advanced polymeric surfactant for enhanced oil recovery: optimized viscosity reduction, controlled wettability, and interfacial tension

The need to enhance oil recovery from depleted reservoirs has led to the development of various techniques, including the use of nanofluids, surfactants, and polymers in established oil fields. however, the development of injection fluids is hindered by cost, harsh reservoir conditions, and stability challenges. in this study, we introduced a novel polymeric surfactant (ps) with unique polar components. the resulting ps solution maintained a consistent viscosity even under changing reservoir conditions, including high temperatures (70°c). additionally, we assessed the ability of the surfactant to change the wettability of oil-wet sandstone surfaces by measuring changes in the contact angle after treatment with the ps solution. experimental results showed a significant reduction in the contact angle, shifting from an initial 150° to 53.4°, indicating a transition from an oil-wet to a partially water-wet state. the promising potential of ps for enhanced oil recovery was demonstrated by achieving an additional 21.11% oil recovery from the initial in-place oil content. these positive results highlight the encouraging prospects of using the ps polymer to advance enhanced oil recovery efforts. as mature wells present increasingly challenging conditions for oil extraction, solutions like ps offer promise for the future of enhanced oil recovery strategies. the need to enhance oil recovery from depleted reservoirs has led to the development of various techniques, including the use of nanofluids, surfactants, and polymers in established oil fields. however, the development of injection fluids is hindered by cost, harsh reservoir conditions, and stability challenges. in this study, we introduced a novel polymeric surfactant (ps) with unique polar components. the resulting ps solution maintained a consistent viscosity even under changing reservoir conditions, including high temperatures (70°c). additionally, we assessed the ability of the surfactant to change the wettability of oil-wet sandstone surfaces by measuring changes in the contact angle after treatment with the ps solution. experimental results showed a significant reduction in the contact angle, shifting from an initial 150° to 53.4°, indicating a transition from an oil-wet to a partially water-wet state. the promising potential of ps for enhanced oil recovery was demonstrated by achieving an additional 21.11% oil recovery from the initial in-place oil content. these positive results highlight the encouraging prospects of using the ps polymer to advance enhanced oil recovery efforts. as mature wells present increasingly challenging conditions for oil extraction, solutions like ps offer promise for the future of enhanced oil recovery strategies.