In-situ salinity adjustment to improve waterflooding performance in oil-wet carbonate reservoirs

摘要

A composition for increased hydrocarbon production from a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir. The composition includes a saltwater solution suitable for injection into the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir for water flooding, the saltwater solution having a salinity; and a plurality of nanocapsules, where the nanocapsules are operable to be suspended amongst the saltwater solution, where the nanocapsules have an overall positively charged outer surface at respective outer shells of the nanocapsules, where the nanocapsules encapsulate water molecules within the nanocapsules, and where the nanocapsules are operable to release the water molecules in the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir proximate overall negatively charged zones.