This paper evaluates the ability of different groups of surfactants to improve oil recovery in unconventional liquid reservoirs (ULRs) by experimentally simulating the fracture treatment to represent surfactant imbibition in a ULR core fracture during a soaking flowback. The effect of wettability and interfacial tension (IFT) alteration on the process also is analyzed. The results show that the addition of surfactants to completion fluids and the use of a soaking-flowback production scheme could improve oil recovery by wettability alteration and IFT reduction, maximizing well performance after stimulation.
Introduction
An understanding of rock/fluid and fluid/fluid interactions is vital in finding innovative ways to improve oil recovery in ULRs. Wettability controls flow behavior and distribution of the fluids in the reservoir.
