Impact of Residual Zwitterionic Surfactants on Topside Water-Oil Separation of Pre-Salt Light Crude Oil Emulsions.

ABSTRACT: Zwitterionic surfactants have been used as foaming agents in Enhanced Oil Recovery due to their foamability, tolerance to reservoir conditions, low toxicity, and low adsorption on reservoir rocks. However, in the case of back-production, the impact of zwitterionic surfactants on water-in-crude oil (W/O) emulsions and produced water remains unclear, representing a knowledge gap in the field. The present study evaluated the effect of three commercial zwitterionic surfactants, at concentrations ranging from 50 to 1000 ppm, on water-oil separation using a Brazilian Pre-Salt crude oil. Emulsion formation, separation kinetics, and water quality were assessed through bottle tests, droplet size microscopy, and oil-in-water content analysis. At the lowest concentration (50 ppm), these surfactants p

SUBMITTER: Alvarenga BG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12573017 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature