Demulsification Kinetics of Water-in-Oil Emulsions of Ecuadorian Crude Oil: Influence of Temperature and Salinity
This work focuses on the stability analysis of water-in-oil macroemulsions with a crude oil from the Sacha Field in Ecuador. This field is an important hydrocarbon resource in Ecuador with a typical bottom freshwater drive. The comprehensive stability analysis includes coalescence, water resolution...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3115 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849472046710390784 |
|---|---|
| author | Jordy Sarmas-Farfan Antonio Diaz-Barrios Teresa E. Lehmann Vladimir Alvarado |
| author_facet | Jordy Sarmas-Farfan Antonio Diaz-Barrios Teresa E. Lehmann Vladimir Alvarado |
| author_sort | Jordy Sarmas-Farfan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This work focuses on the stability analysis of water-in-oil macroemulsions with a crude oil from the Sacha Field in Ecuador. This field is an important hydrocarbon resource in Ecuador with a typical bottom freshwater drive. The comprehensive stability analysis includes coalescence, water resolution or phase separation, and water–oil interfacial tension and interfacial dilatational viscoelastic modulus measurements over time. Two main parameters, due to their relevance, were controlled in these experiments: water salinity and temperature. The analysis reported here is the first focused on this important resource in Ecuador. Findings shed light on which mechanisms more likely control the stability of these water-in-oil macroemulsions. Results herein suggest that regardless of temperature, low-salinity water favors emulsion stability, likely due to the tendency of a stiffer interface formation at low-ionic strength, as interfacial viscoelasticity measurements show. This implies that the low-ionic strength water from the aquifer can enable the formation of stable emulsions. In contrast, water resolution depends significantly on temperature, possibly due to higher sedimentation rates. The implication is that if emulsions do not break up before cooling off, the emulsion can become more stable. Finally, analysis of the interface buildup rates could explain the observed increase in emulsion stability over time. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b47bcb8f986e4e38a2a2ab4b503d9679 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-b47bcb8f986e4e38a2a2ab4b503d96792025-08-20T03:24:37ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-06-011812311510.3390/en18123115Demulsification Kinetics of Water-in-Oil Emulsions of Ecuadorian Crude Oil: Influence of Temperature and SalinityJordy Sarmas-Farfan0Antonio Diaz-Barrios1Teresa E. Lehmann2Vladimir Alvarado3Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USASchool of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Yachay Tech University, Urcuqui 100115, EcuadorDepartment of Chemistry, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USADepartment of Chemical Engineering, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USAThis work focuses on the stability analysis of water-in-oil macroemulsions with a crude oil from the Sacha Field in Ecuador. This field is an important hydrocarbon resource in Ecuador with a typical bottom freshwater drive. The comprehensive stability analysis includes coalescence, water resolution or phase separation, and water–oil interfacial tension and interfacial dilatational viscoelastic modulus measurements over time. Two main parameters, due to their relevance, were controlled in these experiments: water salinity and temperature. The analysis reported here is the first focused on this important resource in Ecuador. Findings shed light on which mechanisms more likely control the stability of these water-in-oil macroemulsions. Results herein suggest that regardless of temperature, low-salinity water favors emulsion stability, likely due to the tendency of a stiffer interface formation at low-ionic strength, as interfacial viscoelasticity measurements show. This implies that the low-ionic strength water from the aquifer can enable the formation of stable emulsions. In contrast, water resolution depends significantly on temperature, possibly due to higher sedimentation rates. The implication is that if emulsions do not break up before cooling off, the emulsion can become more stable. Finally, analysis of the interface buildup rates could explain the observed increase in emulsion stability over time.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3115interfacial rheologyenhanced oil recoveryemulsion stability |
| spellingShingle | Jordy Sarmas-Farfan Antonio Diaz-Barrios Teresa E. Lehmann Vladimir Alvarado Demulsification Kinetics of Water-in-Oil Emulsions of Ecuadorian Crude Oil: Influence of Temperature and Salinity Energies interfacial rheology enhanced oil recovery emulsion stability |
| title | Demulsification Kinetics of Water-in-Oil Emulsions of Ecuadorian Crude Oil: Influence of Temperature and Salinity |
| title_full | Demulsification Kinetics of Water-in-Oil Emulsions of Ecuadorian Crude Oil: Influence of Temperature and Salinity |
| title_fullStr | Demulsification Kinetics of Water-in-Oil Emulsions of Ecuadorian Crude Oil: Influence of Temperature and Salinity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Demulsification Kinetics of Water-in-Oil Emulsions of Ecuadorian Crude Oil: Influence of Temperature and Salinity |
| title_short | Demulsification Kinetics of Water-in-Oil Emulsions of Ecuadorian Crude Oil: Influence of Temperature and Salinity |
| title_sort | demulsification kinetics of water in oil emulsions of ecuadorian crude oil influence of temperature and salinity |
| topic | interfacial rheology enhanced oil recovery emulsion stability |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3115 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jordysarmasfarfan demulsificationkineticsofwaterinoilemulsionsofecuadoriancrudeoilinfluenceoftemperatureandsalinity AT antoniodiazbarrios demulsificationkineticsofwaterinoilemulsionsofecuadoriancrudeoilinfluenceoftemperatureandsalinity AT teresaelehmann demulsificationkineticsofwaterinoilemulsionsofecuadoriancrudeoilinfluenceoftemperatureandsalinity AT vladimiralvarado demulsificationkineticsofwaterinoilemulsionsofecuadoriancrudeoilinfluenceoftemperatureandsalinity |