Enhanced high-temperature foam performance: Impact of lauryl betaine on SDS foam stability, texture, and interfacial tension
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has been widely studied for foam-based enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications. However, SDS foam tends to destabilize in the presence of divalent ions and at elevated temperatures. When blended with SDS, a foam booster could improve the stability of SDS foam, alter its texture, and reduce the interfacial tension (IFT) at elevated temperatures and in the presence of divalent ions. However, the influence of foam boosters on improving SDS bulk foam stability, foam texture, and IFT under elevated conditions requires further investigation. This study explored the stability of SDS foams at an elevated temperature (i.e., 60 °C) and the relationship between foam stability and texture in the presence and absence of a foam booster. Light crude oil with an API of 41.37 was used in the IFT experiments. SDS was employed as the base surfactant, and lauryl betaine (LB) was chosen as the foam booster. Experiments on bulk foam were conducted using a commercial foam analyzer to examine and assess the foams' stability and texture. IFT experiments were conducted using an IFT pendant-drop apparatus. The presence of LB in the surfactant solution resulted in enhanced foam stability compared to conventional SDS foams. Half-life of the foam increased by approximately 406% with SDS and LB in a 9:1 ratio. Meanwhile, the foam generated with the surfactant solution containing LB possessed a fine texture, which could be beneficial for increasing the apparent gas viscosity, as the coarsening of the foam was reduced with the addition of LB. In contrast, elevated temperature adversely affected both the texture and stability of the foams. The IFT between SDS and crude oil was found to be 0.65 mN/m, which was reduced to 0.30 mN/m using the SDS-LB solution The findings present a cost-efficient formulation approach where incorporating a small quantity of foam booster leads to significant enhancements in thermal foam stability, texture, and IFT reduction, facilitating more dependable foam application in reservoirs with high temperatures or high levels of divalent ions.
Keywords
foam booster, foam stability, foamability, Interfacial tension, sodium dodecyl sulfate, texture
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
E-ISSN
26937131
ISSN
26937115
Publication Title
2026 Pacific Section AAPG / SPE Western Regional Joint Meeting
Publisher
Society of Petroleum Engineers
School
School of Engineering
RAS ID
102051
ISBN
[9781964523330]
Copyright
free_to_read
Recommended Citation
Syed, A. H., Jang, H. W., Yekeen, N., Ogunkunle, T. F., Zhang, Y., Dandekar, A., Mohammadzadeh, O., & Man, Y. (2026). Enhanced high-temperature foam performance: Impact of lauryl betaine on SDS foam stability, texture, and interfacial tension. In 2026 Pacific Section AAPG / SPE Western Regional Joint Meeting. Society of Petroleum Engineers. https://doi.org/10.2118/232901-MS