Effect of Marangoni flow on recovery of bypassed oil during CO2 injection

• Effect of Marangoni on recovery of bypassed oil is experimentally investigated.
• Near-miscible and immiscible CO2 injection in a 1D-matrix/fracture model is conducted.
• Results show the significant impact of Marangoni on recovery (up to 35%).
• Amount of recovery changes is proportional to Marangoni number.
• Marangoni flow direction is a function of CO2/oil PVT.

We have experimentally investigated the effect of interfacial tension gradient induced convective fluxes – Marangoni flow – on the recovery of bypassed oil during near-miscible and immiscible CO2 injection in a 1D-matrix/fracture model. Hydrocarbon systems of components were designed such that the existence of Marangoni flow and its direction with respect to fracture could be managed.The results show reasonable agreement between recovery changes and Marangoni number, indicating the significant impact of Marangoni flow on the recovery of bypassed oil in porous media under high-pressure high-temperature conditions. The results of our experiments introduce the so-far neglected Marangoni phenomenon as a considerable mechanism of oil recovery in near-critical conditions.

During CO2 injection in fracture,CO2 concentration decreases towards inner parts of Matrix. Depending on Oil PVT, oil/gas IFT may increase, decrease or remain unchanged in porous media. Therefore, IFT-gradient induced convective flux, Marangoni, is expected to occure in proper directions:from low to high IFT points. In current work,3 types of synthetic oil has been used to investigate the effect of marangoni on recovery of bypassed oil in matrix.Result introduce the so far neglected Marangoni phenomenon as a considerable mechanism of oil recovery in near critical condition.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide