Injection fluid tuning

Abstract

Injection fluid tuning is provided. In one possible implementation, injection fluid can be tuned by accessing both surface properties of rock found in a hydrocarbon reservoir of interest and a chemical composition of oil found in the reservoir of interest. An ion effect on wettability of a contact surface of the rock can be acquired and then used to formulate a tuned ion solution based on the ion effect on wettability of the contact surface of the rock. In another possible implementation, an electrolyte solution has an ionic composition and an ionic concentration configured to enhance recovery of oil from a reservoir. The electrolyte solution includes a content of direct contact ions including monovalent ions with a static polarizability larger than a preset limit sufficient to influence a contact surface of a rock in the reservoir to reach a desired wettability.

1 . A tuned ion solution comprising:
 an electrolyte solution having an ionic composition and an ionic concentration configured to enhance recovery of oil from a reservoir, wherein the electrolyte solution includes a content of direct contact ions including monovalent ions with a static polarizability larger than a preset limit sufficient to influence a contact surface of a rock in the reservoir to reach a desired wettability.   
     
     
         2 . The tuned ion solution of  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of direct contact ions in the electrolyte solution is less than 20000 parts per million. 
     
     
         3 . The tuned ion solution of  claim 1 , wherein the preset limit includes monovalent anions with static polarizability larger than 3.4×10 −30  m 3 . 
     
     
         4 . The tuned ion solution of  claim 1 , wherein the preset limit includes monovalent cations with static polarizability larger than 1.9×10 −30  m 3 . 
     
     
         5 . The tuned ion solution of  claim 1 , wherein the ionic composition and the ionic concentration are further configured to modify a surface energy between oil and the tuned ion solution as desired. 
     
     
         6 . The tuned ion solution of  claim 1 , wherein the content of direct contact ions includes one or more of:
 bromide ions;   iodide ions; and   nitrate ions.   
     
     
         7 . A computer-readable tangible medium with instructions stored thereon that, when executed, direct a processor to perform acts comprising:
 accessing one or more properties of a type of rock in a hydrocarbon reservoir;   acquiring an ion effect on wettability of a contact surface of the rock; and   formulating a tuned ion solution with a content of direct contact ions sufficient to increase a water wetness of the contact surface of the rock.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 7 , further including instructions to direct a processor to perform acts comprising:
 accessing one or more properties of the type of rock found in the hydrocarbon reservoir by interpreting experimental results and refining a molecular level structure of the contact surface of the rock using one or more of:   molecular mechanics; and   quantum mechanics   
     
     
         9 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 7 , further including instructions to direct a processor to perform acts comprising:
 accessing one or more properties of the type of rock in the hydrocarbon reservoir by querying a database.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 7 , further including instructions to direct a processor to perform acts comprising:
 acquiring the ion effect on wettability of the contact surface of the rock by combining experimental data with one or more of:   molecular mechanics studies; and   quantum chemistry calculations.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 7 , further including instructions to direct a processor to perform acts comprising:
 formulating the tuned ion solution with a content of direct contact ions sufficient to increase the water wetness of the contact surface of the rock by performing calculations on computational models of one or more of:   the tuned ion solution; and   the rock.