Experimental insights into synergestic SiO2 nanoparticle/welan gum: the role of surface interaction in improving oil recovery
Zhandarbek Sapargaliyev, Azel Tuyakova, Ayazhan Kubasheva, Aray Serikkali, Yermukhan Zhuniskenov, Galymzhan Serikov, Azza Hashim Abbas
Abstract
Abstract This study explored the synergistic interaction of SiO 2 NPs and Welan gum for offshore application. Interaction characteristics, rheological behavior, Fluid-rock interaction and oil displacement were evaluated. FTIR, SEM and H-NMR were employed to characterize the SiO 2 -Welan gum solution. The results showed that SiO 2 interacts with Welan gum through chemical bonds and possible hydrogen bonds due to hydroxyl group formation, increasing polymer roughness and causing network disruption. The incorporation of SiO 2 NPs into welan gum resulted in a viscosity enhancement of up to 50% at 1.5 wt% salinity, demonstrating significant stability improvement. SiO 2 NPs contribute to the thermal resistance of the polymer at elevated temperatures. Their synergistic effect was to mitigate salinity-induced viscosity reduction, maintaining fluid consistency more effectively than in the absence of nanoparticles. With SiO 2 , the adsorption between polymer and limestone decreased over time, showing an average reduction of 19%. The adsorption was homogeneous and was best described by the Langmuir isotherm model. The oil recovery improved by 15% more efficiently than the welan gum alone. The study suggests that SiO 2 interacts with Welan gum in the ionic solution creating a three-dimensional network that resists conformational collapse and controls the polymer diffusion in limestone porous media.