Laboratory Study of Foaming Surfactants as Steam-Diverting Additives

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Abstract
Summary: Steam-foam processes to improve the efficiency of steam stimulation and steamflooding are being developed. The objectives of the laboratory study were to develop a steam-foam surfactant for field testing and to elucidate the mechanisms of steam-foam EOR. More than 50 commercial and experimental surfactants were screened for foamability; some were also screened for thermal stability at steamflood conditions. Results showed that: many sulfonate surfactants have good thermal stability; foam requires constant regeneration to be effective; foamability varies inversely with temperature and directly with gas-phase nitrogen concentration; foamability is adversely affected by brine but is relatively insensitive to foam liquid volume fraction (LVF); and effective foam can be generated at reservoir flow rates. One of our proprietary sulfonates was selected for field testing on the basis of good thermal stability, superior foaming performance, significant reduction of steamflood residual oil saturation, and good solubility characteristics.

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