The Effect of Oil/Brine Ratio on Surfactant Adsorption From Microemulsion

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Abstract
Static adsorption measurements of petroleum sulfonates on crushed Bell Creek and Berea cores were made using fluids with the same active surfactant concentration but varying brine/oil mass ratios. The salinity of the brine was chosen such that a significant three-phase region existed in the oil/brine/surfactant/alcohol system. The surfactant adsorption was found to be independent of the structural and compositions differences among the fluids. A series of oil recovery tests in which middle-phase microemulsions were injected into waterflooded cores also were performed. The cores used in these tests had been treated to remove divalent ions accessible to fluid flow. Microemulsion slugs (1.75 to 146% PV) of equal active surfactant concentration but differing brine/oil mass ratios were injected. The total surfactant retention for this system was also found to be independent of the brine/oil mass ratio.

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