Effect of Fluid Flow Characteristics on Migration of Nano-Particles in Porous Media

Saeed  Sourani; Mohammad  Afkhami; Yousef  Kazemzadeh; Hooman  Fallah

doi:10.4236/gm.2014.43008

Saeed Sourani, Mohammad Afkhami, Yousef Kazemzadeh, Hooman Fallah^*

Abstract: Inter-particle and molecular forces are of most important forces affecting fines migration. Investigating the impact of these types of forces requires information about electrical properties of constitutive component and Nano-sized solids. Surface potential is a well-known parameter, which can be used to measure aforementioned forces. The force balance among electrical, gravity, drag and buoyance forces tracing on a particle can be estimated using fluid properties and physical properties of reservoir such as surface potential, pore size distribution and fine size distribution. The task is to set these forces at conditions that fine migration does not take place. This paper investigates the impact of several parameters that could influence pertinent forces. Effect of ionic strength of flowing fluid is taken into account to evaluate Debye length that determines double layer forces. The impact of injection rate on a parameter named erosion number is also studied. The results of this study show that how introducing salts and injection rate can affect stability of fines on their locations.

Keywords: Fines Migration, Reservoir Damage, Inter-Particle Forces, Electrical Double Layer, Injection Rate

Cite this paper: Sourani, S. , Afkhami, M. , Kazemzadeh, Y. and Fallah, H. (2014) Effect of Fluid Flow Characteristics on Migration of Nano-Particles in Porous Media. Geomaterials, 4, 73-81. doi: 10.4236/gm.2014.43008.

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