Joint project between the University of Petroleum Industry and Arvandan; Oil production tripled in a laboratory pilot

According to Energy Press, citing the University of Petroleum Industry, Shahin Kord, a faculty member of the University of Petroleum Industry, stated: “Many oil wells that use the gas lift method suffer from a drop in efficiency with the increase of water or in a horizontal and deviated state. Foam Assisted Gas Lift (FAGL) technology is an effective solution to this challenge. By injecting surfactant and forming foam inside the well, the density of the fluid column is reduced and the oil is transported to the surface with less energy.
He added: The project implementation path included selecting and testing appropriate foaming agents, modeling and sensitivity analysis of the parameters effective in foam lifting, and designing two creative setups at the research center. The first setup allowed for the examination of foamability and foam stability, and the second setup was designed to evaluate the effect of foam on improving production as well as the ability of surfactants to separate emulsion water from oil at different temperatures and pressures.
A faculty member at the University of Petroleum Industry stated: “The results showed that the optimal selection of foaming agent and the correct adjustment of operating parameters can increase oil production on a laboratory scale by up to three times compared to conventional methods. In this method, we use water with oil as the basis for foam formation, and the injected gas creates a stable foam with the help of surfactants, which significantly increases production by reducing the density of the oil column.”