Abstract: A composition for use in a polymer flooding operation in a viscous oil containing carbonate reservoir formation with in situ rock is provided. The composition includes a polymer, the polymer operable to increase the viscosity of the composition; and a smart water, the smart water operable to alter a wettability of the in situ rock, wherein the smart water has a total dissolved solids of between 5,000 ppm and 7,000 ppm, wherein the total dissolved solids comprises one or more salts; wherein the composition has a viscosity between 4 cP and 100 cP.

Abstract: A composition for use in a polymer flooding operation in a viscous oil containing carbonate reservoir formation with in situ rock is provided. The composition includes a polymer, the polymer operable to increase the viscosity of the composition; and a smart water, the smart water operable to alter a wettability of the in situ rock, wherein the smart water has a total dissolved solids of between 5,000 ppm and 7,000 ppm, wherein the total dissolved solids comprises one or more salts; wherein the composition has a viscosity between 4 cP and 100 cP.

Abstract: A method for fabricating calcite channels in a nanofluidic device is described. A photoresist is coated on a substrate, and a portion of the photoresist is then exposed to a beam of electrons in a channel pattern. The exposed portion of the photoresist is developed to form a channel pattern, and calcite is deposited in the channel pattern using a calcite precursor gas. The deposited calcite includes at least one side having a length in a range of approximately 50 to 100 nanometers. The photoresist remaining after developing the exposed portion of the photoresist is removed.

Abstract: A method for recovering hydrocarbons in a carbonate reservoir by introducing a saline solution injection containing a saline soluble surfactant and a saline soluble polymer. The method provides for increased hydrocarbon recovery as compared to conventional waterflooding techniques.

Abstract: Disclosed are water treatment apparatus and processes for the generation of injection water from seawater and produced water. The first water treatment apparatus includes a reverse osmosis (RO) unit that treats the seawater, a pretreatment unit that pretreats the produced water, and a carrier gas extraction (CGE) unit or dynamic vapor recompression (DyVaR) that treats the pretreated produced water and generates fresh water. The fresh water and the RO permeate are mixed with a portion of the seawater to generate the injection water. A second water treatment apparatus includes a reverse osmosis (RO) unit and a nanofiltration (NF) that treats the seawater in parallel, a pretreatment unit that pretreats the produced water, and a CGE unit or DyVaR unit that treats the pretreated produced water and generates fresh water. The fresh water and the RO permeate are mixed with the NF reject to generate injection water.

Abstract: A composition for use in a polymer flooding operation in a viscous oil containing carbonate reservoir formation with in situ rock is provided. The composition includes a polymer, the polymer operable to increase the viscosity of the composition; and a tuned water, the tuned water operable to alter a wettability of the in situ rock, wherein the tuned water has a total dissolved solids of between 5,000 ppm by weight and 7,000 ppm by weight, wherein the total dissolved solids comprises one or more salts; wherein the composition has a viscosity between 4 cP and 100 cP.

Abstract: A process for the preparation and imaging of a sample of rock from an oil and gas reservoir is provided. A sample of reservoir rock may be obtained, such as from a core sample obtained using a core sampling tool inserted in a wellbore extending into an oil and gas reservoir. A photoresist may be deposited on the surface of reservoir rock sample to form a homogenous layer. The photoresist-coated surface of the reservoir rock sample may be imaged using a focused ion beam (FIB). The photoresist protects the pores and other surface features of the rock from damage or implantation by the FIB ion beam and thus minimizes the curtain effect in the resulting images.

Abstract: A method for fabricating calcite channels in a nanofluidic device is described. A porous membrane is attached to a substrate. Calcite is deposited in porous openings in the porous membrane attached to the substrate. A width of openings in the deposited calcite is in a range from 50 to 100 nanometers (nm). The porous membrane is etched to remove the porous membrane from the substrate to form a fabricated calcite channel structure. Each channel has a width in the range from 50 to 100 nm.

Abstract: An oil recovery composition of an aqueous solution of one or more salts and dilute polymer and processes for enhanced oil recovery using the oil recovery composition are provided. An oil recovery composition may include an aqueous solution of one or more salts having a salinity of about 4000 parts-per-million (ppm) total dissolved solids (TDS) to about 8000 ppm TDS and a polymer having a concentration of 250 ppm to 750 ppm. The one or more salts may include at least one of sodium chloride (NaCl), calcium chloride (CaCl2), magnesium chloride (MgCl2), sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). The polymer may include a copolymer of acrylamide and acrylamido tertiary butyl sulfonate (ATBS). The oil recovery compositions provided may be suited for enhancing oil recovery in carbonate reservoirs having in situ oil viscosities less than 3 centipoise (cP).

Abstract: An oil recovery composition of an aqueous solution of one or more salts and dilute polymer and processes for enhanced oil recovery using the oil recovery composition are provided. An oil recovery composition may include an aqueous solution of one or more salts having a salinity of about 4000 parts-per-million (ppm) total dissolved solids (TDS) to about 8000 ppm TDS and a polymer having a concentration of 250 ppm to 750 ppm. The one or more salts may include at least one of sodium chloride (NaCl), calcium chloride (CaCl2), magnesium chloride (MgCl2), sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). The polymer may include a copolymer of acrylamide and acrylamido tertiary butyl sulfonate (ATBS). The oil recovery compositions provided may be suited for enhancing oil recovery in carbonate reservoirs having in situ oil viscosities less than 3 centipoise (cP).

Abstract: A primary drainage process, a core aging process, a water flooding process, an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) flooding process, and a core cleaning process is conducted on a rock sample. For each of the primary drainage process, core aging process, water flooding process, EOR flooding process, and core cleaning process, an equilibrium sample magnetization distribution and a spatially resolved spin-spin relaxation time spectrum are measured across multiple locations along a longitudinal length of the rock sample. One or more hydrocarbon saturation distributions of the rock sample are determined based on the equilibrium sample magnetization distributions. One or more wettability distributions of the rock sample are determined based on the spatially resolved spin-spin relaxation time spectrums and the one or more hydrocarbon saturation distributions.

Abstract: An oil recovery composition of an aqueous solution of one or more salts and dilute polymer and processes for enhanced oil recovery using the oil recovery composition are provided. An oil recovery composition may include an aqueous solution of one or more salts having a salinity of about 4000 parts-per-million (ppm) total dissolved solids (TDS) to about 8000 ppm TDS and a polymer having a concentration of 250 ppm to 750 ppm. The one or more salts may include at least one of sodium chloride (NaCl), calcium chloride (CaCl2), magnesium chloride (MgCl2), sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). The polymer may include a copolymer of acrylamide and acrylamido tertiary butyl sulfonate (ATBS). The oil recovery compositions provided may be suited for enhancing oil recovery in carbonate reservoirs having in situ oil viscosities less than 3 centipoise (cP).

Abstract: A primary drainage process, a core aging process, a spontaneous water imbibition process, a forced water imbibition process, a spontaneous hydrocarbon imbibition process, and a secondary drainage process is conducted on a rock sample. For each of the primary drainage process, the spontaneous water imbibition process, the forced water imbibition process, the spontaneous hydrocarbon imbibition process, and the secondary drainage process, a pressure distribution and a fluid saturation distribution are measured across multiple locations along the rock sample. For each of the locations, the pressure distribution and the fluid saturation distribution are combined to produce a capillary pressure bounding curve and scanning loop for the rock sample, and a relative permeability bounding curve and scanning loop are determined at least based on the measured fluid saturation and pressure distributions at the respective location.

Abstract: A primary drainage process, a core aging process, a water flooding process, an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) flooding process, and a core cleaning process is conducted on a rock sample. For each of the primary drainage process, core aging process, water flooding process, EOR flooding process, and core cleaning process, an equilibrium sample magnetization distribution and a spatially resolved spin-spin relaxation time spectrum are measured across multiple locations along a longitudinal length of the rock sample. One or more hydrocarbon saturation distributions of the rock sample are determined based on the equilibrium sample magnetization distributions. One or more wettability distributions of the rock sample are determined based on the spatially resolved spin-spin relaxation time spectrums and the one or more hydrocarbon saturation distributions.

Abstract: A method for fabricating calcite channels in a nanofluidic device is described. A photoresist layer is coated onto a top surface of a silicon nitride (SiN) substrate. After coating the photoresist layer, the photoresist layer is scanned with an electron beam in a predefined pattern. The scanned photoresist is developed to expose portions of the top surface of the SiN substrate in the predefined pattern. Calcite is deposited in the predefined pattern using atomic layer deposition (ALD) using a calcite precursor gas. Using a solvent, a remaining portion of the photoresist layer is removed to expose the deposited calcite in the predefined pattern and on the top surface of the SiN substrate, where a width of the deposited calcite is in range from 50 to 100 nanometers (nm).

Abstract: An oil recovery composition of an aqueous solution of one or more salts and dilute polymer and processes for enhanced oil recovery using the oil recovery composition are provided. An oil recovery composition may include an aqueous solution of one or more salts having a salinity of about 4000 parts-per-million (ppm) to about 8000 ppm, a polymer having a concentration of 250 ppm to 500 ppm, and metal oxide nanoparticles having a concentration in the range of 0.01 weight (wt) % to 0.05 wt %. The one or more salts may include sodium sulfate (Na2SO4). The polymer may include a copolymer of acrylamide and acrylamido tertiary butyl sulfonate (ATBS). The oil recovery compositions provided may be suited for enhancing oil recovery in carbonate reservoirs having in situ oil viscosities less than 3 centipoise (cP).

Abstract: Assessing a rigidity of an interface between a crude oil and a brine includes at least one of: assessing a compression energy for the interface between the crude oil and the brine; assessing a time at which an elastic modulus and a viscous modulus of the interface between the crude oil and the brine are equal; assessing a crumpling behavior or a crumpling ratio of a droplet of the crude oil in the brine; and assessing a coalescence time of droplets of the crude oil in the brine.

Abstract: A method for fabricating calcite channels in a nanofluidic device is described. A photoresist layer is coated onto a top surface of a silicon nitride (SiN) substrate. After coating the photoresist layer, the photoresist layer is scanned with an electron beam in a predefined pattern. The scanned photoresist is developed to expose portions of the top surface of the SiN substrate in the predefined pattern. Calcite is deposited in the predefined pattern using atomic layer deposition (ALD) using a calcite precursor gas. Using a solvent, a remaining portion of the photoresist layer is removed to expose the deposited calcite in the predefined pattern and on the top surface of the SiN substrate, where a width of the deposited calcite is in range from 50 to 100 nanometers (nm).

Abstract: A core sample holder assembly for performing core flood experiments includes a first end cap having a first cylindrical body with a first central chamber and a first inner end that is ring shaped, and a second end cap having a second cylindrical body with a second central chamber and a second inner end that is ring shaped. Three flow lines are spaced elevationally apart, the three flow lines extending from a first outward end to a first inward facing surface of each end cap. A flexible sleeve circumscribes the first end cap and the second end cap. A test sample bore is defined by the first inner end, the second inner end, and an inner diameter surface of the flexible sleeve. A central axis extends through the first end cap, the second end cap, and the flexible sleeve, the first end cap, the second end cap, and the flexible sleeve being axially aligned.

Abstract: An oil recovery composition of an aqueous solution of one or more salts and dilute polymer and processes for enhanced oil recovery using the oil recovery composition are provided. An oil recovery composition may include an aqueous solution of one or more salts having a salinity of about 4000 parts-per-million (ppm) total dissolved solids (TDS) to about 8000 ppm TDS and a polymer having a concentration of 250 ppm to 750 ppm. The one or more salts may include at least one of sodium chloride (NaCl), calcium chloride (CaCl2), magnesium chloride (MgCl2), sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4). The polymer may include a copolymer of acrylamide and acrylamido tertiary butyl sulfonate (ATBS). The oil recovery compositions provided may be suited for enhancing oil recovery in carbonate reservoirs having in situ oil viscosities less than 3 centipoise (cP).