TY - EJOU AU - Zhao, Jing AU - Yang, Jun TI - Interaction of Foam and Microemulsion Components in Low-Tension-Gas Flooding T2 - Fluid Dynamics \& Materials Processing PY - 2023 VL - 19 IS - 7 SN - 1555-2578 AB - Low-Tension-Foam (LTF) flooding is an emerging enhanced oil recovery technique for low-permeability carbonate reservoirs. Foam capacity is closely related to the salinity environment (or, equivalently, the phase behavior of the oil/water/surfactant system). Therefore, the interactions between microemulsion and foam components are of primary importance in the LTF process. In this study, the phase behavior of an oil/water/surfactant system under equilibrium is analyzed, firstly by assuming perfect mixing. Meanwhile, the formation kinetics of microemulsion are monitored through a novel low-field NMR technique, which is able to provide quantitative assessment on the microemulsion evolution characteristics. Then, foam stability is examined in the absence and in the presence of Winsor-I and Winsor-III type microemulsions. It is revealed that foam stability depends on the oil solubilization (oil swollen micelle size). A decrease in the oil swollen micelle size and micellar structure effectiveness, in conjunction with an increasing salinity, leads to lower foam stability in the presence of a Winsor-III type microemulsion. KW - Foam; mobility control; microemulsion; injectivity; fluid flow DO - 10.32604/fdmp.2023.026115