Quality control of surfactants for oil and gas extraction intensification

Abstract

The method of express control of the degree of rocks wetting by surfactants solutions and formation fluids while intensification of oil and gas extraction by controlling and regulating the interphase parameters at the formation fluid-rock – surfactant water solution interface in the process of bottom hole zone treatment has been sugggested. The basis of the proposed method is the dependence of the change in the impedance of the capacitive cell, which contains the studied fluids and specimens of the rock, on their wettability properties, which, in turn, determine the rate of dispersion of the solution on the investigated surface. The main informative parameter of the proposed method is the rate of impedance change, which is determined by the angle of inclination of the graphic dependences of the change of impedance in time when the solution of surfactant is being spread on the solid surface. To implement the developed impedance control method, a device was developed and a method of grading the degree of wettability for a comprehensive evaluation of the quality of surfactants and the selection of such surfactants that have the most optimal wetting properties for specifically-taken oil and gas rocks has been developed.