Experimental Study On Rheological Properties Of Mixtures Of Silica Nanoparticles And Wormlike Micelles

Abstract

This study explored potential applications of a mixtures of nanoparticles and wormlike micelles as a chemica flooding agent in a specific Bohai Bay Oilfield. Sample preparations were carried out, based on two different zwitterionic surfactants cetylamidopropyl hydroxypropyl sulfobetaine and tetradecyl propyl sulfobetaine. A wormlike micelle which can significantly improve the viscosity in simulatated injected water was prepared, and a nanoparticle wormlike micelle was formed by directly introducing nano silica solid. The results of transmission electron microscope showed that the formation of long cetylamidopropyl hydroxypropyl sulfobetaine/tetradecyl propyl sulfobetaine composite wormlike micelles endowed the water phase with high viscosity. By adjusting the amount of surfactant in the range of 0.2 ∼ 0.5 wt%, the water phase viscosity can be controlled between 10 50 mPa·s. This work provided insights either in developing a new high-efficiency oil displacement agent, or offering a new idea for the rheological study on wormlike micelle agents.

Keywords

• oil displacement
• wormlike micelle
• nanoparticle
• rheological properties
• chemical flooding