Interactions between Surfactants and Cellulose Nanofibrils for Enhanced Oil Recovery

Chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) represents a series of potential solutions for extracting more oil from resources with already known locations and magnitudes. Unfortunately, many of the chemical additives in use today are not environmentally friendly. In the study a “greener” alternative for increasing viscosity of the injection water is investigated, namely cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). The nanofibrils are combined in systems with anionic sulfonate surfactants, SDBS and AOT, in order to decrease interfacial tension (IFT) between oil and water. In combination, the increase of water viscosity and decrease of IFT should result in higher ultimate oil recovery than if only conventional water flooding was applied. Interactions between cellulose nanofibrils and the surfactants have been investigated through adsorption studies, rheology, and IFT measurements. An observed synergy effect between CNF and surfactants upon viscosity of injection water, as well as with substantial decrease in IFT, leads the authors to the conclusion that an EOR system consisting of CNF and sulfonate surfactants has good potential for future applications.