Effect of Silicon Carbide on the Surface Tension and Adsorption of SDS on the Sandstone Formation

Oil recovery in modern fields is challenging due to the reservoir complexity and heterogeneity. The need is to improve the efficacy of additives used in oil mobilization under higher pressure, temperature, and salinity conditions. The nanoparticles provide improved and sustainable solutions for improving oil recovery. Silicon carbide nanoparticle exhibits negligible agglomeration and impart higher thermal stability to the displacing fluid for oil mobilization at higher salinity. The SIC nanoparticles are being used in EOR Applications for the first time owing to their adsorption reduction potential and thermal stability at elevated temperatures. The study estimates this nanoparticle's enhanced oil recovery potential using electrical conductivity, surface tension reduction, and crude oil mobilization. The concentration of SDS was varied from zero-4000 ppm and that of SIC from 100 ppm to 300 ppm. The solution's surface tension and critical micelle concentration (CMC) conductivity were measured at elevated temperatures (30°C, 50°C, and 70°C) with and without nanoparticles. The adsorption studies were performed for 72 hours with 10 wt% of sand added to the solution. The loss of surfactant onto the sand was calculated by studying the variation electrical conductivity before and after adsorption. Surface tension reduces from 70.15 to 28.5 mN/m with increasing SDS and nanoparticles concentrations in the solution. The CMC values of the SDS+SIC solution were lower than that of the independent surfactant system, even at higher temperatures of 70°C. SDS adsorption increased from 0.80 to 6.27 mg/g as the surfactant concentration increased up to 4000 ppm. It was reduced by about 10% and 20% for 100 ppm and 200 ppm of the nanoparticles. However, at 300 ppm, the agglomeration of nanoparticles renders them ineffective in controlling adsorption.