Preparation of Modified Colloidal Gas Aphrons and Analysis of the Oil Displacement Effect

Abstract

Colloidal gas aphrons (CGAs) offer some advantages in improving oil recovery, but resin and asphaltene deposition problems still occur in CGA flooding. Based on this phenomenon, a new modified colloidal foam system is developed by incorporating a modifier in CGA preparation. The results indicate that the modified CGAs prepared by adding foaming agent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) (concentration: 5 g/L) and GXJ-C (a CGAs modifier from a light fraction of petroleum; concentration: 0.1 g/L) attained the best performance. Oil displacement experiments show that modified CGA flooding had a better effect than water or CGA flooding. There are two important mechanisms via which modified CGAs enhance oil recovery, including decreasing the interfacial tension and enhancing the heavy components in the recovered oil. The developed modified CGA system attained a good oil displacement effect, which is of guiding significance to further improve the oil displacement efficiency and application of foam flooding.