Studi surfactant flooding di Tanjung Field meningkatkan produksi minyak hingga tiga kali lipat dengan cumulative oil gain sebesar 7.025 bbl.
Surfactant flooding is one of the Enhanced Oil Recovery EOR) methods that can be used to improve oil recovery through the injection of surfactants into the reservoir. Its application requires a formulation that is suitable for the characteristics of the oil and formation water, as well as evaluation through laboratory testing before being implemented in the field.
A study published in Scientific Reports discusses the implementation of surfactant flooding small-scale in a waxy oil reservoir in Tanjung Field, Indonesia. The study connects the formulation and evaluation of surfactants in the laboratory with coreflood testing and field implementation in Zone A, which has remaining oil significant.
Figure 1. The surfactant flooding study in Tanjung Field achieved a threefold increase in oil production and a cumulative oil gain of 7,025 bbl.
Formulation and Laboratory Testing
This study used an Alkyl Ethoxy Carboxylate surfactant that was formulated and optimized based on the characteristics of the oil and formation water from Tanjung Field.
The optimization resulted in an interfacial tension (IFT) of 0.042 mN/m, compared to the initial oil-brine IFT of 18.3 mN/m. The formulation also demonstrated IFT stability during a thermal stability test at a temperature of 63 °C for three months.
The evaluation was then continued through coreflood testing using sample native core. Injection of a surfactant slug of 0.2 pore volume (PV) at a surfactant concentration of 2.0 wt.% resulted in a 25% increase in oil recovery.
Implementation of Surfactant Flooding Design in the Field
For the field test, an injector-producer pair was selected based on good connectivity and close proximity. This selection was made to achieve a faster response while maintaining testing cost efficiency.
The surfactant was continuously injected for four days, beginning on January 19, 2016, followed by water injection. Production was monitored until March 2017, targeting an effective reservoir pore volume of 10,625 bbl.
Results and Research Collaboration
Implementation of surfactant flooding resulted in a threefold increase in oil production rate and a cumulative oil gain of 7,025 bbl. The total testing cost was recorded at USD 61,812, including chemical and operational costs.
This study involved Lab EOR ITB through the authors' research affiliations. OGRINDO ITB was also acknowledged in the publication for its support through access to experimental equipment and facilities that supported the research.
The results of this study demonstrate how laboratory evaluation and field testing can form part of the implementation of surfactant flooding to support improved oil recovery in the Tanjung Field case study.
Scientific Publication
This study was published in Scientific Reports under the title: “Surfactant flooding in waxy oil reservoir in Tanjung field, Indonesia: a case study of successful small-scaled field implementation.”
OGRINDO ITB and Lab EOR ITB are open to research development, laboratory testing, and collaboration in the field of Enhanced Oil Recovery and related oil recovery technologies.
Surfactant flooding is one of the Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) methods that plays an important role in increasing oil recovery by reducing interfacial tension (IFT) and mobilizing oil trapped within the pores of reservoir rock. This study evaluates the performance of two commercial surfactants through the analysis of the relationship between capillary number and residual oil saturation using a modified transparent micromodel approach combined withigital image analysis. This approach provides a deeper understanding of fluid displacement dynamics in porous media during the surfactant flooding.
Figure 1. Presentation of research results on surfactant flooding performance at the IATMI Symposium 2022.
Research Background and Objectives
Surfactant flooding has long been developed as one of the Chemical EOR methods that is effective in improving oil mobility within the reservoir. By reducing the interfacial tension between oil and water, surfactants allow oil that was previously trapped within rock pores to be more easily mobilized and produced.
In laboratory studies, surfactant flooding performance is often analyzed using the Capillary Desaturation Curve (CDC), which describes the relationship between changes in residual oil saturation and capillary number. Capillary number itself is the ratio between viscous forces—which are influenced by fluid viscosity and injection rate—and capillary forces, which are influenced by the interfacial tension between two immiscible fluids.
This study aims to evaluate the performance of two commercial surfactants by analyzing how changes in the capillary number can affect the reduction of residual oil saturation. To increase the capillary number, the value of interfacial tension between surfactants and crude oil was modified until reaching the ultra-low IFT condition, allowing the capillary number to increase by three to five orders of magnitude.
Figure 2. Presentation of research on the evaluation of surfactant flooding performance using a modified micromodel , discussing the relationship between capillary number and residual oil saturation in a Chemical EOR.
Experimental Approach Using a Modified Micromodel
This study uses a transparent modified micromodel that enables direct visualization of fluid movement in porous media. This approach provides a clearer picture of the oil displacement process during surfactant injection.
To represent reservoir conditions more realistically, the micromodel was modified by adding quartz and cement, allowing fluid–rock interactions to be observed more representatively. The experimental process was then analyzed using Digital Image Analysis (DIA) to calculate important parameters such as initial oil saturation, residual oil saturation, water saturation, and surfactant saturation quantitatively.
This study consists of two main testing stages: a static test to evaluate fluid compatibility through CMC–IFT testing, and a dynamic test using the micromodel to directly observe the surfactant flooding process within porous media.
Figure 3. Example of a modified transparent micromodel used in the study to visualize fluid movement in porous media during the surfactant flooding.
Research Results and Insights
The results of the study show that the reduction of interfacial tension between the surfactant solution and crude oil directly influences the reduction of residual oil saturation, which ultimately increases oil recovery.
However, the study also shows that the lowest interfacial tension does not always result in the highest oil recovery . This finding provides an important perspective that an increase in capillary number at a certain level is sufficient to improve oil mobilization, without always having to reach the condition of ultra-low IFT.
The approach using a modified micromodel also demonstrates significant potential as an experimental method that is simpler, faster, and more cost-efficient compared to conventional methods such as coreflood test, while still being able to provide detailed insights into fluid–rock interactions at the pore scale.
Figure 4. Award presentation at the IATMI Symposium 2022 for contributions to a professional technical paper discussing the analysis of surfactant flooding using a micromodel experiment.
Publication Access and Research Collaboration
This article summarizes the key points of the scientific publication that can be accessed in full through the Publications di website OGRINDO ITB. 🔗 Read the full publication here
OGRINDO ITB actively develops various research initiatives in reservoir engineering, enhanced oil recovery, dan teknologi subsurface technology to support the needs of the energy industry.
Interested in Collaboration?
📩 Interested in discussing or exploring research collaboration in the field of Chemical EOR? We welcome opportunities to collaborate with industry partners, research institutions, and academic communities. Email: info@ogrindoitb.com
Efforts to increase national oil and gas production amid the decline of existing field production require the application of Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technology that is increasingly mature, measurable, and research-based. In response to this challenge, the Training Surfactant Screening for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) was conducted on Tuesday, 9 December 2025, at Best Western Premier The Hive, Cawang, DKI Jakarta.
This training featured Ir. Mahruri, S.T., M.Sc., Project Manager of the EOR Laboratory ITB as well as a Researcher at OGRINDO ITB, as the main speaker. The activity was organized by KOPUM IATMI (Koperasi Jasa Usaha Mandiri Ikatan Ahli Teknik Perminyakan Indonesia) and was attended by professionals from Pertamina RTI.
This training served as a strategic momentum to enhance technical capacity and strengthen the competencies of petroleum professionals, particularly in supporting the development and optimization of EOR technology implementation across various oil and gas working areas in Indonesia.
Figure 1. Ir. Mahruri, S.T., M.Sc. delivering fundamental concepts of Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (C-EOR).
Urgency of EOR Implementation in Indonesian Oil and Gas Fields
In the opening session, Ir. Mahruri presented a comprehensive overview of the stages of oil production—ranging from primary recovery, secondary recovery, to Enhanced Oil Recovery. It was conveyed that although waterflood and gas flood methods have been widely implemented, a significant portion of oil remains trapped in the reservoir due to limitations of conventional displacement mechanisms.
In this context, EOR emerges as a strategic solution to:
Drain residual oil that is microscopically trapped,
Increase recovery factor,
Extend the productive life of existing oil and gas fields.
Globally, the contribution of EOR to world oil production continues to increase, particularly in countries with maturefields. Indonesia has significant potential to optimize EOR, especially Chemical EOR, in both sandstone and carbonate reservoirs.
Chemical EOR and the Strategic Role of Surfactants
The main focus of this training was Chemical EOR, with an emphasis on surfactant flooding. Fundamentally, Chemical EOR aims to modify the physicochemical properties of reservoir fluids and rocks through the injection of chemical agents such as alkali, surfactants, and polymers.
Ir. Mahruri explained that surfactants play a crucial role in:
Reducing the interfacial tension (IFT) between oil and water to achieve ultra-low IFT conditions,
Forming microemulsions capable of mobilizing residual oil,
Altering rock wettability (wettability alteration),
Improving displacement efficiency and imbibition processes.
The success of surfactant flooding is highly dependent on a comprehensive screening and laboratory evaluation process to ensure that the applied surfactants are truly compatible with reservoir characteristics.
Figure 2. The atmosphere of the Training Surfactant Screening for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) attended by oil and gas professionals from Pertamina RTI in Jakarta.
Surfactant Screening: From Concept to Laboratory Evaluation
One of the main strengths of this training was the in-depth discussion of the laboratory-based surfactant screening workflow, covering fluid–fluid and rock–fluidinteractions, as well as chemical performance in porous media. Several key tests discussed included:
CMC–IFT Test Determines the optimum surfactant concentration to achieve the lowest IFT value. An effective surfactant is expected to reach ultra-low IFT (<10⁻² mN/m) at an economically feasible concentration.
Aqueous Stability Test Evaluates surfactant stability and compatibility in injection brine and native brine reservoir to avoid the risk of precipitation and plugging.
Phase Behavior Test Assesses microemulsion formation (Winsor Type III) as the main indicator of surfactant effectiveness in mobilizing residual oil.
Thermal Stability & Filtration Test Ensures surfactant stability at reservoir temperature and minimizes potential injectivity issues during the injection process.
Wettability, Adsorption, and Imbibition Test Evaluates the ability of surfactants to alter rock wettability and minimize surfactant loss due to adsorption.
Coreflooding and Micromodel Advanced stages to dynamically simulate surfactant performance in porous media while visualizing displacement mechanisms in two dimensions. displacement secara dua dimensi.
This series of tests emphasizes that Chemical EOR is not merely a chemical injection process, but an integrated scientific approach that must be supported by strong and representative laboratory data.
Bridging Research and Field Implementation
Through this training, participants gained not only conceptual understanding but also practical insights into how research outcomes and laboratory test results can be translated into EOR strategies ready for field implementation.
The discussion also addressed common challenges in Chemical EOR implementation, including:
Polymer adsorption and degradation,
Surfactant sensitivity to salinity and temperature,
Risks of plugging, scaling, and corrosion,
Economic considerations and surface facility readiness.
Various case studies and lesson learned from EOR implementations both domestically and internationally enriched participants’ perspectives on the complexity as well as the opportunities of this technology.
Figure 3. Group photo of the speaker and participants of the Training Surfactant Screening for EOR organized by KOPUM IATMI.
Opening Opportunities for Strategic Collaboration
Through this activity, OGRINDO ITB and the EOR Laboratory ITB reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the development of EOR technology based on research, laboratory testing, and close collaboration with industry.
Opportunities for collaboration are open for:
Research and development of Chemical EOR,
Surfactant screening and laboratory evaluation,
EOR feasibility studies,
Technical training and consultancy,
Industry–academia collaborative projects.
Figure 4. Certificate handover to participants of the Training Surfactant Screening for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) as a form of technical competency strengthening.
This training serves as a tangible example of how synergy between research, laboratories, and industry can accelerate the adoption of practical, effective, and sustainable EOR technologies to support national energy security.
