENTS Motivated by the enhanced oil recovery process of low salinity water flooding, we studied the response of picolitre oil drops on mineral substrates upon varying the ambient brine salinity. The substrates were pre-coated with thin layers of deuterated-stearic acid (surfactant) that display salinity-dependent stability. FINDINGS 3D CRM imaging using a recently proposed faster 'ai' (algorithm-improved) mode reveals that the surfactant layer is stable at high salinities, leading to preferential oil wetting. Upon reducing the ambient brine salinity, this layer decomposes and the investigated surfaces of mica and - somewhat less pronounced - silica become more water wet. Eventually, the surfactant is found to partly dissolve in the oil and partly precipitate at the oil-water interface. We anticipate that ai-3D-CRM will prove useful to holistically study similar systems displaying reactive wetting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachin Nair
- Physics of Complex Fluids Group and MESA+ Institute, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, the Netherlands.
| | - Jun Gao
- Physics of Complex Fluids Group and MESA+ Institute, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Cees Otto
- Medical Cell Bio Physics Group and TechMed Centre, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Michael H G Duits
- Physics of Complex Fluids Group and MESA+ Institute, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Frieder Mugele
- Physics of Complex Fluids Group and MESA+ Institute, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, the Netherlands.
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Colloid retention and mobilization mechanisms under different physicochemical conditions in porous media: A micromodel study. POWDER TECHNOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2020.08.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Liu Y, Block E, Squier J, Oakey J. Investigating low salinity waterflooding via glass micromodels with triangular pore-throat architectures. FUEL (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2021; 283:119264. [PMID: 33408422 PMCID: PMC7781290 DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2020.119264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Glass micromodels have been extensively used to simulate and investigate crude oil, brine, and surface interactions due to their homogeneous wettability, rigidity, and ability to precisely capture a reservoir's areal heterogeneity. Most micromodels are fabricated via two-dimensional patterning, implying that feature depths are constant despite varying width, which sub-optimally describes a three-dimensional porous architecture. We have successfully fabricated micromodels with arbitrary triangular cross sections via femtosecond pulsed laser direct writing resulting in depth-dependent channel width. As such, we have achieved arbitrary geometric control over device fabrication and thus a more accurate recapitulation of a geological porous media. With this fabrication technique, we are now able to directly observe pore-level, depth-dependent multiphase flow phenomena. This platform was used to study the low salinity effect (LSE) by simulating waterflooding processes using various brine solutions that differ in cation type and salinity. Patterned pore-throat structures were created to investigate displacement behavior during waterflooding. Real-time monitoring of the displacement processes, combined with a comparison of the brine chemistry before and after waterflooding provides an insight into realistic interactions occurring between crude oil and brine. The results indicate that produced emulsions were prone to coalesce in the presence of lower salinity brine. Combined with previous work, the LSE was interpreted as favored coalescence and resisted breakup that resulting in a more continuous aqueous phase during waterflooding therefore improving the displacement efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafei Liu
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, Xi’an Shiyou University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Erica Block
- Department of Physics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Jeff Squier
- Department of Physics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA
| | - John Oakey
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
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Tetteh JT, Brady PV, Barati Ghahfarokhi R. Review of low salinity waterflooding in carbonate rocks: mechanisms, investigation techniques, and future directions. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2020; 284:102253. [PMID: 32937213 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2020.102253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
This review analyses the fundamental thermodynamic theory of the crude oil-brine-rock (COBR) interface and the underlying rock-brine and oil-brine interactions. The available data are then reviewed to outline potential mechanisms responsible for increased oil recovery from low salinity waterflooding (LSWF). We propose an approach to studying LSWF and identify the key missing links that are needed to explain observations at multiple length scales. The synergistic effect of LSWF on other chemical enhanced oil recovery methods such as surfactant, alkaline, nanoparticle and polymer flooding are also outlined. We specifically highlight key uncertainties that must be overcome to fully implement the technique in the field.
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Maghsoudian A, Esfandiarian A, Kord S, Tamsilian Y, Soulgani BS. Direct insights into the micro and macro scale mechanisms of symbiotic effect of SO42−, Mg2+, and Ca2+ ions concentration for smart waterflooding in the carbonated coated micromodel system. J Mol Liq 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2020.113700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Safari M, Rahimi A, Gholami R, Permana A, Siaw Khur W. Underlying mechanisms of shale wettability alteration by low salinity water injection (LSWI). J DISPER SCI TECHNOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/01932691.2020.1813156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Safari
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, Curtin University, Malaysia
| | - Ali Rahimi
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran
| | - Raoof Gholami
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, Curtin University, Malaysia
| | - Andrian Permana
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, Curtin University, Malaysia
| | - Wee Siaw Khur
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, Curtin University, Malaysia
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Yue L, Pu W, Zhao S, Zhang S, Ren F, Xu D. Insights into mechanism of low salinity water flooding in sandstone reservoir from interfacial features of oil/brine/rock via intermolecular forces. J Mol Liq 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2020.113435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Oil Reservoir on a Chip: Pore-Scale Study of Multiphase Flow During Near-Miscible CO2 EOR and Storage. Transp Porous Media 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11242-020-01448-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Jahanbakhsh A, Wlodarczyk KL, Hand DP, Maier RRJ, Maroto-Valer MM. Review of Microfluidic Devices and Imaging Techniques for Fluid Flow Study in Porous Geomaterials. SENSORS 2020; 20:s20144030. [PMID: 32698501 PMCID: PMC7412536 DOI: 10.3390/s20144030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding transport phenomena and governing mechanisms of different physical and chemical processes in porous media has been a critical research area for decades. Correlating fluid flow behaviour at the micro-scale with macro-scale parameters, such as relative permeability and capillary pressure, is key to understanding the processes governing subsurface systems, and this in turn allows us to improve the accuracy of modelling and simulations of transport phenomena at a large scale. Over the last two decades, there have been significant developments in our understanding of pore-scale processes and modelling of complex underground systems. Microfluidic devices (micromodels) and imaging techniques, as facilitators to link experimental observations to simulation, have greatly contributed to these achievements. Although several reviews exist covering separately advances in one of these two areas, we present here a detailed review integrating recent advances and applications in both micromodels and imaging techniques. This includes a comprehensive analysis of critical aspects of fabrication techniques of micromodels, and the most recent advances such as embedding fibre optic sensors in micromodels for research applications. To complete the analysis of visualization techniques, we have thoroughly reviewed the most applicable imaging techniques in the area of geoscience and geo-energy. Moreover, the integration of microfluidic devices and imaging techniques was highlighted as appropriate. In this review, we focus particularly on four prominent yet very wide application areas, namely “fluid flow in porous media”, “flow in heterogeneous rocks and fractures”, “reactive transport, solute and colloid transport”, and finally “porous media characterization”. In summary, this review provides an in-depth analysis of micromodels and imaging techniques that can help to guide future research in the in-situ visualization of fluid flow in porous media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Jahanbakhsh
- Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS), School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK; (K.L.W.); (M.M.M.-V.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Krystian L. Wlodarczyk
- Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS), School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK; (K.L.W.); (M.M.M.-V.)
- Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK; (D.P.H.); (R.R.J.M.)
| | - Duncan P. Hand
- Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK; (D.P.H.); (R.R.J.M.)
| | - Robert R. J. Maier
- Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK; (D.P.H.); (R.R.J.M.)
| | - M. Mercedes Maroto-Valer
- Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS), School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK; (K.L.W.); (M.M.M.-V.)
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Zhang Y, Khorshidian H, Mohammadi M, Sanati-Nezhad A, Hejazi SH. Functionalized multiscale visual models to unravel flow and transport physics in porous structures. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 175:115676. [PMID: 32193027 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The fluid flow, species transport, and chemical reactions in geological formations are the chief mechanisms in engineering the exploitation of fossil fuels and geothermal energy, the geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2), and the disposal of hazardous materials. Porous rock is characterized by a wide surface area, where the physicochemical fluid-solid interactions dominate the multiphase flow behavior. A variety of visual models with differences in dimensions, patterns, surface properties, and fabrication techniques have been widely utilized to simulate and directly visualize such interactions in porous media. This review discusses the six categories of visual models used in geological flow applications, including packed beds, Hele-Shaw cells, synthesized microchips (also known as microfluidic chips or micromodels), geomaterial-dominated microchips, three-dimensional (3D) microchips, and nanofluidics. For each category, critical technical points (such as surface chemistry and geometry) and practical applications are summarized. Finally, we discuss opportunities and provide a framework for the development of custom-built visual models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqi Zhang
- Interfacial Flows and Porous Media Laboratory, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; BioMEMS and Bioinspired Microfluidic Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Hossein Khorshidian
- Interfacial Flows and Porous Media Laboratory, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; BioMEMS and Bioinspired Microfluidic Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Mehdi Mohammadi
- Interfacial Flows and Porous Media Laboratory, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; BioMEMS and Bioinspired Microfluidic Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Canada
| | - Amir Sanati-Nezhad
- Interfacial Flows and Porous Media Laboratory, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; BioMEMS and Bioinspired Microfluidic Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Centre for Bioengineering Research and Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - S Hossein Hejazi
- Interfacial Flows and Porous Media Laboratory, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
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Morais S, Cario A, Liu N, Bernard D, Lecoutre C, Garrabos Y, Ranchou-Peyruse A, Dupraz S, Azaroual M, Hartman RL, Marre S. Studying key processes related to CO 2 underground storage at the pore scale using high pressure micromodels. REACT CHEM ENG 2020. [DOI: 10.1039/d0re00023j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Micromodels experimentation for studying and understanding CO2 geological storage mechanisms at the pore scale.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anaïs Cario
- CNRS
- Univ. Bordeaux
- Bordeaux INP
- ICMCB
- Pessac Cedex
| | - Na Liu
- CNRS
- Univ. Bordeaux
- Bordeaux INP
- ICMCB
- Pessac Cedex
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ryan L. Hartman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- New York University
- Brooklyn
- USA
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Song W, Ramesh NN, Kovscek AR. Spontaneous fingering between miscible fluids. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2019.123943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Amanam UU, Zeng H, Kovscek AR. Nanoparticle delivery to porous media via emulsions and thermally induced phase inversion. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2019.123614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Alzahid YA, Mostaghimi P, Alqahtani NJ, Sun C, Lu X, Armstrong RT. Oil mobilization and solubilization in porous media by in situ emulsification. J Colloid Interface Sci 2019; 554:554-564. [PMID: 31326787 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2019.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS 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. EXPERIMENTS 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. FINDINGS 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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yara A Alzahid
- School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Peyman Mostaghimi
- School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Naif J Alqahtani
- School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Chenhao Sun
- School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Xiao Lu
- School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Ryan T Armstrong
- School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia.
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Novel insights into pore-scale dynamics of wettability alteration during low salinity waterflooding. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9257. [PMID: 31239462 PMCID: PMC6592911 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45434-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Low salinity waterflooding has proven to accelerate oil production at core and field scales. Wettability alteration from a more oil-wetting to a more water-wetting condition has been established as one of the most notable effects of low salinity waterflooding. To induce the wettability alteration, low salinity water should be transported to come in contact with the oil-water interfaces. Transport under two-phase flow conditions can be highly influenced by fluids topology that creates connected pathways as well as dead-end regions. It is known that under two-phase flow conditions, the pore space filled by a fluid can be split into flowing (connected pathways) and stagnant (deadend) regions due to fluids topology. Transport in flowing regions is advection controlled and transport in stagnant regions is predominantly diffusion controlled. To understand the full picture of wettability alteration of a rock by injection of low salinity water, it is important to know i) how the injected low salinity water displaces and mixes with the high salinity water, ii) how continuous wettability alteration impacts the redistribution of two immiscible fluids and (ii) role of hydrodynamic transport and mixing between the low salinity water and the formation brine (high salinity water) in wettability alteration. To address these two issues, computational fluid dynamic simulations of coupled dynamic two-phase flow, hydrodynamic transport and wettability alteration in a 2D domain were carried out using the volume of fluid method. The numerical simulations show that when low salinity water was injected, the formation brine (high salinity water) was swept out from the flowing regions by advection. However, the formation brine residing in stagnant regions was diffused very slowly to the low salinity water. The presence of formation brine in stagnant regions created heterogeneous wettability conditions at the pore scale, which led to remarkable two-phase flow dynamics and internal redistribution of oil, which is referred to as the "pull-push" behaviour and has not been addressed before in the literature. Our simulation results imply that the presence of stagnant regions in the tertiary oil recovery impedes the potential of wettability alteration for additional oil recovery. Hence, it would be favorable to inject low salinity water from the beginning of waterflooding to avoid stagnant saturation. We also observed that oil ganglia size was reduced under tertiary mode of low salinity waterflooding compared to the high salinity waterflooding.
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Yang D, Kirke M, Fan R, Priest C. Investigation of Chalcopyrite Leaching Using an Ore-on-a-Chip. Anal Chem 2018; 91:1557-1562. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b04802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Die Yang
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia
| | - Melissa Kirke
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7 JE, United Kingdom
| | - Rong Fan
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia
- Natural and Built Environments Research Centre, School of Natural and Built Environments, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia
| | - Craig Priest
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia
- School of Engineering, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095, Australia
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Qi Z, Xu L, Xu Y, Zhong J, Abedini A, Cheng X, Sinton D. Disposable silicon-glass microfluidic devices: precise, robust and cheap. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:3872-3880. [PMID: 30457137 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc01109e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Si-glass microfluidics have long provided unprecedented precision, robustness and optical clarity. However, chip fabrication is costly (∼500 USD per chip) and in practice, devices are not heavily reused. We present a method to reduce the cost-per-chip by two orders of magnitude (∼5 USD per chip), rendering Si-glass microfluidics disposable for many applications. The strategy is based on reducing the area of the chip and a whole-chip manifolding strategy that achieves reliable high-pressure high-temperature fluid connectivity. The resulting system was validated at 130 bar and 95 °C and demonstrated in both energy and carbon capture applications. We studied heavy oil flooding with brine, polymer, and surfactant polymer solutions and found the surfactant polymer as the most effective solution which recovered ∼80% of the oil with the least amount of injection while maintaining a relatively uniform displacement front. In a carbon capture application, we measured the dilation of an emerging ionic liquid analog, choline chloride with urea, in gaseous and supercritical CO2. Previously restricted to niche microfluidic applications, the approach here brings the established benefits of Si-glass microfluidics to a broad range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- ZhenBang Qi
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8, Canada.
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Song W, Ogunbanwo F, Steinsbø M, Fernø MA, Kovscek AR. Mechanisms of multiphase reactive flow using biogenically calcite-functionalized micromodels. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:3881-3891. [PMID: 30462124 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00793d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Dissolution of carbonate minerals in porous media is important to many instances of subsurface flow, including geological carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration, karst formation, and crude-oil reservoir stimulation and acidizing. Of particular interest, geological CO2 storage in deep carbonate reservoirs presents a significant long-term opportunity to mitigate atmospheric carbon emissions. The reactivity of carbonate reservoirs, however, may negatively impact storage formation integrity and hence jeopardize sequestered CO2 storage security. In this work, we develop a novel biogenically calcite-functionalized microvisual device to study the fundamental pore-scale reactive transport dynamics in carbonate formations. Importantly, we discover a new microscale mechanism that dictates the overall behavior of the reactive transport phenomenon, where the reaction product, CO2, due to carbonate rock dissolution forms a separate, protective phase that engulfs the carbonate rock grain and reduces further dissolution. The presence of the separate, protective CO2 phase determines overall dissolution patterns in the storage reservoir and leads to formation of preferential leakage paths. We scale these results using nondimensional numbers to demonstrate their influence on industrial CO2 storage security, safety, and capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Song
- Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Alzahid YA, Mostaghimi P, Gerami A, Singh A, Privat K, Amirian T, Armstrong RT. Functionalisation of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)- Microfluidic Devices coated with Rock Minerals. Sci Rep 2018; 8:15518. [PMID: 30341346 PMCID: PMC6195554 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33495-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluid flow in porous rocks is commonly capillary driven and thus, dependent on the surface characteristics of rock grains and in particular the connectivity of corners and crevices in which fluids reside. Traditional microfluidic fabrication techniques do not provide a connected pathway of crevices that are essential to mimic multiphase flow in rocks. Here, geo-material microfluidic devices with connected pathways of corners and crevices were created by functionalising Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with rock minerals. A novel fabrication process that provides attachment of rock minerals onto PDMS was demonstrated. The geo-material microfluidic devices were compared to carbonate and sandstone rocks by using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle measurements, and a surface profilometer. Based on SEM coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) analyses, roughness measurements, contact angle, wettability, and roughness were comparable to real rocks. In addition, semivariograms showed that mineral deposition across the different geo-material devices was nearly isotropic. Lastly, important multiphase flow phenomena, such as snap-off and corner flow mechanisms, equivalent to those occurring in reservoir rocks have been visualised. The presented approach can be used to visualise rock-fluid interactions that are relevant to subsurface engineering applications, such as hydrocarbon recovery and CO2 sequestration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yara A Alzahid
- School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Peyman Mostaghimi
- School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Alireza Gerami
- School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Ankita Singh
- School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Karen Privat
- Electron Microscope Unit, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Tammy Amirian
- Australian School of Petroleum, Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Ryan T Armstrong
- School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
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Zhong J, Zhao Y, Lu C, Xu Y, Jin Z, Mostowfi F, Sinton D. Nanoscale Phase Measurement for the Shale Challenge: Multicomponent Fluids in Multiscale Volumes. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2018; 34:9927-9935. [PMID: 30074806 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Hydrocarbon recovery from shale reservoirs provides an increasing share of world energy. These resources are multicomponent fluid mixtures within multiscale geometries, and understanding their associated phase-change thermodynamics presents an array of challenges for experimentalists, theorists, operators, and policy makers. Here, we quantify hydrocarbon mixture phase behavior via direct imaging of connected channels spanning 4 orders of magnitude (10 nm to 10 μm) with supporting density functional theory. The methane/propane mixture dew point shifts, with early condensation of heavy components in nanopores because of a combination of capillarity and competitive surface adsorption. The bubble point in nanoconfinement is found to be deeply suppressed (∼3-fold), to below the bulk dew point of the original mixture, because of the exchange of mixture components with larger connected volumes. The trapping of the heaviest components of hydrocarbon mixtures within the smallest connected pores has implications for shale operations, reserve estimation, and ultimately energy security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Zhong
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering , University of Toronto , 5 King's College Road , Toronto M5S 3G8 , Ontario , Canada
| | - Yinuo Zhao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Alberta , 9211 - 116 Street NW , Edmonton , Alberta T6G 1H9 , Canada
| | - Chang Lu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Alberta , 9211 - 116 Street NW , Edmonton , Alberta T6G 1H9 , Canada
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering , University of Toronto , 5 King's College Road , Toronto M5S 3G8 , Ontario , Canada
| | - Zhehui Jin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Alberta , 9211 - 116 Street NW , Edmonton , Alberta T6G 1H9 , Canada
| | - Farshid Mostowfi
- Schlumberger-Doll Research , 1 Hampshire Street , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02139 , United States
| | - David Sinton
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering , University of Toronto , 5 King's College Road , Toronto M5S 3G8 , Ontario , Canada
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Natural nanomaterial as hard template for scalable synthesizing holey carbon naonsheet/nanotube with in-plane and out-of-plane pores for electrochemical energy storage. CHINESE CHEM LETT 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2017.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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44
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Zhang YQ, Sanati-Nezhad A, Hejazi SH. Geo-material surface modification of microchips using layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly for subsurface energy and environmental applications. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:285-295. [PMID: 29199291 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00675f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
A key constraint in the application of microfluidic technology to subsurface flow and transport processes is the surface discrepancy between microchips and the actual rocks/soils. This research employs a novel layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technology to produce rock-forming mineral coatings on microchip surfaces. The outcome of the work is a series of 'surface-mimetic micro-reservoirs (SMMR)' that represent multi-scales and multi-types of natural rocks/soils. For demonstration, the clay pores of sandstones and mudrocks are reconstructed by representatively coating montmorillonite and kaolinite in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchips in a wide range of channel sizes (width of 10-250 μm, depth of 40-100 μm) and on glass substrates. The morphological and structural properties of mineral coatings are characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), optical microscope and profilometer. The coating stability is tested by dynamic flooding experiments. The surface wettability is characterized by measuring mineral oil-water contact angles. The results demonstrate the formation of nano- to micro-scale, fully-covered and stable mineral surfaces with varying wetting properties. There is an opportunity to use this work in the development of microfluidic technology-based applications for subsurface energy and environmental research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Q Zhang
- Subsurface Fluidics and Porous Media Laboratory, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
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Silva RD, Kuczera T, Picheth G, Menezes L, Wypych F, de Freitas RA. Pickering emulsions formation using kaolinite and Brazil nut oil: particle hydrophobicity and oil self emulsion effect. J DISPER SCI TECHNOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/01932691.2017.1406369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Renata da Silva
- Biopol, Chemistry Department, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Thatiane Kuczera
- Biopol, Chemistry Department, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Picheth
- Biopol, Chemistry Department, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Leociley Menezes
- NMR Center, Chemistry Department, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Fernando Wypych
- CEPESQ, Chemistry Department, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
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46
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Almenningen S, Flatlandsmo J, Kovscek AR, Ersland G, Fernø MA. Determination of pore-scale hydrate phase equilibria in sediments using lab-on-a-chip technology. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:4070-4076. [PMID: 29067399 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00719a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We present an experimental protocol for fast determination of hydrate stability in porous media for a range of pressure and temperature (P, T) conditions. Using a lab-on-a-chip approach, we gain direct optical access to dynamic pore-scale hydrate formation and dissociation events to study the hydrate phase equilibria in sediments. Optical pore-scale observations of phase behavior reproduce the theoretical hydrate stability line with methane gas and distilled water, and demonstrate the accuracy of the new method. The procedure is applicable for any kind of hydrate transitions in sediments, and may be used to map gas hydrate stability zones in nature.
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Singh R, Sivaguru M, Fried GA, Fouke BW, Sanford RA, Carrera M, Werth CJ. Real rock-microfluidic flow cell: A test bed for real-time in situ analysis of flow, transport, and reaction in a subsurface reactive transport environment. JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY 2017; 204:28-39. [PMID: 28802767 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2017.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Physical, chemical, and biological interactions between groundwater and sedimentary rock directly control the fundamental subsurface properties such as porosity, permeability, and flow. This is true for a variety of subsurface scenarios, ranging from shallow groundwater aquifers to deeply buried hydrocarbon reservoirs. Microfluidic flow cells are now commonly being used to study these processes at the pore scale in simplified pore structures meant to mimic subsurface reservoirs. However, these micromodels are typically fabricated from glass, silicon, or polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and are therefore incapable of replicating the geochemical reactivity and complex three-dimensional pore networks present in subsurface lithologies. To address these limitations, we developed a new microfluidic experimental test bed, herein called the Real Rock-Microfluidic Flow Cell (RR-MFC). A porous 500μm-thick real rock sample of the Clair Group sandstone from a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir of the North Sea was prepared and mounted inside a PDMS microfluidic channel, creating a dynamic flow-through experimental platform for real-time tracking of subsurface reactive transport. Transmitted and reflected microscopy, cathodoluminescence microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and confocal laser microscopy techniques were used to (1) determine the mineralogy, geochemistry, and pore networks within the sandstone inserted in the RR-MFC, (2) analyze non-reactive tracer breakthrough in two- and (depth-limited) three-dimensions, and (3) characterize multiphase flow. The RR-MFC is the first microfluidic experimental platform that allows direct visualization of flow and transport in the pore space of a real subsurface reservoir rock sample, and holds potential to advance our understandings of reactive transport and other subsurface processes relevant to pollutant transport and cleanup in groundwater, as well as energy recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajveer Singh
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Energy Bioscience Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 205 N. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Mayandi Sivaguru
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Glenn A Fried
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Bruce W Fouke
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Energy Bioscience Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Geology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1301 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 601 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Robert A Sanford
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Energy Bioscience Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Geology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1301 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Martin Carrera
- BP Biosciences Center, 10628 Science Center Drive, Suite 150, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Charles J Werth
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, 301 E. Keaton Street, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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Haagh MEJ, Siretanu I, Duits MHG, Mugele F. Salinity-Dependent Contact Angle Alteration in Oil/Brine/Silicate Systems: the Critical Role of Divalent Cations. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2017; 33:3349-3357. [PMID: 28332396 PMCID: PMC5390307 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b04470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The effectiveness of water flooding oil recovery depends to an important extent on the competitive wetting of oil and water on the solid rock matrix. Here, we use macroscopic contact angle goniometry in highly idealized model systems to evaluate how brine salinity affects the balance of wetting forces and to infer the microscopic origin of the resultant contact angle alteration. We focus, in particular, on two competing mechanisms debated in the literature, namely, double-layer expansion and divalent cation bridging. Our experiments involve aqueous droplets with a variable content of chloride salts of Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+, wetting surfaces of muscovite and amorphous silica, and an environment of ambient decane containing small amounts of fatty acids to represent polar oil components. By diluting the salt content in various manners, we demonstrate that the water contact angle on muscovite, not on silica, decreases by up to 25° as the divalent cation concentration is reduced from typical concentrations in seawater to zero. Decreasing the ionic strength at a constant divalent ion concentration, however, has a negligible effect on the contact angle. We discuss the consequences for the interpretation of core flooding experiments and the identification of a microscopic mechanism of low salinity water flooding, an increasingly popular, inexpensive, and environment-friendly technique for enhanced oil recovery.
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Guo Y, Huang J, Xiao F, Yin X, Chun J, Um W, Neeves KB, Wu N. Bead-Based Microfluidic Sediment Analogues: Fabrication and Colloid Transport. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2016; 32:9342-9350. [PMID: 27548505 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b02184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Mobile colloids can act as carriers for low-solubility contaminants in the environment. However, the dominant mechanism for this colloid-facilitated transport of chemicals is unclear. Therefore, we developed a bead-based microfluidic platform of sediment analogues and measured both single and population transport of model colloids. The porous medium is assembled through a bead-by-bead injection method. This approach has the versatility to build both electrostatically homogeneous and heterogeneous media at the pore scale. A T-junction at the exit also allowed for encapsulation and enumeration of colloids effluent at single particle resolution to give population dynamics. Tortuosity calculated from pore-scale trajectory analysis and its comparison with lattice Boltzmann simulations revealed that transport of colloids was influenced by the size exclusion effect. The porous media packed by positively and negatively charged beads into two layers showed distinctive colloidal particle retention and significant remobilization and re-adsorption of particles during water flushing. We demonstrated the potential of our method to fabricate porous media with surface heterogeneities at the pore scale. With both single and population dynamics measurement, our platform has the potential to connect pore-scale and macroscale colloid transport on a lab scale and to quantify the impact of grain surface heterogeneities that are natural in the subsurface environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Guo
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines , Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Jingwei Huang
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, Colorado School of Mines , Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Feng Xiao
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, Colorado School of Mines , Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Xiaolong Yin
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, Colorado School of Mines , Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Jaehun Chun
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , 902 Battelle Boulevard, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Wooyong Um
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , 902 Battelle Boulevard, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Keith B Neeves
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines , Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Ning Wu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines , Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
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Abstract
Multiphase flow in porous media is important in many natural and industrial processes, including geologic CO2 sequestration, enhanced oil recovery, and water infiltration into soil. Although it is well known that the wetting properties of porous media can vary drastically depending on the type of media and pore fluids, the effect of wettability on multiphase flow continues to challenge our microscopic and macroscopic descriptions. Here, we study the impact of wettability on viscously unfavorable fluid-fluid displacement in disordered media by means of high-resolution imaging in microfluidic flow cells patterned with vertical posts. By systematically varying the wettability of the flow cell over a wide range of contact angles, we find that increasing the substrate's affinity to the invading fluid results in more efficient displacement of the defending fluid up to a critical wetting transition, beyond which the trend is reversed. We identify the pore-scale mechanisms-cooperative pore filling (increasing displacement efficiency) and corner flow (decreasing displacement efficiency)-responsible for this macroscale behavior, and show that they rely on the inherent 3D nature of interfacial flows, even in quasi-2D media. Our results demonstrate the powerful control of wettability on multiphase flow in porous media, and show that the markedly different invasion protocols that emerge-from pore filling to postbridging-are determined by physical mechanisms that are missing from current pore-scale and continuum-scale descriptions.
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