Application of Surfactants in Shale Chemical EOR at High Temperatures

摘要

The goal of this work is to develop surfactant systems that can improve oil flow from shale wells after fracturing or re-fracturing. Surfactants can reduce oil-water interfacial tension and wettability of the shale, which in turn can improve water imbibition, increase oil relative permeability and reduce water blockage at the matrix-fracture interface. Temperature in typical shale reservoirs are high and the surfactants need to be aqueous stable to be effective in these treatments. Mixing two surfactants often gives higher aqueous stability than those of the single surfactants. A large number of surfactants (anionic, non-ionic and cationic) and their blends were studied for aqueous stability, contact angle and spontaneous imbibition. Seven single surfactants and nine surfactant blends were found to be stable in both high and low salinity brines at 125 °C. All aqueous stable blends changed wettability of oil-wet shale to preferentially water-wet in both high and low salinity brines. Seven single surfactants and five surfactant blends were tested for imbibition. Surfactant solutions improved water imbibition to the extent of 20% PV. Surfactant blends improved imbibition more than the single surfactants. Imbibition in cores reached a plateau in about 3 days. Surfactant blends have the potential to be used in low salinity fracturing or refracturing fluids to stimulate shale wells.