PHYSICO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPOSITE FOAMS BASED ON SURFACTANTS AND NANOPARTICLES AND THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN INCREASING OIL RECOVERY

Despite a significant amount of research on the effect of nanoparticles on the stability of gas foams and the coefficient of reduced mobility (MRF), there are no uniform recommendations in the literature on the optimal range of nanoparticle concentrations, taking into account a set of reservoir parameters, including temperature, pressure, core permeability and salinity of reservoir fluids. In addition, the effect of nanostabilized foams on oil displacement processes and interaction with the oil phase has not been sufficiently studied, and on the scale of real deposits, the effectiveness of nanofoams (NAF) at various levels of reservoir heterogeneity has not been practically performed. The present study aims to address these gaps through a combination of laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. The paper presents the results of a comprehensive study of the physico-chemical characteristics of composite systems based on surfactants and silicon dioxide nanoparticles, aimed at increasing the stability of gas foams used in oil recovery enhancement processes. It has been shown that traditional surfactant foams exhibit limited stability at high temperatures, pressures, and mineralization, which significantly reduces their effectiveness in real formations. To solve this problem, the effect of SiO₂ nanoparticles on the interfacial properties of such systems, including anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactants, has been studied. Based on experimental data, modifying coefficients for the foam half-life and MRF have been determined, which are integrated into the simulation model of oil displacement. Numerical modeling has shown a significant increase in reservoir coverage and delayed gas breakthrough when using nanocomposite foams, especially in conditions of high heterogeneity. The results obtained confirm the prospects of nanostabilized foams as effective MUN agents and substantiate their use to increase oil recovery in complex fields.

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