Date of Defense
17-11-2025 3:00 PM
Location
F1-1077
Document Type
Thesis Defense
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering
College
College of Engineering
Department
Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
First Advisor
Dr. Mohammed Abdalla Ayoub Mohammed
Keywords
CO2 EOR, CCUS, mobility control, CO2 foam, miscible foam-oil interactions, foam stability, foam apparent viscosity, oil composition, permeability, gas mobility control, enhanced oil recovery.
Abstract
Foam is currently the most effective means for gas mobility control in a variety of geo-energy applications (Rossen et al., 2020), including enhanced oil recovery (EOR), carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), and aquifer/soil remediation. This study investigates the mobility control of miscible CO2 foam in the presence of oil for CCUS. The primary objective is to quantify the impact of oil on CO2 foam behavior under miscible conditions, specifically examining foam stability, strength, and flow regimes as influenced by oil composition and reservoir permeability. While most oils destabilize foam, few studies explore the coarsening mechanisms of CO2 foam in the presence of miscible oils, which is crucial for the successful application of foam in EOR and CCUS under miscible CO2 flood conditions. Three model oils—hexadecane (C₁₆), decane (C₁₀), and a mixture of the two—were co-injected with CO2 and surfactant solution at a fixed velocity ratio into core samples with varying permeabilities. The results show that hexadecane, especially at higher concentrations, significantly enhanced foam apparent viscosity (μₐₚₚ). In core samples with 10 mD permeability, peak foam viscosity reached 64.5 cP for 30 mol% C₁₆, 75 cP for 60 mol%, and 110 cP for 90 mol% C₁₆. For decane, a weaker but still enhancing effect on foam viscosity was observed, with peak values of 28, 43, and 59 cP for 30, 60, and 90 mol%, respectively. Mixed oil produced intermediate results. In high-permeability core samples (650 mD), the 90 mol% C₁₆ concentration increased foam viscosity to around 650 cP, demonstrating the potential of miscible CO2 foam for effective mobility control. In contrast, in low-permeability cores (1.8 mD), the maximum foam viscosity at 90 mol% oil content was about 46 cP, indicating that higher permeability stabilizes foam for the same oil concentration. These findings suggest that miscibility between CO2 and oil enhances foam stability, with higher permeability facilitating more effective mobility control. The experimental approach developed here provides a quantitative framework for understanding the effects of oil composition and permeability on the behavior of miscible CO2 foam, advancing both EOR and CCUS strategies.
Included in
Core-Scale Study of Miscible CO2 Foam–Oil Interactions
F1-1077
Foam is currently the most effective means for gas mobility control in a variety of geo-energy applications (Rossen et al., 2020), including enhanced oil recovery (EOR), carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), and aquifer/soil remediation. This study investigates the mobility control of miscible CO2 foam in the presence of oil for CCUS. The primary objective is to quantify the impact of oil on CO2 foam behavior under miscible conditions, specifically examining foam stability, strength, and flow regimes as influenced by oil composition and reservoir permeability. While most oils destabilize foam, few studies explore the coarsening mechanisms of CO2 foam in the presence of miscible oils, which is crucial for the successful application of foam in EOR and CCUS under miscible CO2 flood conditions. Three model oils—hexadecane (C₁₆), decane (C₁₀), and a mixture of the two—were co-injected with CO2 and surfactant solution at a fixed velocity ratio into core samples with varying permeabilities. The results show that hexadecane, especially at higher concentrations, significantly enhanced foam apparent viscosity (μₐₚₚ). In core samples with 10 mD permeability, peak foam viscosity reached 64.5 cP for 30 mol% C₁₆, 75 cP for 60 mol%, and 110 cP for 90 mol% C₁₆. For decane, a weaker but still enhancing effect on foam viscosity was observed, with peak values of 28, 43, and 59 cP for 30, 60, and 90 mol%, respectively. Mixed oil produced intermediate results. In high-permeability core samples (650 mD), the 90 mol% C₁₆ concentration increased foam viscosity to around 650 cP, demonstrating the potential of miscible CO2 foam for effective mobility control. In contrast, in low-permeability cores (1.8 mD), the maximum foam viscosity at 90 mol% oil content was about 46 cP, indicating that higher permeability stabilizes foam for the same oil concentration. These findings suggest that miscibility between CO2 and oil enhances foam stability, with higher permeability facilitating more effective mobility control. The experimental approach developed here provides a quantitative framework for understanding the effects of oil composition and permeability on the behavior of miscible CO2 foam, advancing both EOR and CCUS strategies.