Physicochemical properties of sulfonated fatty acid esters for oil recovery by surfactant flooding

• Published in: Colloids and surfaces Vol. 52; no. 3-4; pp. 301 - 313
• Main Authors: Bavière, Marc, Bazin, Brigitte, Miléo, Jean-Claude
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 1991; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products; Crude oil, natural gas, oil shales producing equipements and methods; Energy; Enhanced oil recovery methods; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; Prospecting and production of crude oil, natural gas, oil shales and tar sands; Interface tension; Enhanced recovery; Chemical stability; Brine; Surfactant; Fatty acids; Sulfonic acid; Hydrolysis; Ester; Adsorption; Electrolyte; Reservoir water; PH; Kaolinite; Chemical properties; Fluid injection; Micellar solution
• ISSN: 0166-6622; 1873-4340
• DOI: 10.1016/0166-6622(91)80023-H

Many oil reservoirs targeted for micellar flooding contain a medium to high salinity brine, especially in the North Sea area. Such environments require well suited surfactants, not only from the standpoint of interfacial efficiency, i.e. lowering of brine/oil interfacial tension, but also with regard to chemical stability and adsorption behavior. These properties are investigated here for alpha-sulfonated fatty acid esters. Interfacial efficiency, mostly expressed in terms of solubilization parameters, is satisfactory at salinities ranging from 15 to > 150 gl −1 electrolytes. The effect of the length of the hydrophobic chain of the surfactant and the alcohol group is discussed, as well as the influence of the cosolvent. Owing to their chemical structure, these surfactants are subject to hydrolysis, which increases rapidly above 50°C. The pH-sensitivity of the reaction is much less pronounced around neutrality. Adsorbed amounts of surfactant on kaolinite are correlated with alkyl and alcohol chain length and salinity. The influence of electrolytes cannot be explained by the ionic strength alone.