This paper reviews the basic research means for oilfield development and also the researches and tests of enhanced oil recovery(EOR)methods for mature oilfields and continental shale oil development,analyzes the probl...This paper reviews the basic research means for oilfield development and also the researches and tests of enhanced oil recovery(EOR)methods for mature oilfields and continental shale oil development,analyzes the problems of EOR methods,and proposes the relevant research prospects.The basic research means for oilfield development include in-situ acquisition of formation rock/fluid samples and non-destructive testing.The EOR methods for conventional and shale oil development are classified as improved water flooding(e.g.nano-water flooding),chemical flooding(e.g.low-concentration middle-phase micro-emulsion flooding),gas flooding(e.g.micro/nano bubble flooding),thermal recovery(e.g.air injection thermal-aided miscible flooding),and multi-cluster uniform fracturing/water-free fracturing,which are discussed in this paper for their mechanisms,approaches,and key technique researches and field tests.These methods have been studied with remarkable progress,and some achieved ideal results in field tests.Nonetheless,some problems still exist,such as inadequate research on mechanisms,imperfect matching technologies,and incomplete industrial chains.It is proposed to further strengthen the basic researches and expand the field tests,thereby driving the formation,promotion and application of new technologies.展开更多
Polymer microspheres(PMs),such as polyacrylamide,have been widely applied for enhanced oil recovery(EOR),yet with environmental concerns.Here,we report a microfluid displacement technology containing a bio-based eco-f...Polymer microspheres(PMs),such as polyacrylamide,have been widely applied for enhanced oil recovery(EOR),yet with environmental concerns.Here,we report a microfluid displacement technology containing a bio-based eco-friendly material,i.e.,calcium alginate(CaAlg)microspheres for EOR.Two dominant mechanisms responsible for EOR over Ca Alg fluid have been verified,including the microscopic oil displacement efficacy augmented by regulating capillary force(determined by the joint action of interfacial tension and wettability between different phases)and macroscopic sweep volume increment through profile control and mobility ratio reduction.This comprehensive effectiveness can be further impacted when the CaAlg microsphere is embellished ulteriorly by using appropriate amount of sodium dodecyl sulfonate(SDS).The core flooding and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)tests demonstrate that CaAlg-SDS microsphere can balance the interphase property regulation(wettability alteration and IFT reduction)and rheology properties,enabling simultaneous profile control and oil displacement.Excessive introduction of SDS will have a negative impact on rheological properties,which is not favored for EOR.Our results show that the involvement of 4-m M SDS will provide the best behavior,with an EOR rate of 34.38%.This cost-effective and environmentally-friendly bio-microspherebased microfluidic displacement technology is expected to achieve“green”oil recovery in future oilfield exploitation.展开更多
Reservoir wettability plays an important role in various oil recovery processes.The origin and evolution of reservoir wettability were critically reviewed to better understand the complexity of wettability due to inte...Reservoir wettability plays an important role in various oil recovery processes.The origin and evolution of reservoir wettability were critically reviewed to better understand the complexity of wettability due to interactions in crude oil-brine-rock system,with introduction of different wetting states and their influence on fluid distribution in pore spaces.The effect of wettability on oil recovery of waterflooding was then summarized from past and recent research to emphasize the importance of wettability in oil displacement by brine.The mechanism of wettability alteration by different surfactants in both carbonate and sandstone reservoirs was analyzed,concerning their distinct surface chemistry,and different interaction patterns of surfactants with components on rock surface.Other concerns such as the combined effect of wettability alteration and interfacial tension （IFT） reduction on the imbibition process was also taken into account.Generally,surfactant induced wettability alteration for enhanced oil recovery is still in the stage of laboratory investigation.The successful application of this technique relies on a comprehensive survey of target reservoir conditions,and could be expected especially in low permeability fractured reservoirs and forced imbibition process.展开更多
Steam flooding with the assistance of carbon dioxide (CO_(2)) and chemicals is an effective approach for enhancing super heavy oil recovery. However, the promotion and application of CO_(2) and chemical agent-assisted...Steam flooding with the assistance of carbon dioxide (CO_(2)) and chemicals is an effective approach for enhancing super heavy oil recovery. However, the promotion and application of CO_(2) and chemical agent-assisted steam flooding technology have been restricted by the current lack of research on the synergistic effect of CO_(2) and chemical agents on enhanced steam flooding heat transfer. The novel experiments on CO_(2)–chemicals cooperate affected steam condensation and seepage were conducted by adding CO_(2) and two chemicals (sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the betaine temperature-salt resistant foaming agent ZK-05200).According to the experimental findings, a “film” formed on the heat-transfer medium surface following the co-injection of CO_(2) and the chemical to impede the steam heat transfer, reducing the heat transfer efficiency of steam, heat flux and condensation heat transfer coefficient. The steam seepage experiment revealed that the temperature at the back end of the sandpack model was dramatically raised by 3.5–12.8 °C by adding CO_(2) and chemical agents, achieving the goal of driving deep-formation heavy oil. The combined effect of CO_(2) and SDS was the most effective for improving steam heat transfer, the steam heat loss was reduced by 6.2%, the steam condensation cycle was prolonged by 1.3 times, the condensation heat transfer coefficient was decreased by 15.5%, and the heavy oil recovery was enhanced by 9.82%. Theoretical recommendations are offered in this study for improving the CO_(2)–chemical-assisted steam flooding technique.展开更多
Solvents are generally used to reduce the viscosity of heavy crude oil and ultimately enhance oil recovery.Recently,a new method has been introduced where nanoparticles(NPs)are exploited to induce enhanced oil recover...Solvents are generally used to reduce the viscosity of heavy crude oil and ultimately enhance oil recovery.Recently,a new method has been introduced where nanoparticles(NPs)are exploited to induce enhanced oil recovery owing to their ability to improve the mobility ratio,dampen the interfacial tension,and alter rock wett-ability.This study investigated the integration of nano-alumina(Al_(2)O_(3))NPs with an n-hexane solvent.In parti-cular,a Brookfield viscometer has been used to measure the crude oil viscosity and it has been found that NPs can effectively lead to a significant decrease in the overall oil viscosity(70 cp using the solvent only,45 cp when NPs are added).展开更多
Taking reservoir rocks and fluids of the Daqing,Dagang and Changqing oilfields as research objects,the EOR mechanisms and technical approach of polymer flooding were discussed.By comparing the displacement performance...Taking reservoir rocks and fluids of the Daqing,Dagang and Changqing oilfields as research objects,the EOR mechanisms and technical approach of polymer flooding were discussed.By comparing the displacement performances of ordinary polymer,glycerol,polymer in"sheet-net"structure and heterogeneous weak gel at the same viscosity and concentration,the relationship between the viscosity of polymer displacement agents and displacement performance was demonstrated,and the method of improving polymer flooding effect was worked out.The main mechanism of polymer flooding to increase oil recovery is the swept volume expansion of water injection due to polymer retention in porous media.The viscosity of polymer agents has no positive correlation with polymer flooding effect.Although polymer of"sheet-net"structure has strong capacity in increasing viscosity,it has poor compatibility with pore throat structure of reservoir rock,low injectivity and low shear resistance.Heterogeneous weak gel system has higher adsorption and capture capacity in porous media,which is easy to retain in porous media,and can effectively establish seepage resistance in high permeability layers(zones).Compared with polymer solutions with the same viscosity or concentration,it has stronger ability to expand swept volume.Long term injection of polymer flooding agents will inevitably lead to fluid entry profile reversal,and thus worsening of polymer flooding effect.Alternate injection of high retention and low or non-retention displacement agents can further improve the displacement effect of polymer flooding agents.展开更多
Surfactant-based oil recovery processes are employed to lower the interfacial tension in immiscible displacement processes,change the wettability of rock to a more water-wet system and emulsify the oil to displace it ...Surfactant-based oil recovery processes are employed to lower the interfacial tension in immiscible displacement processes,change the wettability of rock to a more water-wet system and emulsify the oil to displace it in subsurface porous media.Furthermore,these phenomena can reduce the capillary pressure and enhance spontaneous imbibition.The key factors affecting such immiscible displacement process are temperature,salinity and p H of the fluids,surfactant concentration and adsorption.Therefore,before any surfactant flooding process is applied,extensive studies of fluid-fluid and rock-fluid interactions are needed.The use of other chemicals along with surfactants in chemical enhanced oil recovery(c EOR)processes have been widely considered to exploit the synergy of individual chemicals and complement the weakness arises from each of them during immiscible displacement of fluids in porous media.Therefore,such combinations of chemicals lead to alkaline-surfactant(AS),surfactantpolymer(SP),alkaline-surfactant-polymer(ASP),and nanoparticle-surfactant(NS)flooding processes,among others.In this review study,we categorised the role and displacement mechanisms of surfactants and discussed the key factors to be considered for analysing the fluid displacement in porous media.展开更多
This article deals with the strategic significance of developing enhanced oil recovery technology, its current research situation, developing trend and the related important problems in science and technology.
Gravity assistance is a critical factor influencing CO_(2)-Oil mixing and miscible flow during EOR and CO_(2)geological storage.Based on the Navier-Stokes equation,component mass conservation equation,and fluid proper...Gravity assistance is a critical factor influencing CO_(2)-Oil mixing and miscible flow during EOR and CO_(2)geological storage.Based on the Navier-Stokes equation,component mass conservation equation,and fluid property-composition relationship,a mathematical model for pore-scale CO_(2) injection in oilsaturated porous media was developed in this study.The model can reflect the effects of gravity assistance,component diffusion,fluid density variation,and velocity change on EOR and CO_(2) storage.For nonhomogeneous porous media,the gravity influence and large density difference help to minimize the velocity difference between the main flow path and the surrounding area,thus improving the oil recovery and CO_(2) storage.Large CO_(2) injection angles and oil-CO_(2) density differences can increase the oil recovery by 22.6% and 4.2%,respectively,and increase CO_(2) storage by 37.9% and 4.7%,respectively.Component diffusion facilitates the transportation of the oil components from the low-velocity region to the main flow path,thereby reducing the oil/CO_(2) concentration difference within the porous media.Component diffusion can increase oil recovery and CO_(2) storage by 5.7% and 6.9%,respectively.In addition,combined with the component diffusion,a low CO_(2) injection rate creates a more uniform spatial distribution of the oil/CO_(2) component,resulting in increases of 9.5% oil recovery and 15.7% CO_(2) storage,respectively.This study provides theoretical support for improving the geological CO_(2) storage and EOR processes.展开更多
The development of fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs is extremely difficult because of the complex fractured-vuggy structure and strong heterogeneity.Foam flooding is a potential enhanced oil recovery(EOR)technolog...The development of fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs is extremely difficult because of the complex fractured-vuggy structure and strong heterogeneity.Foam flooding is a potential enhanced oil recovery(EOR)technology in fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs.Based on the similarity criterion,three types of 2D visual physical models of the fractured-vuggy structure were made by laser ablation technique,and a 3D visual physical model of the fractured-vuggy reservoir was made by 3D printing technology.Then the physical analog experiments of foam flooding were carried out in these models.The experimental results show that foam can effectively improve the mobility ratio,control the flow velocity of the fluid in different directions,and sweep complex fracture networks.The effect of foam flooding in fractures can be improved by increasing foam strength and enhancing foam stability.The effect of foam flooding in vugs can be improved by reducing the density of the foam and the interfacial tension between foam and oil.Three types of microscopic residual oil and three types of macroscopic residual oil can be displaced by foam flooding.This study verifies the EOR of foam flooding in the fractured-vuggy reservoir and provides theoretical support for the application of foam flooding in fractured-vuggy reservoirs.展开更多
The main advantages of the use of ionic liquids in enhanced oil recovery are their tunability and stability in harsh environmental conditions. In this work, a comprehensive review of ionic liquids proposed to improve ...The main advantages of the use of ionic liquids in enhanced oil recovery are their tunability and stability in harsh environmental conditions. In this work, a comprehensive review of ionic liquids proposed to improve current chemical oil recovery methods has been presented, focusing on core flooding experiments. With an almost infinite number of possible ionic liquids, the amount of experiments carried out up to now has been very limited. However, results are promising, with additional recovery after secondary flooding of up to 32% of the original oil in place. Most formulations with ionic liquids have been proposed for sandstone reservoirs, the number of studies with carbonate cores being very scarce. The possibilities of a new room temperature surface active ionic liquid, 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium triflate,for this application were analyzed. It was shown that it is able to drastically reduce the water/oil interfacial tension. An optimized formulation was proposed for carbonate reservoirs. After secondary flooding with brine, an additional recovery of 10.5% of original oil in place was achieved at room conditions. A combination of the proposed method followed by a polymer flooding step with polyacrylamide led to a lesser but still significant recovery, reducing the costs associated to the ionic liquid.展开更多
基金Supported by the PetroChina Science and Technology Major Project(2023ZZ04,2023ZZ08)。
文摘This paper reviews the basic research means for oilfield development and also the researches and tests of enhanced oil recovery(EOR)methods for mature oilfields and continental shale oil development,analyzes the problems of EOR methods,and proposes the relevant research prospects.The basic research means for oilfield development include in-situ acquisition of formation rock/fluid samples and non-destructive testing.The EOR methods for conventional and shale oil development are classified as improved water flooding(e.g.nano-water flooding),chemical flooding(e.g.low-concentration middle-phase micro-emulsion flooding),gas flooding(e.g.micro/nano bubble flooding),thermal recovery(e.g.air injection thermal-aided miscible flooding),and multi-cluster uniform fracturing/water-free fracturing,which are discussed in this paper for their mechanisms,approaches,and key technique researches and field tests.These methods have been studied with remarkable progress,and some achieved ideal results in field tests.Nonetheless,some problems still exist,such as inadequate research on mechanisms,imperfect matching technologies,and incomplete industrial chains.It is proposed to further strengthen the basic researches and expand the field tests,thereby driving the formation,promotion and application of new technologies.
基金supported by the Open Fund of Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Advanced Stimulation Technology for Oil&Gas Reservoirs(No.KFJJ-TZ-2020-2)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52104030)+1 种基金the Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi(No.2022 KW-35)the China Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities。
文摘Polymer microspheres(PMs),such as polyacrylamide,have been widely applied for enhanced oil recovery(EOR),yet with environmental concerns.Here,we report a microfluid displacement technology containing a bio-based eco-friendly material,i.e.,calcium alginate(CaAlg)microspheres for EOR.Two dominant mechanisms responsible for EOR over Ca Alg fluid have been verified,including the microscopic oil displacement efficacy augmented by regulating capillary force(determined by the joint action of interfacial tension and wettability between different phases)and macroscopic sweep volume increment through profile control and mobility ratio reduction.This comprehensive effectiveness can be further impacted when the CaAlg microsphere is embellished ulteriorly by using appropriate amount of sodium dodecyl sulfonate(SDS).The core flooding and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)tests demonstrate that CaAlg-SDS microsphere can balance the interphase property regulation(wettability alteration and IFT reduction)and rheology properties,enabling simultaneous profile control and oil displacement.Excessive introduction of SDS will have a negative impact on rheological properties,which is not favored for EOR.Our results show that the involvement of 4-m M SDS will provide the best behavior,with an EOR rate of 34.38%.This cost-effective and environmentally-friendly bio-microspherebased microfluidic displacement technology is expected to achieve“green”oil recovery in future oilfield exploitation.
文摘Reservoir wettability plays an important role in various oil recovery processes.The origin and evolution of reservoir wettability were critically reviewed to better understand the complexity of wettability due to interactions in crude oil-brine-rock system,with introduction of different wetting states and their influence on fluid distribution in pore spaces.The effect of wettability on oil recovery of waterflooding was then summarized from past and recent research to emphasize the importance of wettability in oil displacement by brine.The mechanism of wettability alteration by different surfactants in both carbonate and sandstone reservoirs was analyzed,concerning their distinct surface chemistry,and different interaction patterns of surfactants with components on rock surface.Other concerns such as the combined effect of wettability alteration and interfacial tension （IFT） reduction on the imbibition process was also taken into account.Generally,surfactant induced wettability alteration for enhanced oil recovery is still in the stage of laboratory investigation.The successful application of this technique relies on a comprehensive survey of target reservoir conditions,and could be expected especially in low permeability fractured reservoirs and forced imbibition process.
基金financial support of the National Nature Science Foundation of China(Grant No.U20B6003)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province,China(ZR2020QE106).
文摘Steam flooding with the assistance of carbon dioxide (CO_(2)) and chemicals is an effective approach for enhancing super heavy oil recovery. However, the promotion and application of CO_(2) and chemical agent-assisted steam flooding technology have been restricted by the current lack of research on the synergistic effect of CO_(2) and chemical agents on enhanced steam flooding heat transfer. The novel experiments on CO_(2)–chemicals cooperate affected steam condensation and seepage were conducted by adding CO_(2) and two chemicals (sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the betaine temperature-salt resistant foaming agent ZK-05200).According to the experimental findings, a “film” formed on the heat-transfer medium surface following the co-injection of CO_(2) and the chemical to impede the steam heat transfer, reducing the heat transfer efficiency of steam, heat flux and condensation heat transfer coefficient. The steam seepage experiment revealed that the temperature at the back end of the sandpack model was dramatically raised by 3.5–12.8 °C by adding CO_(2) and chemical agents, achieving the goal of driving deep-formation heavy oil. The combined effect of CO_(2) and SDS was the most effective for improving steam heat transfer, the steam heat loss was reduced by 6.2%, the steam condensation cycle was prolonged by 1.3 times, the condensation heat transfer coefficient was decreased by 15.5%, and the heavy oil recovery was enhanced by 9.82%. Theoretical recommendations are offered in this study for improving the CO_(2)–chemical-assisted steam flooding technique.
文摘Solvents are generally used to reduce the viscosity of heavy crude oil and ultimately enhance oil recovery.Recently,a new method has been introduced where nanoparticles(NPs)are exploited to induce enhanced oil recovery owing to their ability to improve the mobility ratio,dampen the interfacial tension,and alter rock wett-ability.This study investigated the integration of nano-alumina(Al_(2)O_(3))NPs with an n-hexane solvent.In parti-cular,a Brookfield viscometer has been used to measure the crude oil viscosity and it has been found that NPs can effectively lead to a significant decrease in the overall oil viscosity(70 cp using the solvent only,45 cp when NPs are added).
基金Supported by the National Major Special Project of Oil and Gas During the 13th Five-Year Plan Period(NO.2016ZX05058-003-010)General Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China(NO.51574086)Postdoctoral Innovative Talent Support Program of China(NO.BX20190065)。
文摘Taking reservoir rocks and fluids of the Daqing,Dagang and Changqing oilfields as research objects,the EOR mechanisms and technical approach of polymer flooding were discussed.By comparing the displacement performances of ordinary polymer,glycerol,polymer in"sheet-net"structure and heterogeneous weak gel at the same viscosity and concentration,the relationship between the viscosity of polymer displacement agents and displacement performance was demonstrated,and the method of improving polymer flooding effect was worked out.The main mechanism of polymer flooding to increase oil recovery is the swept volume expansion of water injection due to polymer retention in porous media.The viscosity of polymer agents has no positive correlation with polymer flooding effect.Although polymer of"sheet-net"structure has strong capacity in increasing viscosity,it has poor compatibility with pore throat structure of reservoir rock,low injectivity and low shear resistance.Heterogeneous weak gel system has higher adsorption and capture capacity in porous media,which is easy to retain in porous media,and can effectively establish seepage resistance in high permeability layers(zones).Compared with polymer solutions with the same viscosity or concentration,it has stronger ability to expand swept volume.Long term injection of polymer flooding agents will inevitably lead to fluid entry profile reversal,and thus worsening of polymer flooding effect.Alternate injection of high retention and low or non-retention displacement agents can further improve the displacement effect of polymer flooding agents.
基金the Faculty of Engineering University of Khartoum,Sudan,for the financial support of his studies at the University of Aberdeen
文摘Surfactant-based oil recovery processes are employed to lower the interfacial tension in immiscible displacement processes,change the wettability of rock to a more water-wet system and emulsify the oil to displace it in subsurface porous media.Furthermore,these phenomena can reduce the capillary pressure and enhance spontaneous imbibition.The key factors affecting such immiscible displacement process are temperature,salinity and p H of the fluids,surfactant concentration and adsorption.Therefore,before any surfactant flooding process is applied,extensive studies of fluid-fluid and rock-fluid interactions are needed.The use of other chemicals along with surfactants in chemical enhanced oil recovery(c EOR)processes have been widely considered to exploit the synergy of individual chemicals and complement the weakness arises from each of them during immiscible displacement of fluids in porous media.Therefore,such combinations of chemicals lead to alkaline-surfactant(AS),surfactantpolymer(SP),alkaline-surfactant-polymer(ASP),and nanoparticle-surfactant(NS)flooding processes,among others.In this review study,we categorised the role and displacement mechanisms of surfactants and discussed the key factors to be considered for analysing the fluid displacement in porous media.
文摘This article deals with the strategic significance of developing enhanced oil recovery technology, its current research situation, developing trend and the related important problems in science and technology.
基金The project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51991364,51974347)the Major Scientific and Technological Projects of CNPC under Grant ZD2019-184-002。
文摘Gravity assistance is a critical factor influencing CO_(2)-Oil mixing and miscible flow during EOR and CO_(2)geological storage.Based on the Navier-Stokes equation,component mass conservation equation,and fluid property-composition relationship,a mathematical model for pore-scale CO_(2) injection in oilsaturated porous media was developed in this study.The model can reflect the effects of gravity assistance,component diffusion,fluid density variation,and velocity change on EOR and CO_(2) storage.For nonhomogeneous porous media,the gravity influence and large density difference help to minimize the velocity difference between the main flow path and the surrounding area,thus improving the oil recovery and CO_(2) storage.Large CO_(2) injection angles and oil-CO_(2) density differences can increase the oil recovery by 22.6% and 4.2%,respectively,and increase CO_(2) storage by 37.9% and 4.7%,respectively.Component diffusion facilitates the transportation of the oil components from the low-velocity region to the main flow path,thereby reducing the oil/CO_(2) concentration difference within the porous media.Component diffusion can increase oil recovery and CO_(2) storage by 5.7% and 6.9%,respectively.In addition,combined with the component diffusion,a low CO_(2) injection rate creates a more uniform spatial distribution of the oil/CO_(2) component,resulting in increases of 9.5% oil recovery and 15.7% CO_(2) storage,respectively.This study provides theoretical support for improving the geological CO_(2) storage and EOR processes.
基金supported by Project of Sinopec Northwest Oilfield Company(Grant No.202108ZB0046).
文摘The development of fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs is extremely difficult because of the complex fractured-vuggy structure and strong heterogeneity.Foam flooding is a potential enhanced oil recovery(EOR)technology in fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs.Based on the similarity criterion,three types of 2D visual physical models of the fractured-vuggy structure were made by laser ablation technique,and a 3D visual physical model of the fractured-vuggy reservoir was made by 3D printing technology.Then the physical analog experiments of foam flooding were carried out in these models.The experimental results show that foam can effectively improve the mobility ratio,control the flow velocity of the fluid in different directions,and sweep complex fracture networks.The effect of foam flooding in fractures can be improved by increasing foam strength and enhancing foam stability.The effect of foam flooding in vugs can be improved by reducing the density of the foam and the interfacial tension between foam and oil.Three types of microscopic residual oil and three types of macroscopic residual oil can be displaced by foam flooding.This study verifies the EOR of foam flooding in the fractured-vuggy reservoir and provides theoretical support for the application of foam flooding in fractured-vuggy reservoirs.
基金the Ministry of Science and Innovation and State Research Agency for financial support throughout project PGC2018-097342-B-I00, including European Regional Development Fund。
文摘The main advantages of the use of ionic liquids in enhanced oil recovery are their tunability and stability in harsh environmental conditions. In this work, a comprehensive review of ionic liquids proposed to improve current chemical oil recovery methods has been presented, focusing on core flooding experiments. With an almost infinite number of possible ionic liquids, the amount of experiments carried out up to now has been very limited. However, results are promising, with additional recovery after secondary flooding of up to 32% of the original oil in place. Most formulations with ionic liquids have been proposed for sandstone reservoirs, the number of studies with carbonate cores being very scarce. The possibilities of a new room temperature surface active ionic liquid, 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium triflate,for this application were analyzed. It was shown that it is able to drastically reduce the water/oil interfacial tension. An optimized formulation was proposed for carbonate reservoirs. After secondary flooding with brine, an additional recovery of 10.5% of original oil in place was achieved at room conditions. A combination of the proposed method followed by a polymer flooding step with polyacrylamide led to a lesser but still significant recovery, reducing the costs associated to the ionic liquid.
