Development of a controlled carbonate core aging method using carboxylic acids

UDK: 622.276.031.011.43:550.822.3

DOI: 10.24887/0028-2448-2025-10-80-85

Key words: carbonate core, wettability, core аging, carboxylic acids

Authors: V.E. Vakhmistrov (VNIIneft JSC, RF, Moscow); E.V. Yakupova (VNIIneft JSC, RF, Moscow); G.V. Sansiev (Zarubezhneft JSC, RF, Moscow); S.S. Urazov (Zarubezhneft JSC, RF, Moscow)

The aim of this work is to develop an oil-free method for controlled aging of carbonate core to achieve a target wettability. Aging cores without crude oil is important when the oil contains a significant fraction of asphaltene-resin-paraffin deposits, which creates a risk of core plugging during oil-based aging. It helps to reduce time and cost of the aging procedure and enables building a library of samples with uniform properties (for screening chemical formulations). The method was validated for conditions of a hydrophobic carbonate reservoir at the West-Khosedayusskoe oil field (contact angle θ ≈ 110–120°). The authors used 0,01 M monobasic carboxylic acids (C12–C18) in a low-molecular alcohol with 5–15 % water added. Both static (≈ 24 h, 25 °C) and dynamic aging were implemented. Rock  model Indiana Limestone core. Metrics: static contact angle θ and displacement efficiency for water  oil and water  crude oil tests. Adding water is critical for the rate and degree of hydrophobization; increasing alkyl chain length raises θ (C18 > C16 > C14 > C12); a parameter «window» was identified that yields the target θ ≈ 110–120°; the displacement efficiency with crude oil decreases to about 57% versus 67% without aging, which integrally reflects hydrophobization. A reproducible, scalable, and operationally convenient carbonate core-aging method was proposed that provides controlled wettability, enabling the creation of a representative sample library.

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