Surfactant Flooding Characteristics of Dodecyl Alkyl Sulfate for Enhanced Oil Recovery through Phase Behavior Analysis

초록

Surfactant flooding characteristics of Dodecyl Alkyl Sulfate solution in brine were examined in Berea sandstone cores. The relationship between the Dodecyl Alkyl Sulfate and specific crude oils was examined through phase behavior test and Gravity Drainage Flooding Test (GDFT). Through phase behavior test, it was found that the branched type surfactant was more effective than the linear type surfactant. It was stable with the salinity of less than 3 wt. %. With adding small amount of co-surfactant the emulsion activity was increased. GDFT was performed to find out the potential of Dodecyl Alkyl Sulfate to produce more oil remained in the reservoir after waterflood. The solution could be flooded at the temperature of 60℃ or higher in the test. In the core flood test, injecting one pore volume of 2 wt. % surfactant solution with 3 wt. % salinity produced 26.6 % more oil after waterflood. With adding only 0.01 wt. % of co-surfactant oil production was increased by 1.6 %. In the core flooding test, contrary to the phase behavior test, the linear type surfactant produced more oil than the branched type surfactant by 1.3 %. Keywords: surfactant flooding, dodecyl alkyl sulfate, phase behavior test, gravity drainage flooding test, enhanced oil recovery