Application of DLVO Modeling to Study the Effect of Silica Nanofluid to Reduce Critical Salt Concentration in Sandstones

Abstract Critical salt concentration (CSC) is the minimum of injected water used for different oil recovery operations, below which fines migration initiates within sandstone reservoirs having clay contents and could be one potential causes formation damage. This paper estimated CSC Berea sandstone-NaCl brine system experimentally by using DLVO modeling based on Van der Waals electric double layer (EDL) surface forces. Furthermore, effectiveness silica nanofluid to reduce control was investigated. At salinities fluid, experimental determined performing corefloods analyzing effluent turbidity absorbance. Attractive (van Waals) repulsive forces were theory predict value CSC. The data validate model. application nanoparticles (NPs) studied injecting 0.1 wt% resultant reduction in observed. During injection brines at ranging from 0.2 M 0.05 into porous media, production detected after 0.1M NaCl solution, indicating that this sand-fine-brine (SFB) system. zeta potentials SFB systems measured zeta-sizer range -32 mV -24 mV. model attractive then CSC, total energy shifts negative positive around solution. prediction close agreement with results. Both experiment showed efficiency mitigate as no observed case treatment nanofluid. estimation critical avoid damage during many processes, included but not limited low salinity waterflooding alkaline flooding. utilization provided promising results controlling reducing proposed can work a useful tool without need extensive work.