DOI: 10.5176/2251-189X_SEES17.15
Authors: Dana Alkandari, Osamah Alomair, and Maqsood Iqbal
Abstract: Low salinity water flooding is an emerging technology that can improve oil recovery. The attraction is due to its simplicity and relatively low cost. As a matter of fact, the incremental recoveries are in quite promising range of stock tank oil initially in place. Being a natural extension of the conventional water flooding, low salinity water flooding is easier to implement than any other enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods. However, the processes of screening, designing, and implementing of this project require an increase operator capability and management focus compared to the conventional water flooding. The purpose of this work is to study the effect of injected water salinity during waterflooding on oil recovery and Interfacial Tension (IFT). The scope of work is achieved by conducting a series of core flooding experimental. Carbonate cores, different concentrations of water salinity, and oil samples of 30.4 API° are used to conduct the experiments. The study was further expanded to examine the heat effect by verifying temperature between 77 oF to 125 oF. The results showed that oil recovery was significantly increased to 26.47 {6e6090cdd558c53a8bc18225ef4499fead9160abd3419ad4f137e902b483c465} by low-salinity compared to higher salinity brine floods as a result of 11.47 {6e6090cdd558c53a8bc18225ef4499fead9160abd3419ad4f137e902b483c465} decrease in IFT.
Keywords: Oil Recovery, Salinity, Core Flooding
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