Enhancing Oil Recovery Using Carbonated Seawater-Based Waste Concrete Solution Flooding: A Microfluidic Approach

Chemical EOR is gaining more attention as the newly explored reservoirs have deep pore structures. This research introduces an environmentally benign chemical EOR technique using a novel flooding fluid composed of carbonated seawater and waste concrete. This post-carbon captured solution exhibits tunable properties like lower pH, salinity, and optimized concentrations of divalent ions such as calcium and magnesium. The sessile drop method measures the contact angles between the oil/flooding fluid and rock surface, which provides insights into the wettability characteristics essential for effective oil displacement. Subsequent experiments consist of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based microchannel with the modified surface mimicking carbonate and sandstorm reservoir surface to examine the flow behavior within pore throats and intersections. Lastly, a comparative analysis was conducted using a random pore network model to analyze the proposed solution's performance, unlike commonly used surfactant and polymer-based EOR fluids, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate and carboxymethyl cellulose. The results highlight the potential of this novel flooding fluid towards environmentally friendly EOR with storage of carbon.