How Fenugreek Seeds Help Break Down and Move Paraffins in Tiny Pore Models

Jenn Hoskins
16th August, 2024

How Fenugreek Seeds Help Break Down and Move Paraffins in Tiny Pore Models

Image Source: Natural Science News, 2024

Key Findings

  • The study by the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology explores natural surfactants from agricultural products for oil recovery
  • Natural surfactants showed competitive interfacial tension reduction, with values of 14.2, 10.92, and 9.8 mN/m
  • These surfactants demonstrated superior stability and effectiveness in oil recovery, suggesting they could be sustainable alternatives to commercial surfactants
The surface characteristics of minerals play a pivotal role in predicting interactions between chemicals, particularly in chemical flooding processes used in oil recovery. A recent study conducted by the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology[1] evaluates the viability of natural surfactants derived from agricultural products for oil recovery. This study explores various properties such as interfacial tension, viscosity, microscopic stability, dilution, and oil mobilization characteristics of these natural surfactants. The primary goal of this research is to assess whether natural surfactants can serve as sustainable alternatives to commercial surfactants in enhancing oil recovery from paraffinic oil reservoirs. The study involves several experimental setups, including interfacial tension measurements between the surfactant solution and paraffinic oil using the Wilhelmy plate method. The results revealed interfacial tension values of 14.2, 10.92, and 9.8 mN/m, indicating a competitive reduction in interfacial tension. Previous research has demonstrated the potential of using waste cooking oil materials to prepare nonionic surfactants[2]. These surfactants exhibited promising surface-active properties, with ethoxylated ester derivatives of palm kernel fatty acids (EPK-20) showing significant oil recovery when used with isoamyl alcohol. The current study builds upon these findings by focusing on natural surfactants derived from agricultural products, thereby extending the scope of sustainable surfactant sources. In addition to interfacial tension measurements, the study also performed viscosity measurements and frequency sweep analysis to assess the rheological properties of the prepared emulsions. The emulsions were stabilized using natural surfactants, and among the prepared emulsions, the n-heptane emulsion demonstrated superior stability at both 30°C and 90°C. This stability is crucial for the practical application of these emulsions in varying temperature conditions within oil reservoirs. Dilution studies were another critical aspect of this research. The dilution ratio of the emulsion/saline solution was varied from 1:5 to 1:1. The findings indicated that the n-heptane emulsion maintained better stability at higher dilution ratios, up to a 3:5 ratio. Stability at higher dilutions is essential for ensuring the effectiveness of surfactants in large-scale oil recovery operations where the surfactant concentration may vary. To simulate reservoir conditions and observe the displacement efficiency of the surfactant solutions, oil mobilization studies were conducted using a glass micromodel. These studies demonstrated that natural surfactants exhibit competitive interfacial tension reduction and viscosity modification properties compared to commercial surfactants. The effectiveness of natural surfactants in enhancing oil recovery from paraffinic oil reservoirs was evident, suggesting their potential as sustainable alternatives. The findings from this study align with earlier research that highlighted the significance of interfacial properties and wettability alteration in oil recovery processes[2]. The use of natural surfactants derived from agricultural products not only provides a sustainable approach but also leverages the surface-active properties necessary for efficient oil recovery. In conclusion, the study conducted by the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology underscores the potential of natural surfactants as viable alternatives to commercial surfactants in enhancing oil recovery. By demonstrating competitive interfacial tension reduction, viscosity modification, and stability under varying conditions, these natural surfactants offer a promising solution for sustainable and efficient oil recovery in petroleum reservoirs.

BiotechBiochemPlant Science

References

Main Study

1) Effect of a Natural Surfactant (Fenugreek Seeds) on Emulsification and Mobilization of Paraffins via Pore-Scale Micromodel Experiments.

Published 15th August, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c01679

Related Studies

2) Improvement of Heavy Oil Recovery by Nonionic Surfactant/Alcohol Flooding in Light of the Alkane Carbon Number and Interfacial Tension Properties.

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.1c01373


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