Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-11-2025

Abstract

The oil industry worldwide is searching for a new way to increase oil recovery. Chemical flooding has been used worldwide to improve oil recovery. In this research, the study of Enhanced Oil Recovery was carried out by using an Egyptian oil of API 42◦; the experiments were done by using Xanthan biopolymer (XG) gum with sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) as a composite for the EOR process and studying the impact of different composite concentrations on oil recovery. Design Expert software was used to determine the optimum concentrations of the composite. 500 ppm concentration of graphene cobalt samarium ferrite nanoparticles (NP) was determined to be the optimum concentration based on initial optimization experiments conducted using the Design Expert software. The software evaluated the effects of various nanoparticle concentrations on critical parameters such as interfacial tension (IFT), wettability alteration, and residual resistance factor (RRF). 500 ppm was identified as optimal due to its improvement in wettability alteration and economic feasibility. Rheological experiments further validated this concentration, demonstrating that the optimum concentration determined by the Design Expert significantly improved the mobility ratio, ensuring better sweep efficiency during the enhanced (EOR) process. This research aims to investigate the optimum concentration of the composite to be used with the optimum concentration of graphene cobalt samarium ferrite nanoparticles (NP). The experiments were performed on an unconsolidated sandpack model with 150,000 ppm formation water salinity. The results showed that the optimum concentrations of the surfactant polymer composite are (525 ppm) of (XG) and (3755 ppm) of (SDBS) to be used with a 500 ppm concentration of (NP). This composite increased oil recovery from 81.6 % to 83.3 % by decreasing the interfacial tension and residual resistance factor and altering the rock wettability from weak water wet to strong water wet. This work explores the innovative approaches adopted in the oil industry to enhance oil recovery, mainly through chemical flooding techniques. The research focuses on the application of Xanthan biopolymer (XG) combined with sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) and graphene cobalt samarium ferrite nanoparticles (NP) in the Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) process. The study aims to determine the optimal concentrations of these components to maximize oil recovery from Egyptian oil with an API of 42◦. This research highlights the potential of using a composite of Xanthan biopolymer, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, and graphene cobalt samarium ferrite nanoparticles to enhance oil recovery. The identified optimal concentrations improve recovery rates and offer economic feasibility, making this approach a viable option for the oil industry. Future studies may explore the scalability of these findings and their application in various oil fields worldwide.

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