Experimental research of the impact of filtration processes on the dispersity of emulsion systems with nanoparticles

Abstract

Hydrocarbon based emulsions are actively used as technological fluids in the processes of oil and gas wells construction, drilling-in, workover, and in the improved oil recovery methods such as intensification of oil production, water shut-off and others [1, 2]. However, the area of effective application of emulsion compositions is determined by their physical properties. Classical hydrocarbon emulsions have low thermal stability and lose aggregative stability in reservoir conditions, due to the coalescence of globules of the dispersed phase, which leads to a decrease in the technological efficiency of their use in high-temperature formations. The authors of the article propose a modification of the emulsion system by the addition of silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles in order to improve its properties. Previously, the results of experimental studies of thermal stability, which revealed the advantages of modified emulsion system with nanoparticles over classical emulsions were presented. [3]. The comparative analysis of the results of laboratory studies on the emulsion system with nanoparticles dispersity after filtration in porous media using optical microscopy is presented in article. Based on the analysis it was revealed that after filtration in natural rock cores the dispersity of the emulsion system with nanoparticles increased, and that phenomenon might be described by absence of the coalescence in the emulsion, and globules breakdown to smaller size during filtration through the porous media of rock cores from Abdulovskoe and Yugomashevskoe oil-gas fields.