Orange Mesocarp Extract as a Natural Surfactant: Impact on Fluid−Fluid and Fluid−Rock Interactions during Chemical Flooding

Publication Type

Journal Article

Name of Author

• Amalate Ann Obuebite, Department of Petroleum Engineering, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island PMB , Bayelsa State, Nigeria
• Obumneme Onyeka Okwonna, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt PMB , Rivers State, Nigeria
• William Iheanyi Eke, Department of Pure & Industrial Chemistry, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt PMB , Rivers State, Nigeria
• Onyewuchi Akaranta, Department of Pure & Industrial Chemistry, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt PMB , Rivers State, Nigeria

Publication Date (Issue Year)

2024

Journal Name

ACS Omega

Abstract

Surfactant flooding has suffered a huge setback owing to its cost and the ecotoxic nature of synthetic surfactants. The potential of natural surfactants for enhanced oil recovery has attracted a great deal of research interest in recent times. In this research, orange mesocarp extract (OME) was studied as a potential green surface-active agent in recovering heavy oil. The extract obtained from the orange (Citrus sinensis) mesocarp using alkaline water as solvent was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry . Phase behavior was studied to ascertain its stability at 100 °C and compatibility with divalent ions. Microemulsion system, interfacial tension, optimal salinity, and critical micelle concentration were analyzed to evaluate the surfactant. Oil displacement analysis using an oil–wet sandstone medium under reservoir conditions was performed. Surfactant adsorption mechanism on the core was investigated at atmospheric conditions (28 °C) using the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and linear isotherm models, while the kinetics pattern was modeled with the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, intraparticle diffusion, and Elovich models. Results showed fluid compatibility and bicontinuous microemulsion at varied temperatures. Surfactant flooding produced an additional oil recovery of 44 and 29.1%, which confirms the capability of this natural surfactant in recovering heavy oil. Langmuir isotherm gave the highest correlation coefficient (R2) value of 0.982, indicating that the adsorption of the surfactant (OME) on the core occurred at specific homogeneous sites, which when occupied by a higher surfactant concentration will disallow further adsorption on these sites. From the R2 values, almost all of the kinetic models corroborated good adsorption capacity of the core and an affinity for the surfactant at low concentration. This indicates that low concentration of the surfactant may not favor the enhanced oil recovery operation due to adsorption in the reservoirs, hence the need to flood at a higher surfactant concentration.

Keywords

Orange Mesocarp Extract, Natural Surfactant, Fluid–Fluid, Fluid–Rock Interactions, Chemical Flooding

Grantee Name(s)

Onyewuchi Akaranta

Project Title

Developing Orange Mesocarp and Red Onion Skin into Multifunctional Materials for Oilfield Applications

Type of Grant

Research Award

Thematic Area

Energy including Renewables

Funding Statement

This work was funded by the icipe-World Bank Financing Agreement no. D347-3A and World Bank-Korea Trust Fund agreement no TF0A8639 for the PASET Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (grant no: RSIF/RA/013).

Recommended Citation

Obuebite, A. A., Okwonna, O. O., Eke, W. I., & Akaranta, O. (2024). Orange Mesocarp Extract as a Natural Surfactant: Impact on Fluid−Fluid and Fluid−Rock Interactions during Chemical Flooding. ACS Omega https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.3c04651