Blocking Ability and Flow Characteristics of Nitrogen Foam Stabilized with Clay Particles in Porous Media

Particles-stabilized foams have received more attention in recent years due to their specific characteristics and advantages in contrast to conventional foams which were stabilized with surfactants. However, the rheology of particles-stabilized foam in consolidated cores was rarely studied. To investigate the feasibility of the particles-stabilized foam application in enhanced oil recovery, the blocking ability and flowing characteristics of foam stabilized with clay particles were investigated by using experimental cores. To do this, the foam resistance factor was studied as an index in this article. The effects of foam quality (gas velocity divided by total velocity), injection rate of foam, and the permeability of cores on the blocking ability of foams were investigated. Results showed that the blocking ability reached the peak value at the foam quality of 0.74. This indicated effective blocking ability as conventional foams performed in porous media. Moreover, the foams block the channels more effectively in high permeability cores, compared with low permeability ones. Finally, foams displayed shear-thinning property in porous media as injection rate increased.