The Study of the Integration Between Pectin and Sodium Dodecyl-Sulfate on Oil Recovery

Abstract Surfactant flooding is a recognized technique within the realm of chemical enhanced oil recovery (CEOR), to enhance oil recovery in cases of continual depletion in conventional oil reserves. This method has a track record of effectively increasing oil recovery rates. The process involves multiple factors, including the reduction of interfacial tension (IFT), alterations in wettability, the creation of foam, and emulsification. Despite its success, a primary concern associated with surfactant flooding is the emergence of increased fingering effects, resulting in conformance issues like excessive water production. The primary objective of this research is to examine the interaction between pectin and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in the context of oil recovery, assessing the collaborative potential of pectin in conjunction with SDS to amplify oil production, and evaluating the impact of sodium chloride (NaCl) salinity on the behaviour of pectin and SDS in the context of oil recovery. To address water production concerns, this study employs polymer to augment water viscosity. The interaction between pectin and SDS will be scrutinized by observing three distinct sand packs, each containing surfactant, polymer, and a surfactant-polymer combination, respectively. The findings indicated significant improvements in oil recovery using different enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques. Freshwater flooding resulted in a 15% increase in oil recovery compared to saltwater flooding. Polymer flooding with a concentration of 0.6 wt% demonstrated the highest efficacy of 77.85% improvement in oil recovery compared to waterflooding. Surfactant flooding, while slightly less effective than polymer flooding, but still showed a remarkable 48.94% increase in oil recovery after waterflooding. However, surfactant flooding's effectiveness could be constrained by factors like reservoir characteristics and fluid properties. Despite this, the study revealed that combining surfactant and polymer flooding with the inclusion of pectin led to substantial gains, boosting oil recovery by 30% - 80% compared to using single polymer or surfactant flooding techniques.