Correlation of Emulsion Stability With Phase Behavior in Surfactant Systems for Tertiary Oil Recovery

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Abstract
This paper describes a study of the emulsions which could occur during a pilot surfactant flood, such as that conducted by Phillips Petroleum Co. in the North Burbank Unit, Osage County, OK. The phase behavior of this surfactant system can be characterized by three types of microemulsions, with the transition from one type to another being a function of the salinity. The rate at which emulsions coalesce was seen to correlate directly with the type of microemulsion. Coalescence was slow for macroemulsions at low salinities, rapid at intermediate salinities (where the final state was a three-phase system), and varied from slow to rapid at salinities above the three-phase region. Knowledge of the correlation between phase behavior and emulsion stability can be useful in treating macroemulsions produced during a surfactant flood.

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