Physical chemistry of colloids and interfaces in oil production

Abstract

The field of colloid and interface science is nowadays the topic of numerous scientific meetings. For want of basic understanding, the problems to which engineer is faced in drilling and oil production operations do not find optimal solutions. Colloid and interface phenomena govern many such problems. Misunderstandings in oil field operations have enormous financial consequences ranging from delays in well drilling to poor evaluations of reserves and low recoveries. The need for advances in colloid and interface science applicable to production process development has been recognized for a long time by the oil industry, and most of its research centers support active programs for that purpose. These proceedings bring important new results on problems like the wettability of reservoir rocks, the relationships between structure and properties of complex drilling fluids, and the transport of colloidal particles and foams in porous media. These proceedings are subdivided into three parts: Interfacial phenomena, complex fluids and colloids in porous media. Five plenary lectures, 27 oral conferences and 36 poster communications have been presented.