King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

Mahmoud Atef Abdulhamid

Sivabalan Sakthivel

A method of recovering oil from a subterranean geological formation includes injecting a solution including salt water and a chitosan acetate salt polymer into the subterranean geological formation and concurrently recovering oil from a production well in the subterranean geological formation, where the chitosan acetate salt polymer has a structure according to the formula and where the chitosan acetate salt polymer alters the wettability of the subterranean geological formation. Further, the concentration of chitosan acetate salt polymer in the solution is in a range from 1 to 1,000 ppm and the contact angle of the solution on a formation surface is reduced by greater than or equal to 25% compared to a solution including salt water.

Chitosan acetate salt polymer for enhanced oil recovery applications

A method of enhancing oil recovery from a carbonate reservoir containing a hydrocarbon mixture includes injecting the carbonate reservoir with a sea-water solution comprising a citric acid-based additive to displace the hydrocarbon mixture from the carbonate reservoir thereby forming a hydrocarbon mixture containing sea-water mixture; and separating the hydrocarbon mixture from the hydrocarbon mixture containing sea-water mixture to recover the hydrocarbon mixture. The citric acid-based additive is present in the sea-water solution at a concentration of 1 to 1000 parts per million based on a total number of parts by weight of the sea-water solution. Particles of the citric acid-based additive are adsorbed on surfaces of the carbonate rocks in the carbonate reservoir.

Growing community of inventors

Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

Mahmoud Atef Abdulhamid