Mitigating fines migration in low salinity water flooding of clay rich sandstones using TiO2 Saponin Zr nanocomposites

Mitigating fines migration in low salinity water flooding of clay rich sandstones using TiO2 Saponin Zr nanocomposites

Abstract Mitigating formation damage due to fines migration is crucial for maintaining reservoir productivity in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes. This research introduces a novel composite, Titanium dioxide nanoparticles coated with Saponin and Zirconium (TiO2@Saponin/Zr(IV)), synthesized via...

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Main Authors: Yuman Li, Farag M. A. Altalbawy, Nikunj Rachchh, T. Ramachandran, Aman Shankhyan, A. Karthikeyan, Dhirendra Nath Thatoi, Deepak Gupta, Mohammad R. K. M. Al-Badkubi, Dilsora Abduvalieva, Samim Sherzod, Mohammad Mahtab Alam
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
Titania nanoparticles
Fines migration
Zeta potential
Enhanced oil recovery
Low salinity brine
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03348-2
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Summary:Abstract Mitigating formation damage due to fines migration is crucial for maintaining reservoir productivity in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes. This research introduces a novel composite, Titanium dioxide nanoparticles coated with Saponin and Zirconium (TiO2@Saponin/Zr(IV)), synthesized via a sol–gel method, to address this challenge, particularly in low salinity water injection scenarios. Characterization through FT-IR confirmed successful functionalization, indicated by the Zr–O band at 480 cm−1 and saponin bands around 1030–1085 cm−1 and 2919–2850 cm−1. Zeta potential measurements showed that in low salinity brine, quartz and kaolinite exhibited highly negative potentials of − 32 mV and − 45 mV, respectively, while TiO2@Saponin/Zr(IV) displayed a positive potential of + 19 mV. Importantly, mixtures of quartz and kaolinite with TiO2@Saponin/Zr(IV) in low salinity conditions resulted in moderated zeta potentials of + 3 mV and − 2 mV, indicating surface charge modulation. Core flooding experiments further validated the composite’s effectiveness. Injecting high salinity water resulted in a minor permeability reduction from 90 to 78 mD, while low salinity water injection caused a drastic drop from 90 to 8 mD. However, with the introduction of 0.5 wt% TiO2@Saponin/Zr(IV) in low salinity water, the permeability reduction was significantly controlled, decreasing from 90 to 85 mD. These quantitative results demonstrate that TiO2@Saponin/Zr(IV) effectively mitigates fines migration by modifying surface charge and preserving permeability, offering a promising solution for formation damage control and enhanced oil recovery.
ISSN:2045-2322

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