A study on processing and chemical composition of date pit powder for application in enhanced oil recovery

Studies were conducted on method of processing and chemical compositions of date pit for possible applications in enhanced oil recovery. Date seed from the eastern province of Saudi Arabia were washed by sonication and sun dried. The dried seeds were ground, de-oiled and made into solutions using alkaline. Physicochemical properties and chemical compositions of the de-oiled date seed powder were investigated using SEM and FTIR. The properties of the powder solutions were investigated by evaluating their viscosifying properties. Results of elemental analysis showed that the powder contains 57.41 - 65.84% carbon and 34.16 - 41.35% oxygen. The peak values in the range 3369.6 - 3417.3cm-1 obtained from FTIR are indicative of the presence of OH functional groups. The results obtained from viscosity measurement revealed that date seed be utilized as viscosity modifier to alter the mobility ratio in enhanced oil recovery processes. In addition, the multiple hydroxyl functional groups contained in date pit powder can be made available for organic reactions to produce surfactants and polymeric polyols that can be used for wettability and interfacial tension (IFT) alteration as employed in enhanced oil recovery operations. Furthermore, more studies need to be done to investigate and improve other relevant properties of the powder solution so that it can be used in near reservoir conditions. Accordingly, future work will be focused on detailed investigation on the use of the powder to alter mobility ratio, wettability and IFT.