McGuireWoods LLP
Surfactant selection for downhole treatments
Evaluating surfactants for use in downhole applications, especially surfactants with similar surface tension or interfacial tension values and wetting properties, may be achieved with a sensitive column test using a non-uniform particulate media therein. An exemplary method may include providing a column containing two types of particles that differ by at least one of: a mean particle diameter, a sphericity, and a chemical composition. Surfactant samples may be individually tested by passing the sample through the column followed by a displacement fluid, typically an oleaginous. The displacement rate and volume of the surfactant sample may be used to assess the surfactant's suitability for downhole applications.
Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
G G E G C G
G01N G01N E21B G01N C09K G01N
inventional inventional additional inventional inventional inventional
Ajish Venkata Satya Srikalyan Chandra Sekhar
Potty Bhamidipati Palla-Venkata