Principle of Enhanced Oil Recovery

Chapter 5 Alkaline Flooding

SUN Yongpeng
（孙永鹏）
School of Petroleum Engineering
1
 Chemical flooding

• Polymer Flooding

• Alkaline Flooding

2
 Alkaline Flooding

5.1 What is alkaline flooding

5.2 Mechanism of alkaline flooding
5.3 Caustic coefficient
5.4 Alkaline used in alkaline flooding
5.5 Oil suitable for alkaline flooding
5.6 Reaction between alkali with formation and formation
fluids
5.7 Screening criteria of oilfield suitable for alkaline
flooding
5.8 Problems in alkaline flooding
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 5.3 Caustic coefficient

In double logarithmic chart, the

area between water oil interfacial
tension curve and 0.01-1.0mN/m
divided by the area between
0.01-1.0mN/m and 0.001%-1.0%
of alkaline fraction multiplies 6.
5.5 Oil suitable for alkaline flooding

Acid value/(mg/g)

density/(g/cm3)
Relation between acid value and density
5.6 Reaction between alkali with formation and
formation fluids

Reaction between alkali and formation

（1）mineral conversion

kaolinite

abrazite gibbsite
5.6 Reaction between alkali with formation and
formation fluids

Reaction between alkali and formation

（1）mineral conversion
（2）Corrosion

soluble silicate

kaolinite

soluble soluble
silicate aluminate
5.6 Reaction between alkali with formation and
formation fluids

Reaction between alkali and formation

（1）mineral conversion
（2）Corrosion
（3）ion exchange

clay clay

clay clay
5.6 Reaction between alkali with formation and
formation fluids

Reaction between alkali and formation water

react with divalent metal ions

5.6 Reaction between alkali with formation and
formation fluids
Reaction between alkali and acidic materials in oil

phenol

naphthenic acid

asphaltenic acid
asphalt
asphaltenic enic
 5.6 Reaction between alkali with formation and
formation fluids

• Reaction between alkali and formation

alkali
• Reaction between alkali and formation water loss
• Reaction with phenol

• Reaction with naphthenic acid useful

reaction
• Reaction with resin and bitumen
 Section 6 oilfield suitable for alkaline flooding
Parameters Requirement

density/(g/cm3) <0.934

Crude oil viscosity /(mPa.s) <35

element high content of petroleum acids

salinity/(mg/L) <4×104
Water
concentration of Ca2+ Mg2+/(mg/L) <500

oil saturation /% >0.35

thickness/m no limit

permeability/mD >10
Reservoir
depth <2740

temperature <93

lithology sand
 Section 7 problems in alkaline flooding

reaction with
alkali loss formation mineral preflush

reaction with
Ca2+,Mg2+ in scale
formation water inhibitor
scaling

oil in water emulsion

emulsification demulsifier
water-in-oil emulsion

high mobility
mobility control