Surface energy characterization of sandstone rocks Original Research Article

The fundamental forces of adhesion are responsible for the spreading of fluids such as crude oil/brine on the reservoir rock surface. These physico–chemical interactions determine the surface energetics of a reservoir and thus their wetting phenomena. Inverse Gas Chromatography (IGC) is introduced to characterize the surface energy of sandstones (Ottawa sand and Berea sandstone). The surface chemistry of the sandstone rocks is further elucidated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The behavior of the polar and non-polar interaction forces was investigated at varying water coverage and at different temperatures. The results indicated that in general as the water coverage increased, the Lifshitz–van der Waals component of surface energy decreased to nearly that of the bulk water, while the acid–base component also showed a decreasing trend. The Lifshitz–van der Waals component of surface energy always decreased with increase in temperature, while the acid–base properties showed contrasting trends in line with changes in surface chemistry of the sandstones, due to the change in temperature. Finally, the wetting properties arising in reservoir sandstones were related to the surface chemistry of the reservoir fluids and their interactions with the reservoir rock surface.