The Influence of Surfactant Solution Injection in Oil Recovery by Spontaneous Imbibition

Imbibition is the spontaneous displacement of fluids through porous media that occurs until capillary equilibrium is reached. Factors such as wettability and high interfacial tensions may negatively affect the process, requiring additional work to enhance oil recovery. This work aims to explain some aspects of the dynamics of oil recovery by spontaneous imbibition using different fluids. Static imbibition and contact angle experiments were performed using sandstones of the Botucatu Formation (Brazil). The plug samples were exposed to immersion in brine and in surfactant solutions, and the progression of oil recovery was monitored with time. The results showed that the capillary imbibition rate and the oil recovery factor were higher when an ionic surfactant was used. The inverse Bond number and the shape of the recovery profile showed different trends of the capillary imbibition dynamics. Higher oil recovery factors for ionic surfactant were also an effect of the contact angles observed.