Design Novel 3D Micro-model for Investigating Silica Nanoparticles Performance in Increasing the Effectiveness of Water Flooding

In this research, a novel micro-model is designed to investigate the performance of silica nanoparticles on the increment of the effectiveness of water flooding. The micro-model is constructed with spherical or non-spherical glass beads or mineral grains like sandstones. These grains are put between the glass plates of the micro-model with an especial method. Afterwards, it is heated in an oven to prepare the heterogeneous porous media. This micro-model in comparison with previously developed one has lots of advantages and can represent the real reservoir porous media. Contact angle, inherent viscosity and micro-model flooding experiments are performed to investigate the effect of the nanoparticles on the recovery factor. In contact angle experiment, wettability alteration from oil-wet to water-wet is observed due to silica nanoparticles adsorption and deposition. Inherent viscosity is increased with adding silica nanoparticles in high reservoir temperature. In micro-model flooding with silica nanoparticles, increasing oil recovery and oil emulsion formation is observed in comparison with polymer injection. The hybrid injection of silica nanoparticle-polymer leads to more decrease in interfacial tension and increase in oil emulsion formation during water flooding. The designed micro-model provides an appropriate tool for 3D view of fluid displacement.