Vladimir Alvarado's Lab

Facility

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Chemical Flooding Lab

• OBJECTIVE: The Chemical Methods Unit sponsored by The Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute (EORI) helps to fulfill the mission of the Institute through research and service activities by using traditional and new Enhanced-Oil Recovery (EOR) chemical methods. Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer (ASP) serves as the paradigm for Chemical Methods.

• ACTIVITIES:
  1. Data based screening of EOR processes
  2. Compatibility tests for selection of alkalis and aqueous phases in Alkaline-Polymer (AP), Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer (ASP), Surfactant Polymer (SP) and other chemical blend combinations to lower risks and maximize recovery in traditional chemical flooding.
  3. Investigation of AP and ASP flooding through bottle tests, phase behavior studies, geochemical and multiphase flow simulations at the lab and field scale.
  4. Adjusted Brine Chemistry mechanisms investigation.

• CAPABILITIES:
  1. One coreflooding line for water and chemical flooding to operate up to 2,500psi and 150^oC with inline conductivity and pH measuring capability,
  2. One coreflooding line for water and chemical flooding to operate up to 3,500psi and 150^oC.
  3. A coreflooding system for high pressure/high temperature conformance and flooding studies that include CO₂. Maximum operating pressure 5,000psi.
  4. A spinning drop system.

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Surface Science Lab

• OBJECTIVE: The Surface Science Lab aims at investigating colloids and interfaces of interest in petroleum engineering, with special emphasis on enhanced oil recovery relevant interfacial behavior.

• ACTIVITIES:
  1. Crude oil emulsion stability research.
  2. Flocculation mechanisms in dispersed system.

• CAPABILITIES:
  1. Light diffraction system for particle sizing. Particle size can be determined from a few hundreds of nanometers up to milimiters.
  2. Ultrasonic probe up to 500 Watts in power.
  3. A tabletop centrifuge for separation studies (bottle tests).
  4. Homogenizers.
  5. Conductivity and pH probes.