Electrokinetics for Petroleum and Environmental Engineers

Book excerpt: Electrokinetics is a term applied to a group of physicochemical phenomena involving the transport of charges, action of charged particles, effects of applied electric potential and fluid transport in various porous media to allow for a desired migration or flow to be achieved. These phenomena include electrokinetics, electroosmosis, ion migration, electrophoresis, streaming potential and electroviscosity. These phenomena are closely related and all contribute to the transport and migration of different ionic species and chemicals in porous media. The physicochemical and electrochemical properties of a porous medium and the pore fluid, and the magnitudes of the applied electrical potential all impact the direction and velocity of the fluid flow. Also, an electrical potential is generated upon the forced passage of fluid carrying charged particles through a porous medium. The use of electrokinetics in the field of petroleum and environmental engineering was groundbreaking when George Chilingar pioneered its use decades ago, but it has only been in recent years that its full potential has been studied. This is the first volume of its kind ever written, offering the petroleum or environmental engineer a practical "how to" book on using electrokinetics for more efficient and better oil recovery and recovery from difficult reservoirs. This groundbreaking volume is a must-have for any petroleum engineer working in the field, and for students and faculty in petroleum engineering departments worldwide.