A review on chemical flooding methods applied in enhanced oil recovery

• Autor(a) principal: Gurgel, Alexandre
• Data de Publicação: 2008
• Outros Autores: Moura, Maria Carlenise Paiva de Alencar, Dantas, Tereza Neuma de Castro, Barros Neto, Eduardo Lins, Dantas Neto, Afonso Avelino
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFRN
• Texto Completo: https://repositorio.ufrn.br/handle/123456789/45114
• topic: Surfactants; Chemical methods; EOR; Interfacial properties

In spite of the recent worldwide interest for alternative sources of energy, with especial and strategic interest in fuels derived from renewable products, the situation of petroleum in many countries stills drives much concern. Brazil, for example, is continuously advancing in the discovery of novel oil reservoirs and in the devise of potential ways to exploit oil both onshore and offshore. Many research projects are joining industry and university personnel, aiming to improve the technology to enhance oil productivity. In addition to the primary recovery techniques and several physical methods conceived as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods, the development of EOR processes based on operations which involve chemicals is greatly promising, many of which employing surfactants. Knowledge on the interfacial properties between oil, water and solid rock reservoirs, especially under extreme conditions, with occasional presence of natural gas, is important to better implement the EOR method. In view of this, surfactant-based chemical systems have been reported by innumerous academic studies and technological operations throughout the years as potential candidates for EOR activities. In this article, focus is given on recent advances effected by the application of chemical methods in oil recovery