Lab-On-Chip Application for Oil Recovery
Energy
Using the lab-on-chip fabrication techniques, it is possible to construct a realistic pore structure of a reservoir rock in glass micromodels. These microfluidics chips can be later utilized for flow visualization of different phases through these pore networks to elucidate the mechanism behind the flow displacement process. The effect of different factors such as wettability, pore structure, fluid properties and process variables can be visualized for further studies.
Our experts have conducted mechanistic studies of heavy oil and bitumen recovery by solvent (VAPEX), thermal (SAGD) and hybrid methods (Warm VAPEX, and SA-SAGD) in glass-etched micromodel chips for better understanding of the recovery processes evolution.
