Evaluation of optimum surfactant concentration needed for Niger delta oil recovery in Nigeria

This paper presents laboratory analysis of optimum surfactant concentration needed for Niger delta oil recovery in Nigeria. Eight experiments were carried out on a crude sample from the field with different surfactant concentrations to water (0.1%, 0.3%, 0.5%, 0.7%, 0.9%, 1.1%, 1.3%, 1.5% surfactant) using glass beads to simulate the actual field process. Brine saturation, oil saturation, water flooding, surfactant flooding and polymer flooding were done for each of the eight experiments performed and the resulting recoveries were analysed and compared. Then, the optimum surfactant concentration was identified. The results show that 0.9% surfactant concentration is the optimum concentration needed for flooding in this field. Any concentration more than or less than 0.9% would yield less than the optimum recovery. It would be uneconomical to maintain a surfactant concentration higher than 0.9%. Recovery does not necessarily increase with increasing surfactant concentration in the mobilising slug. The field operators in this field are hereby advised to consider 0.9% surfactant concentration.