Stability Investigation of Low-Tension Surfactant Floods

摘要

Classical stability theory can be used to estimate the critical velocity of a miscible flood stabilized by gravity forces. However, stability theory for an ultra-low interfacial tension (IFT) surfactant displacement is not well developed or validated. In this paper, a method for predicting the critical velocity for a surfactant flood is proposed taking into account the microemulsion phase. Vertical upward surfactant displacement experiments were performed and compared with stability theory. The proposed theory and experimental results offer new insight into the behavior of surfactant floods stabilized by gravity forces.