Response of crude oil deposited organic layers to brines of different salinity: An atomic force microscopy study on carbonate surfaces

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) Vol. 302; p. 121129
• Main Authors: Kumar, Saravana, Rao, Ashit, Alotaibi, Mohammed B., Ayirala, Subhash C., Yousef, Ali A., Siretanu, Igor, Mugele, Frieder
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15.10.2021; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Aging; Atomic force microscopy; Brines; Calcite; Crude oil; Improved oil recovery; Low-salinity effect; Microscopes; Microscopy; Oil; Oil recovery; Organic materials; Polyaromatic hydrocarbons; Salinity; Salinity effects; Salting; Salting-out effects; Stiffness; Wetting; Atomic force microscopy; Salting-out effects; Improved oil recovery; Low-salinity effect; Polyaromatic hydrocarbons
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2021.121129

•A thick organic layer forms a protective coating on the calcite surfaces undergone crude oil aging.•The organic layer protects the calcite surface from mineral dissolution in high-salinity brines.•In low-salinity brines, the organic layer swell and desorb.•The salinity dependent response of organic layers is explained in terms of salting-out effects. The various microscopic processes that take place during enhanced oil-recovery upon injecting low salinity brines are quite complex, particularly for carbonate reservoirs. In this study, we characterize the in-situ microscopic responses of the organic layers deposited on flat Iceland spar calcite surface to brines of different salinity using Atomic force Microscopy (AFM). Organic layers were deposited from crude oil at the end of a two-step aging procedure. AFM topography images reveal that the organic layers remain stable in high-salinity brines and desorb upon exposure to low-salinity brines. In addition, the organic layers swell in low-salinity brines, and the stiffness of the organic layers is found to directly proportional to the brine salinity. These observations are explained in terms of ‘salting-out’ effects, where the affinity of organic layers to solvent molecules increases upon reducing the brine salinity. The swelling and desorption of organic materials provide access for the brine to mineral surface causing dissolution and change in wetting properties of the surface. Our results show the significance of de-stabilizing the organic layer on rock surfaces in order to design any successful improved oil recovery (IOR) strategy.