Improvement of surfactant flooding performance by application of nanoparticles in sandstone reservoirs

Chemical materials such as alkaline, surfactants, and polymers are widely used for the chemical EOR to reduce the trapped oil saturation in the reservoirs. Parameters such as surfactant adsorption and surfactant loss affect the performance of the mentioned EOR method. In this paper an attempt is made to enhance the performance of the surfactant flooding by application of nanoparticles. A series of core flooding tests were completed for sandstone core samples under reservoir conditions to study the effect of a novel application of nanoparticles to alter the properties of the surfactant in chemical flooding EOR processes. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is widely used for the EOR approach. Silica nanoparticles were used to change the surfactant adsorption on the rock surfaces. The results showed that the addition of hydrophilic nanoparticles reduces the surfactant adsorption on the rock and improves the performance of the surfactant flooding which increases the oil recovery.