EVALUATION OF OKRA (ABELMOSCHUS ESCULENTUS) MACROMOLECULAR SOLUTION FOR ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY IN KAZAKHSTAN CARBONATE RESERVOIR
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Date
2022-09-18
Authors
Abbas, Azza Hashim
Ajunwa, Obinna Markraphael
Mazhit, Birzhan
Martyushev, Dmitriy A.
Bou-Hamdan, Kamel Fahmi
Abd Alsaheb, Ramzi A.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Energies
Abstract
Natural polymers have been investigated as part of the endeavors of green chemistry
practice in the oil field. However, natural polymer studies are still preliminary. The current study
examines okra’s (natural polymer) efficiency for polymer flooding, particularly in Kazakhstan.
The evaluation targets the heavy oil trapped in carbonate reservoirs. SEM and FTIR were used
to characterize morphology and chemical composition. A rheology study was conducted under
different shear rates for three plausible concentrations: 1 wt.%, 2 wt.% and 5 wt.%. The core flooding
was challenged by the low porosity and permeability of the core. The results showed that okra’s
size is between 150–900 m. The morphology can be described by rod-like structures with pores
and staking as sheet structures. The FTIR confirmed that the solution contains a substantial amount
of polysaccharides. During the rheology test, okra showed a proportional relationship between the
concentration and viscosity increase, and an inversely proportional relationship with the shear rate.
At reservoir temperature, the viscosity reduction was insignificant, which indicated good polymer
stability. Okra showed shear-thinning behavior. It was fitted to the Ostwald–de Waele power-law
model by a (90–99)% regression coefficient. The findings confirm okra’s pseudo-plasticity, and that it
is proportional to the solution concentration. The incremental oil recovery was 7%. The flow was
found to be restricted due to the mechanical entrapment resulting from the large molecule size and
the low porosity–permeability of the system. This study proves that the dominating feature of natural
polysaccharide derivatives is their applicability to moderate reservoir conditions. The current study
is a positive attempt at natural polymer application in Kazakhstan and similar field conditions.
Description
Keywords
Type of access: Open Access, enhanced oil recovery, polymer flooding, Ostwald–deWaele power-lawmodel, shear-thinning, carbonate, polysaccharides
Citation
Abbas, A., Ajunwa, O., Mazhit, B., Martyushev, D., Bou-Hamdan, K., & Abd Alsaheb, R. (2022). Evaluation of OKRA (Abelmoschus esculentus) Macromolecular Solution for Enhanced Oil Recovery in Kazakhstan Carbonate Reservoir. Energies, 15(18), 6827. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15186827