Static and Dynamic Investigation of Effective Parameters on Water Injection Performance in the Presence of Nanofluids

Oil production from oil reservoirs containing oil in water (O/W) and water in oil (W/O) emulsions has always been accompanied by some problems. The increase in apparent viscosity of the oil, pore throats blockage, and consequently, the increased rate of pressure drop are among these problems. Investigating the behavior of this type of oil in the porous medium can help to understand the problem. Although metal oxide nanoparticles can increase the oil recovery and therefore improve the performance of reservoirs, they can result in the formation of W/O emulsions, due to their potential properties. In this study, the formation and stability of the emulsion were first evaluated and then the nanofluids were injected into a carbonate sand pack. Tests were conducted in the ambient condition. The amount of produced oil in the presence of three nanoparticles consist of TiO2, SiO2, and Fe3O4 has been investigated. Moreover, the effect of water injection on the system containing emulsions created by both different ions present in the seawater and iron oxide nanoparticles has been investigated. The results show that the iron oxide nanoparticles cause high-pressure oscillations by forming more stable emulsions in the porous media.