Macroscopic Investigation of Injected water Salinity on the Production of Emulsion Oil Reservoirs

Several problems may be encountered during recovery from reservoirs containing emulsified oil. Higher oil phase viscosity, pore throat blockage, and a much higher rate of pressure drop through the recovery period are among the most serious ones. A suitable way to overcome this issue is to investigate the behavior of this type of oil in the porous medium. This study aims to survey the effects of brine salinity on pressure behavior. Different brines with different salinities including low salinity brine, Persian Gulf brine, and South Pars formation brine was injected into the sand pack, and the pressure behavior and ultimate recovery were monitored. The results showed that Persian Gulf brine would cause more blockage of pore throats and formation of in-situ emulsion in the porous medium, hence, resulting in more fluctuation in the pressure response. Because of the formation of in-situ emulsion, the ultimate recovery of Persian Gulf water is the lowest recovery, and low salinity water is the best choice for water flooding in the emulsified reservoir.