Author Identifier (ORCID)
Stefan Iglauer: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8080-1590
Abstract
Polymer-enhanced CO2 foam (PEF) is an emerging technology that improves gas mobility control in chemical enhanced oil recovery applications. It also has significant potential for storing CO2 in geological formations, which can help mitigate anthropogenic emissions. Traditional surfactant-based foams are often weak and unstable, particularly under the high-salinity and high-temperature conditions commonly found in Middle Eastern carbonate reservoirs. However, adding a small amount of stable polymer to these foams can enhance their stability, rendering them more suitable for harsh environments. This study focuses on designing and thoroughly evaluating a PEF formulation under supercritical CO2 conditions at 95 °C temperature, 1500 psi pressure, and 105,000 ppm salinity for application in carbonate rocks. It also compares this formulation with a polymer-free foam (PFF) to assess the impact of polymer addition on the properties of both foam types. Experimental investigation includes stability, rheology, and coreflooding tests. Anionic surfactant, zwitterionic surfactant, sulfonated polymer, and their combinations were utilized in this study. Extensive bulk foam studies, which examine factors such as foam half-life and texture analysis, showed that PEF exhibits greater stability and an improved bubble structure compared to individual surfactants and their combinations. Further investigations, including coreflooding tests using Indiana limestone core plugs, demonstrated that PEF significantly outperforms PFF in terms of foam rheology and the mobility reduction factor (MRF). Additionally, coreflooding tests conducted at varying pressures (ranging from 1300 to 2000 psi) illustrated the foam flow properties for both formulations in porous media at 95 °C. Evaluations of CO2 storage potential indicated that PEF could store over 81.3 % of CO2, while only 24.0 % can be achieved through CO2 injection. This study provides valuable insights into the role of polymers in enhancing foam performance, in situ rheology, and stability under challenging reservoir conditions.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
12-1-2025
Volume
525
Publication Title
Chemical Engineering Journal
Publisher
Elsevier
School
Centre for Sustainable Energy and Resources
Funders
Khalifa University of Science and Technology (RIG-2023-036) / RICH Center (RC2-2019-007)
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Comments
Mushtaq, M., Mumtaz, M., Al-Shalabi, E. W., Alameri, W., Karanikolos, G. N., & Iglauer, S. (2025). Experimental study on stability, rheology, and CO2 storage capacity of polymer-enhanced foams in carbonates. Chemical Engineering Journal, 525, 170546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2025.170546