Carbon Dots Stabilized Foam for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Foams are the divergent fluids that are employed in the upstream oil and gas industry to reduce fluid channeling and fingering in the high permeability region. Foams are usually generated in the high permeability reservoirs (e.g. glass beads) by the alternative injection of surfactant and gas. Conventional foaming systems exhibit stability issues at the high temperature and high salinity reservoir conditions. In this investigation, we study the stability and efficiency (in terms of both enhanced inflow performance and added oil recovery) of foams formed using surfactant solution with and without carbon Nanodots (CND). The study involved using different brine salinities, CND concentrations, temperature and pressure conditions, and types of surfactants. A multifaceted interrelationship of the various influencing mechanisms is demonstrated. Foams are examined using foam analyzer, HP/HT coreflood and microfluidic setup. In trace amounts (5-10 ppm), CND contributed to 60-70% improvement in foam stability in high salinity brine. The improvement is attributed by the reduction of the drainage rate of the lamellae and a delay of the bubble rupturing point. Both microfluidic and core-flood experiments showed noticeable improvement in mobility control with the addition of the CND. This is contributed to an improved foamability, morphology, strength, and stability of the foam.