Synthesis and characterization of a new polymeric surfactant for chemical enhanced oil recovery

Chemical enhanced oil recovery methods are field proven techniques that improve efficiency and effectiveness of oil recovery. We have synthesized polymeric surfactant from vegetable oil (castor oil) for application in chemical enhanced oil recovery. First, an eco-friendly surfactant, sodium methyl ester sulfonate (SMES) was synthesized from castor oil, and then the polymeric surfactant (PMES) was produced by graft co-polymerization reaction using different surfactant to acrylamide ratios. The synthesized PMES was characterized by FTIR, FE-SEM, EDX, TGA, DLS analysis. The performance of PMES as a chemical agent for enhanced oil recovery was studied by measuring the interfacial tension (IFT) between crude oil and PMES solution, rheological behavior and contact angle against sandstone surface. Addition of sodium chloride in PMES solution reduced the IFT to an ultra-low value (2.0×10-3mN/m). Core flooding experiments were conducted in sandpack system, and 26.5%, 27.8% and 29.1% additional recovery of original oil in place (OOIP) was obtained for 0.5, 0.6 and 0.7mass% of PMES solutions, respectively, after conventional water flooding.