Study on three phase foam for Enhanced Oil Recovery in extra-low permeability reservoirs

Abstract

Poly (MSt-MMA) nanosphere as foam stabilizing agent was synthesized by emulsion polymerization. The three phase foam was prepared with Disodium 4-Dodecyl-2,4′-Oxydiben Zenesulfonate (DOZS) as foaming agent, Hydrolyzed Polyacrylamide (HPAM) and synthesized poly (MSt-MMA) nanospheres as the mixed foam stabilizing agents. It had outstanding foaming performance and foam stability. The optimal three phase foam system consisting of 0.12 wt% HPAM, 0.04 wt% poly (MSt-MMA) nanospheres and 0.12 wt% DOZS by orthogonal experiment, had high apparent viscosity, which showed that three components had a very good synergistic effect. The three phase foam’s temperature tolerance and salt tolerance were researched in laboratory tests. Flooding oil experiment showed that the average displacement efficiency of three phase foam system was 16.1 wt% in single core experiments and 21.7 wt% in double core experiments. Resistance coefficient of low permeability core was more than those of high permeability core, but their residual resistance coefficients were small. The results of core experiment and pilot test indicated that the three phase foam had good profile control ability and generated low damage to the low permeability layer for extra-low permeability reservoirs. Three phase foam flooding has great prospects for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) in extra-low permeability reservoirs.