Improving oil recovery in the CO2flooding process by utilizing nonpolar chemical modifiers
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Yang, Yong; Li, Xiangliang; Guo, Ping; Zhuo, Yayun; Sha, Yong
- Source
- Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering; May 2016, Vol. 24 Issue: 5 p646-650, 5p
- Subject
- Language
- ISSN
- 10049541
By means of experiments of CO2miscibility with crude oil, four nonpolar chemicals were evaluated in order to enhance the miscibility of CO2with crude oil. Through pre-slug injection and joint injection of toluene in CO2, crude oil displacement experiments in the slim-tube were conducted to investigate effects of the toluene-enhanced CO2flooding under simulated subterranean reservoir conditions. Experimental results showed that toluene can enhance extraction of oil into CO2and dissolution of CO2into oil with the increment of 251% and 64% respectively. Addition of toluene can obviously improve the oil recovery in either pre-slug injection or joint injection, and the crude oil recovery increased with the increase of the toluene concentration. The oil recovery can increase by 22.5% in pre-slug injection with the high toluene concentration. Pre-slug injection was recommended because it can consume less toluene than joint injection. This work could be useful to development and application of the CO2flooding in the oil recovery as well as CO2emission reduction.