Innovative Water-Blocking Agent Based on High Stable Emulsion with Nanoparticles for IOR Implementation

This article represents the results of the research and development project that has been conducted with the goal to create an innovative and environmental water-blocking agent for the enhancement efficiency of the improved oil recovery methods. The innovation of the developed water-blocking agent lies in the combination of unique physical and chemical properties: high thermal stability (140 °C), improved rheology (viscoplastic properties), outstanding surface activity (regulation of the wettability of rock surface), and selective blocking effect. The key factor to combine all of these properties in one solution is to apply colloidal silicon dioxide nanoparticles with modified surface as a stabilizer and surface-active phase in the emulsion system. Also, a technology on the new water-blocking agent for the effective application in the intensification of oil production (well stimulation, IOP) methods has been developed, and well-tested in the field. For the investigation of the unique properties of the new emulsion systems with colloidal silicon dioxide nanoparticles, different types of laboratory experiments were carried-out, including coreflooding tests on the oilfield cores by using the facility with parallel coreholders for stand modelling of the developed technology in the IOP. The main task of the IOP technology is to redistribute the filtration inflows in the near-wellbore zone by selectively blocking the most permeable water-saturated intervals and to penerate through the less permeable inter-layers of the bottomhole zone by the acid composition.