Research for the selectiveness of emulsion systems with SiO2 nanoparticles

Abstract

Over the past five years, due to the macroeconomic situation, there have been significant changes in the different industries [1–2]. The main changes concern the optimization of production and the need to increase the efficiency of technological processes [2]. As for Russia, the changes caused significant impact on the oil and gas industry as a whole and led to reduced share of foreign technologies in oil companies’ portfolios. That mainly led to increased demand for domestic technologies and, as a result, to significant increase in the number of research and development (R&D) projects aimed at creating innovative developments and improving existing technologies [3]. But any R&D process in heavy and production industries takes some time: on the average it takes 3–5 years to conduct laboratory, bench and pilot tests for a potential industrial launch after the results have been monitored. At present, the developments of domestic R&D projects launched in 2014–2015 are entering the field trial stage or industrial implementation in Russia with the potential international commercialization [3]. One of such project was launched in 2015 by the authors who were a part of a group of scientists and engineers in the field of colloidal chemistry and the development of oil and gas fields. The goal of the project is to increase the efficiency of physicochemical methods to impact on the oil and gas reservoir, and the main task is to develop innovative and environmental water-blocking agents based on the use of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2) [4–8]. The article presents the results of the experimental research that studied the selectiveness of emulsion systems modified with SiO2 nanoparticles. The method to perform filtration experiments on cores of rocks with different saturation of a porous medium, as well as the method to prepare samples of cores, fluids and process fluids for conducting filtration experiments have been described. The basic filtration-capacitive parameters of the studied objects were determined, the effect of various emulsion systems modified with SiO2 nanoparticles on the permeability of rock cores was revealed. According to the research results it was found that the saturation of rocks is the most important factor for the water-blocking properties of the new emulsion systems modified with SiO2 nanoparticles.

Keywords

• nanoparticles
• silicon dioxide
• emulsion system
• reservoir stimulation
• oil production
• selective treatment