Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Publisher
Edith Cowan University
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
School
School of Engineering
First Supervisor
Alireza Keshavarz
Second Supervisor
Stefan Iglauer
Abstract
Sandstone and carbonate hydrocarbon reservoirs are considered promising candidates for H2 and CO2 geological storage and chemically enhanced oil recovery. Wettability is the crucial factor that can determine different trapping mechanisms to control CO2 and H2 storage, as well as hydrocarbon recovery. However, the presence of organic acid contamination in carbonate and sandstone geo-storage formations can alter the wettability of the formations, making them less water-wet and thus lowering the gas storage capacity and reducing the hydrocarbon recovery from oil-bearing geological formations. In this study, toxic dyes such as methyl orange (MO) and methylene blue (MB), which are widely disposed into the environment, were used as a wettability modifier to increase the production of residual hydrocarbons in sandstone and carbonate formations and promote CO2 and H2 geological storage capacity. Initially, pure calcite and quartz were aged with a solution of 10-2 mol/L of stearic acid/n-decane, then treated with different concentrations of MO and MB (10-100 mg/L) for one week at 50 °C. Subsequently, the advancing (θa) and receding (θr) contact angles of decane/brine, CO2/brine, and H2/brine systems on the organic-aged quartz/calcite substrates before and after MO treatment were measured using the pendant drop tilted plate technique. The experiments were conducted at various pressures (up to 20 MPa), brine (NaCl) salinities (up to 0.3 M), and temperatures (25 and 50 °C) to simulate reservoir conditions. The results indicate that contact angles of the organic-aged quartz/calcite increase with increasing temperature, pressure, and salinity, thus making the wettability more hydrophobic. However, at any physio-thermal condition, the contact angles decrease when stearic acid-aged quartz/calcite is treated with different concentrations of MO/MB (10-100 mg/L). Therefore, this thesis provides new insights into the potential for MO/MB for enhanced oil recovery, maximizing H2/CO2 geo-storage capacity, and minimizing the risks associated with MO/MB disposal into the environment.
Access Note
Access to this thesis is embargoed until 28 September 2025
Recommended Citation
Alhammad, F. (2024). Chemical modification of reservoir rocks for CO2 and H2 geo-storage and enhanced oil recovery purposes. Edith Cowan University. Retrieved from https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2827