COLL 500 |
| Qiang Xu and William R Rossen. Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, C0300, Austin, TX 78712-1061 |
| The success of surfactant-alternating-gas (SAG) foam processes depends on foam behavior at very low liquid fractional flow fw. Simulation studies of foam SAG processes rely on extrapolating steady-state data taken at much higher values of fw. Unfortunately, radically different results are predicted depending on how these data are extrapolated. Distinguishing between behavior that would lead to process success or failure requires resolving water saturation to better than 0.1%. Fractional-flow curves were obtained for two surfactants at different concentrations in Berea sandstone core with no oil present. One fractional-flow curve repeats previous findings of fractional-flow functions that are not single-valued. Data obtained from laboratory experiments were upscaled using fractional-flow methods to a hypothetical large-scale 1D displacement. The results suggest a successful SAG displacement In this study, average water saturation in the core was determined by weighing the core continuously during the experiment. Advantages and limitations of the technique are discussed. |
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ACS Award in Colloid and Surface Chemistry Symposium Honoring Clay Radke
Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry |