ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Experimental investigation of low salinity water to improve oil recovery at Nassiriyah oil field

Maraim Kh. Uoda, Hussein Q. Hussein, and Rana R. Jalil

Chemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

E-mail: eng.maraim89alkhleel@gmail.com

Received: 1 May 2024  Accepted: 24 May 2024

Abstract:

Low-salinity water flooding has recently garnered attention in carbonate formations mainly due to the cost-effectiveness of this improved oil recovery technique. Despite recent work in this area, the underlying mechanism remains controversial, thereby limiting field implementation. Low-salinity water flooding in limestone formations has been less explored and, hence, less understood in improved oil recovery (IOR) literature. The mechanisms leading to improved recovery are mostly attributed to wettability alteration, with less attention given to fluid–fluid interaction mechanisms. Results demonstrate that the existing cations in the Third River have a significant effect on wettability alteration, reducing it from 103° to 45° after immersing carbonate rock samples for 40 min. This is a promising result towards enhanced water wetness and oil recovery. This study is one of the first conducted in the Nassiriyah oil field to investigate the potential for IOR using the Third River (low salinity water). The current work highlighted the underlying mechanism behind the low-salinity water flooding effect in carbonate rocks by investigating the role of ions in the Third River that flows adjacent to the Nassiriyah oil field.

Keywords: Improved oil recovery (IOR); Low salinity water (LSW); Third River; Nassiriyah oil field; Carbonate reservoir

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-024-03536-w

Chemical Papers 78 (10) 6191–6202 (2024)