Foam formation in gas-liquid flow in porous media*

Foam can be used in enhanced oil recovery to maximize oil production.  The presence of liquid lamellae between gas bubbles in the foam reduces the gas mobility, leading to a more stable oil displacement flow.  The flow mobility is a function of the pore geometry and foam properties.  Foams can be injected in the reservoir or produced in-situ in the gas-liquid flow through the pore space. The goal of this research is to study foam formation during drainage of a two-dimensional porous media glass model by visualizing the pore scale displacement flow of a surfactant solution by injected gas. Image processing is used to study the evolution of the phase distribution and foam characteristics as a function of pore space geometry and flow conditions.