Effects of Gas Trapping on Foam Mobility in a Model Fracture

In enhanced oil recovery, foam can effectively mitigate conformance problems and maintain a stable displacement front, by trapping gas and reducing its relative permeability in situ. In this study, to understand gas trapping in fractures and how it affects foam behavior, we report foam experiments in a 1-m-long glass model fracture with a...

An Experimental Study of Foam Trapping and Foam Mobility in a Model Fracture

By trapping gas, foam can improve the sweep efficiency in enhanced oil recovery. In this study, to understand gas trapping in fractures, we have conducted experiments in a model fracture with a hydraulic aperture of 80 μm. One wall of the fracture is rough, and the other wall is smooth. The fracture is made of two glass plates and the direct...

Foam Trapping and Foam Mobility in a Model Fracture

Gas injection often suffers from the poor sweep efficiency because of conformance problems, including gravity override, viscous fingering and channelling, as gas has a lighter density and a lower viscosity compared to in-situ fluids. Foam, by encapsulating the gas into separate bubbles in surfactant-contained liquid thin films (lamella), can...