A method of assessing the effect of a production chemical on the stability of a water and oil emulsion, the emulsion comprising the production chemical, is provided. The method comprises: applying a potential difference across the emulsion at a detection site; measuring a current flowing through the emulsion due to the applied potential difference; and using this measured current to assess the effect of the production chemical. The step of using the measured current to assess the effect of the production chemical may comprise determining, based on the measured current, whether a critical potential of the emulsion has been reached or exceeded. The emulsion may be a crude oil emulsion. It may be a water-in-oil emulsion. The production chemical may be an emulsion breaker. Also provided is an apparatus for assessing the effect of a production chemical on a water and oil emulsion.

A SAP evaluation apparatus includes: a main body installed with a lifting bar that is raised or lowered; a container portion installed under the lifting bar in the main body and having an internal containing space for containing an absorber; an operating portion connected to the lifting bar and having a lifting plate that is raised or lowered within the containing space and applies pressure to the absorber and an injection portion for injecting an ink in the direction of the absorber; a dispersion measurement portion for measuring the dispersion of the ink through the absorber; and a controller installed at the main body to measure absorption of the ink into the absorber and measure swelling capacity of the absorber while the ink is injected into the absorber.

Systems and methods are provided for determining an asphaltene solubility distribution for a petroleum sample and/or other hydrocarbon sample. A vessel for performing the method can include both packing material(s) and sidewall(s) that correspond to substantially inert materials. The vessel can initially contain a precipitating solvent suitable for causing precipitation of asphaltenes from a hydrocarbon sample. Examples of a precipitating solvents can correspond to n-heptane, toluene, and mixtures of n-heptane and toluene. The petroleum sample is then introduced into the vessel, along with a carrier solvent. The volume of the precipitating solvent can be large relative to the sample, so that the solubility of asphaltenes in the sample becomes dependent on the properties of the precipitating solvent. If asphaltenes are precipitated, the asphaltenes can be washed out of the column using a dissolution solvent. The asphaltenes washed out using the dissolution solvent can then be characterized to determine a total asphaltene content.

Systems and methods are provided for determining an asphaltene solubility distribution for a petroleum sample and/or other hydrocarbon sample. A vessel for performing the method can include both packing material(s) and sidewall(s) that correspond to substantially inert materials. The vessel can initially contain a precipitating solvent suitable for causing precipitation of asphaltenes from a hydrocarbon sample. Examples of a precipitating solvents can correspond to n-heptane, toluene, and mixtures of n-heptane and toluene. The petroleum sample is then introduced into the vessel, along with a carrier solvent. The volume of the precipitating solvent can be large relative to the sample, so that the solubility of asphaltenes in the sample becomes dependent on the properties of the precipitating solvent. If asphaltenes are precipitated, the asphaltenes can be washed out of the column using a dissolution solvent. The asphaltenes washed out using the dissolution solvent can then be characterized to determine a total asphaltene content.

Disclosed is a system for measuring mass transfer in a membrane and solutions. The system includes: a membrane module 10 including a feed solution reservoir 11 accommodating a feed solution f, a draw solution reservoir 13 accommodating a draw solution d whose osmotic concentration is higher than that of the feed solution f, and a holder 15 supporting a semipermeable membrane m arranged between the feed solution reservoir 11 and the draw solution reservoir 13 and whose performance is to be measured; a feed solution storage tank 20 storing the feed solution f; and a feed solution supply pump 30 supplying the feed solution f from the feed solution storage tank 20 to the feed solution reservoir 11 at a fixed flow rate corresponding to a water flux WF across the membrane m such that the water flux WF is maintained constant.

pa In one embodiment, a method of monitoring fluid flow includes mounting at least one probe including at least two electrodes to a conduit having a mixture including at least oil and water flowing therethrough and exciting the at least two electrodes with an AC voltage and a predetermined frequency. The method also includes measuring an impedance between the at least two electrodes and detecting a water layer based on the measured impedance. The mixture may also include gas. In another embodiment, a method of detecting phase wetting in a pipe includes measuring a high frequency impedance response of a two concentric electrode probe flush mounted in the pipe.

The present invention provides an adjustment device for a flexible wall surface suitable for droplet impact, which includes a base, a staybolt, an experiment substrate and the wall surface to be tested, wherein the periphery of the wall surface to be tested is fixed to the upper surface of the experiment substrate by an adhesion agent and the inclination angle of the wall surface to be tested is adjusted by adjusting the left two staybolts and right two staybolts on the experiment substrate to different heights; and a plurality of through holes are uniformly formed on the experiment substrate and provided therein with wall surface adjusting bolts used to abut against and apply force to the wall surface to be tested, so as to allow the wall surface to be tested to present a desired curved shape.

The present invention provides an adjustment device for a flexible wall surface suitable for droplet impact, which includes a base, a staybolt, an experiment substrate and the wall surface to be tested, wherein the periphery of the wall surface to be tested is fixed to the upper surface of the experiment substrate by an adhesion agent and the inclination angle of the wall surface to be tested is adjusted by adjusting the left two staybolts and right two staybolts on the experiment substrate to different heights; and a plurality of through holes are uniformly formed on the experiment substrate and provided therein with wall surface adjusting bolts used to abut against and apply force to the wall surface to be tested, so as to allow the wall surface to be tested to present a desired curved shape.

A method includes developing a lab-scale representative correlation between wettability index and tracer test return curve data for core samples, obtaining tracer test return curve data for rock at a well of interest, and determining a wettability index of the rock in situ using the representative correlation and the tracer test return curve data for the well. A method includes obtaining core samples of a rock representative of a formation of interest, determining a wettability index of each of the core samples, performing a tracer test on each of the core samples and obtaining tracer return curve data for each of the core samples, building a correlation between the wettability index and the tracer return curve data of the core samples, running a single-well tracer test at a well, obtaining tracer return curve data for the well, and determining a wettability index for the rock of the well.

A method includes developing a lab-scale representative correlation between wettability index and tracer test return curve data for core samples, obtaining tracer test return curve data for rock at a well of interest, and determining a wettability index of the rock in situ using the representative correlation and the tracer test return curve data for the well. A method includes obtaining core samples of a rock representative of a formation of interest, determining a wettability index of each of the core samples, performing a tracer test on each of the core samples and obtaining tracer return curve data for each of the core samples, building a correlation between the wettability index and the tracer return curve data of the core samples, running a single-well tracer test at a well, obtaining tracer return curve data for the well, and determining a wettability index for the rock of the well.