微乳液泡沫驱油技术原理、挑战和研究进展

微乳液驱和泡沫驱是强化采油领域中的两个重要技术,可以分别提高驱油过程的微观和宏观采收率.通过综述两个技术在国内外的发展历史和研究进展,阐明了其优势和局限性,并引出结合两者优势的新型采油技术:微乳液泡沫驱,又称为低张力泡沫驱.虽然此新型技术可以同时提高微观和宏观采收率,但是在实际应用中,仍然面临理论和应用上的双重挑战,如...

Mechanisms, challenges and research advances in microemulsion-foam EOR

Microemulsion and foam floodings are two important technics in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The former one enhances the microscopic oil recovery efficiency, i.e., displacement efficiency, by using surfactant to increase solubilization ratio and decrease oil-water interfacial tension and capillary pressure; the latter one enhances the macroscopic oil recovery efficiency, i.e., sweep efficiency, by using foaming agent to generate foam in reservoir pores for blocking preferential flowing channels and swept zones. The advantages and limitations of two technics are illustrated here through the review of their developments and research advances. Microemulsion-foam flooding, also known as low-tension-foam flooding, that is a novel EOR technic proposed recently, can combine the advantages of the individual method, meanwhile overcome their limitations, ultimately enhance both microscopic and macroscopic oil recovery efficiency. However, there are theoretical and practical challenges for the microemulsion-foam EOR. By reviewing the research advances of this EOR method, the current challenges, potential solutions and research suggestions are discussed in details.