A Comparison of Different Nanoparticles’ Effect on Fine Migration by Low Salinity Water Injection for Oil Recovery: Introducing an Optimum Condition

Abstract

Today, enhance oil recovery (EOR) methods are attracting more attention to increase the petroleum production rate. Some EOR methods such as low salinity water flooding can increase the amount of fine migration and sand production in sandstone reservoirs which causes a reduction in permeability and inflict damages on to the reservoir and the production equipment. One of the methods to control fine migration is using nanotechnology. Nanoparticles (NPs) can reduce fine migration by various mechanisms such as reducing the zeta potential of fine particles’ surfaces. In this paper, three NPs including SiO2, MgO, and Al2O3’s effects on controlling fine migration and sand production were investigated in two scenarios of pre-flush and co-injection using sandpack as a porous media sample. When NPs are injected into the porous media sample, the outflow turbidity and zeta potential of particles decrease. Experiments showed that SiO2 has the best effect on controlling fine migration in comparison with other NPs and it could reduce fine migration 69% in pre-flush and 75% in co-injection. Also, MgO and Al2O3 decreased fine migration 65% and 33% in the pre-flush scenario and 49% and 13% in the co-injection scenario, respectively.