Further characterization of surfactants as steamflood additives

Abstract

It has been known that steamflood efficiency can be increased by adding surface-active agents to steam such that foam can be generated, preferentially reducing permeability to steam in previously invaded zones and diverting it through undepleted regions of the reservoir. In this study the partial results of a continuing project that aims to optimize surfactant use as additives in steamflood field applications are reported. Two steps of the project were completed up to date. As a first step, the foamability of seventeen surfactants was evaluated at steam injection conditions (160°C and 75 psig) and linked to their chemical structure. As previously reported by Shallcross et al., a linear model..