Wettability effects on Bandera Gray Sandstone using biosurfactants

Ukwungwu, SV; Abbas, AJ; Nasr, GG; Allison, H; Goodman, S

Abstract

Despite the growing demand for sustainable technologies that enhance residual oil recovery, the environmental and cost benefits of Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) have favoured an increased research that is utilising a biosurfactant for oil recovery. In this study, three produced biosurfactants were investigated, and compared, which resulted in different impacts on the IFT and wettability. A secreted, extracellular biosurfactant produced by BS 2 reduced the IFT from 56.95 to 4.49 mN/m, BS 3 to 6.69 mN/m and BS 1 to 10.94 mN/m. The spent culture medium changed the wettability of the grains to both water-wet and intermediate-wet state. The findings prove the suitability of the biosurfactants for an effective EOR and as a biosurfactant preference in sandstone reservoirs.

Citation

Ukwungwu, S., Abbas, A., Nasr, G., Allison, H., & Goodman, S. (2017). Wettability effects on Bandera Gray Sandstone using biosurfactants. Journal of Engineering Technology, 6(2),

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 30, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Jul 1, 2017
• Publication Date: Jul 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: May 3, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: May 31, 2017
• Journal: Journal of Engineering Technology
• Print ISSN: 0747-9964
• Publisher: American Society for Engineering Education
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 2
• Publisher URL: http://www.joetsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Vol.-62-47-2017.pdf
• Related Public URLs: http://www.joetsite.com/