Hydrophobization of the Reservoir Surface in the Processes of Impact on the Bottomhole Formation Zone

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Abstract

Reservoir rock almost never consists of a single mineral. Thus, terrigenous deposits contain carbonates, clays and other components in varying quantities along with quartz. True wettability also depends on the liquids contained in the pores, i.e. on the properties of oil and water. Formation oil contains surface-active and polar substances that can be adsorbed by the rock. In this case, the wetting ability of water decreases, and oil wetting ability increases. As a result, oil can behave as a wetting phase, especially in rocks with a high content of organic matter. Formation water can also be surface-active. The study of the wettability of the reservoir rocks surface has been and remains relevant. In the article, consisting of three parts, the role of wettability of the reservoir surface in the methods of influencing the bottomhole formation zone (BFZ) is considered from the standpoint of its general state, disturbed due to water saturation and the course of a number of colmatation processes. The fundamental principles of filtration of reservoir fluids through macro- and micro-open channels of oil and gas reservoirs indicate the preference for a hydrophilic state of their surface for the advanced inflow of oil along the curves of the relative permeability of oil and water. However, the incorrect idea that emerged in the early 1990s about the need for its hydrophobic state in order to reduce the water saturation of the BFZ and the hypertrophied role of capillary forces in this case attracted many specialists to its side and has proven to be stable to this day. The authors consistently outlined the formation of these ideas and the positioned "efficiency" of hydrophobization mainly due to hydrocarbon saturation of the BFZ.

Keywords

oil fieldwellbottomhole formation zoneprocess fluidsfiltrationrelative phase permeabilitywettabilityreservoir surfacehydrophobization

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Article information

Published
30 August 2024
Issue date
30 August 2024
Issue
Vol. 24, No. 3 (2024)
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