Core Flood Apparatus
Tech Futures has extensive experience working with core flood systems. Within joint industry projects and client service contracts, it has operated core flood systems at pressures up to 35 MPa and temperatures of 200 degrees C.
Core flood experiments are a cost effective option to evaluate potential recovery performance prior to field piloting. Production companies have the opportunity to work with our highly skilled research scientists and technologists to extend the understanding of reservoir characteristics and examine the potential of unique recovery schemes.
Experiments are conducted using sand packs, stacked core plugs, and full diameter core. Core flood apparatus are used to conduct a broad range of experiments including:
- Miscible and immiscible displacement using CO2 and Acid Gas
- Chemical flooding: alkali, surfactants, polymer, foams
- Reservoir sensitivity
- Water shut off: gels
Tech Futures has unique knowledge and expertise evaluating transport properties. Using effluent analysis, they are able to quantify diffusion and dispersion properties.
Results are matched to develop a representative lab scale computer model. This model is used as the basis for developing a representative field scale model. Evaluation of EOR potential and scenario analysis is performed on field scale computer models.
Experiment Parameters
- Pressure: 35 MPa
- Temperature: 200 degrees C
- Core diameter: 2.5 to 10 cm
- Core length: 7 cm to 2 m
Wettability and IFT Study Apparatus
The wettability and IFT study apparatus allows Tech Futures to study wettability by contact angle measurement. The dual drop crystal technique allows the oil drop time to age on each individual crystal and uses gravity to better drain the water film. This method can be used to measure Advancing/Receding contact angles, and to evaluate oil adhesion to the crystals and rigid film formation at the oil and brine interface.
The captive drop technique, allows measurement of surface or interfacial tensions over a wide range of tensions (0.003 to 85 nN/m), at reservoir conditions.
The captive drop and the capturing surface are contained within the optical cell that permits imaging under conditions of equilibration at elevated temperatures and pressures.
This apparatus is used extensively to measure interfacial tension using the Axysymetric Drop Shape Analysis method. In addition to IFT measurement, dynamic phase behaviour such as mass exchange can be studied.
Long-term interfacial measurement can be obtained with the sessile method – the drop sits on a given crystal therefore it can be studies over an extended period of time.
Features
- Pressure: 70 MPa (700 bar)
- Temperature: 200°C
- Wetted Parts: Hastelloy C-276
- Patent Numbers: US Patent 5,934,740, Canadian Patent 2,105,498