Oil recovery from carbonate reservoirs is one of the critical challenges in the oil industry due to the strongly oil-wet nature, natural fractures, and the heterogeneity of carbonate rocks. Subsequently, waterflooding can only displace oil from large fractures, leaving the majority of oil trapped in the rock matrix. This work suggests that nanofluid flooding, as a predesigned flooding method, is an alternative to conventional waterflooding. Various concentrations of silica nanofluid at different nanoparticle concentrations were formulated and systematically investigated for their characteristics, stability at reservoir conditions, and their influence on wettability and oil recovery. Silica nanoparticles were sustainably synthesized from waste materials to ensure the feasibility and environmental friendliness of the process. Results indicated that the synthesized silica has an amorphous crystalline nature characterized by nano-sized particles. Additionally, treating silica nanoparticles with a silane group significantly enhances the stability of nanofluids in a high-salinity environment. Most interestingly, by comparing the amount of oil recovered, the results revealed that implementing nanofluid flooding as a secondary oil recovery, rather than waterflooding, can produce around 12% more oil, in addition to eliminating a whole waterflooding step. This is the first study to alter the traditional flooding scenario and directly conduct nanofluid flooding as secondary oil recovery, without being preceded by waterflooding, using sustainably synthesized nanoparticles. Considering the water crisis in the Middle East, this approach can save substantial amounts of water, which improves the sustainable development of communities.
Capillary pressure is a significant parameter in characterizing and modeling petroleum reservoirs. However, costly laboratory measurements may not be sufficiently available in some cases. The problem amplifies for carbonate reservoirs because relatively enormous capillary pressure curves are required for reservoir study due to heterogeneity. In this work, the laboratory measurements of capillary pressure and formation resistivity index were correlated as both parameters are functions of saturation. Forty-one core samples from an Iraqi carbonate reservoir were used to develop the correlation according to the hydraulic flow units concept. Flow zone indicator (FZI) and Pore Geometry and Structure (PGS) approaches were used to identify
... Show MoreCapillary pressure is a significant parameter in characterizing and modeling petroleum reservoirs. However, costly laboratory measurements may not be sufficiently available in some cases. The problem amplifies for carbonate reservoirs because relatively enormous capillary pressure curves are required for reservoir study due to heterogeneity. In this work, the laboratory measurements of capillary pressure and formation resistivity index were correlated as both parameters are functions of saturation. Forty-one core samples from an Iraqi carbonate reservoir were used to develop the correlation according to the hydraulic flow units concept. Flow zone indicator (FZI) and Pore Geometry and Structure (PGS) approaches were used to identify
... Show MoreGas lift is one of the oldest methods used to produce hydrocarbon fluids from wells experiencing declining production. It works by aerating the mixture inside production tubing and forcing it to the surface. One of the reasons for declining production in oil wells is an increase in water cut or a drop in reservoir pressure, which requires one of the artificial lift methods to restore production. (A) oil field suffers from an increase in water cut, which has affected well productivity. The wells under study have a water cut of up to 66%, resulting in very low production rates. In this research, Pipesim software was used to build a physical and fluid model, then design an optimal gas lift system that achieves the highest possible prod
... Show MoreThis study investigated the feasibility of anaerobic co-digestion of giant reed (GR) inoculated with waste manure as a co-substrate for biogas production. The performance of co-digestion was evaluated in 4 anaerobic digesters operated in batch mode at different conditions. The effects of alkali pretreatment with NaOH (4% w/v) solution, inoculum type, and thermal condition were studied. The results demonstrated that the alkali-pretreatment of GR enhanced the biogas generation by about 15% at mesophilic conditions. Thermophilic conditions enhanced the biogas recovery from both alkali-free and alkali pretreated GR by 15% and 127%, respectively. The kinetic study of the co-digestion process of GR for biogas recovery suggeste
... Show MoreCarbon dioxide (CO2) flooding is an EOR technique in which carbon dioxide is injected into the reservoir to improve the oil recovery. The reservoir oil and rock properties are altered when carbon dioxide interacts with the oil and rock present in the reservoir. Carbon dioxide injection alters the oil and rock properties by causing reduction in oil viscosity, oil swelling and wettability alteration of the rock. This paper will present a proposal to study the wettability alteration in carbonate formations during miscible carbon dioxide flooding. In miscible carbon dioxide flooding, the injection pressure of carbon dioxide would be kept above the minimum miscibility pressure. Thus carbon dioxide is miscible with the oil present in the reservoi
... Show MoreThis work presents an experimental study of heat transfer and flow of distilled water and metal oxide nanofluid Fe3O4-distilled water at concentrations of (φ = 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 %) by volume in a horizontal pipe with constant magnetic field. All the tests are carried out with Reynolds number range (2900-9820) and uniform heat flux (11262-19562 W/m2). The results show that, the nanofluid concentration and magnetic intensity increase, the Nusselt number increases. The maximum enhancement in Nusselt number with magnetic nanofluid is (5.4 %, 26.4 %, 42.7 %) for volume concentration (0.3, 0.6, 0.9 %) respectively. The enhancement is maximized with magnetic intensity (0.1, 0.2, 0.3 tesla) respectively to (43.9, 44
... Show MoreBiodiesel is becoming one of the most attractive alternative biofuels for petroleum-based diesel fuels. The castor plant is one of the abundant non-edible oils found in many countries. This paper aims to study Libyan castor oil and its potential for diesel conversion. Experiments were carried out in the laboratories of the Specific Center for Training in the Oil Industries in Al-Zawiya. The oil was extracted using a Soxhlet extractor and n-hexane solvent at 60 °C. Transesterification reactions were conducted in a batch reactor (a three-neck flask was used, where the middle opening carries a reflux condensation unit) at 65 °C. The methanol-to-castor oil molar ratio was 6:1, with a catalyst concentration of 1 wt.% relative to the ca
... Show MoreA 3D Geological model was generated using an advanced geostatistical method for the Cretaceous reservoir in the Bai Hassan oil field. In this study, a 3D geological model was built based on data from four wells for the petrophysical property distribution of permeability, porosity, water saturation, and NTG by using Petrel 2021 software. The geological model was divided into a structural model and a property model. The geological structures of the cretaceous reservoir in the Bai Hassan oil field represent elongated anticline folds with two faults, which had been clarified in the 3D Structural model. Thirteen formations represent the Cretaceous reservoir which includes (Shiranish, Mashurah, U.kometan, Kometan Shale, L. Kometan, Gulnen
... Show MoreThe research discussed the possibility of adsorption of Brilliant Blue Dye (BBD) from wastewater using 13X zeolite adsorbent, which is considered a byproduct of the production process of potassium carbonate from Iraqi potash raw materials. The 13X zeolite adsorbent was prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction that showed a clear match with the standard 13X zeolite. The crystallinity rate was 82.15% and the crystal zeolite size was 5.29 nm. The surface area and pore volume of the obtained 13X zeolite were estimated. The prepared 13X zeolite showed the ability to remove BBD contaminant from wastewater at concentrations 5 to 50 ppm and the removal reached 96.60% at the lower pollutant concentration. Adsorption measurements versus tim
... Show MoreIn this research local wheat peel was used as an adsorbent surface for removal of Azure B (AB) dye from the aqueous solution. The adsorption process was performed at different experimental parameters, equilibrium time, temperature, ionic strength and solution pH. The isotherms of adsorption are of H-type as compared with Giles curves and the adsorption data were coincide with Freundlich equation. The adsorption kinetic data were analyzed using pseudo- first and second order kinetic models. The effect of temperature was studied and the amount of dye adsorbed was found to increase with the increasing of temperature from 25 to 50 oC. The values of thermodynamic functions like enthalpy and entropy have been estimated. The quantity of adso
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